Product Description

Baldwin Locomotive Works (Philadelphia PA; Eddystone PA) was through the steam era the largest steam locomotive manufacturer in the United States. Baldwin built more than 70,000 steam locomotives for U.S. Class I railroads, short-lines, industrial railroads, and export customers between 1831 and the end of Baldwin steam production in 1956.

Baldwin steam locomotive boilers — like all high-pressure steam locomotive boilers of the era — were wrapped in asbestos block insulation beneath the polished sheet-metal boiler jacket (the “Russia iron” or Jacobs-Shupert jacket). The insulation was required to keep the massive boiler barrel from radiating heat and to protect crew and equipment from burns.

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that Baldwin steam locomotive boilers were specified with:

  • Asbestos block insulation (typically amosite and chrysotile) applied to boiler barrels and fireboxes
  • Asbestos molded-form insulation on steam domes and cylinder saddles
  • Asbestos boiler-jacket lagging between block insulation and outer sheet metal
  • Asbestos rope gaskets at boiler washout plugs, handhole covers, and steam-fitting connections
  • Asbestos firebox and smokebox gasketing at high-temperature joints

Steam locomotive boilermakers, boiler washers, and shop machinists were allegedly exposed to respirable asbestos fibers when stripping jacketing to access the boiler barrel for scheduled inspections, tearing out failed insulation during running-repair work, and applying replacement block and lagging.

Baldwin Locomotive Works has been named as a Manufacturer Defendant in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation.

Workers Exposed

  • Steam locomotive boilermakers at railroad backshops
  • Railroad boiler washers performing periodic boiler washouts
  • Locomotive shop machinists rebuilding Baldwin steam power
  • Locomotive firemen and engineers operating Baldwin steam locomotives
  • Roundhouse workers at Class I and short-line steam facilities