At its height, the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Altoona Works was widely described as the largest railroad shop complex. For about a century, the Altoona shops built, repaired, and overhauled the railroad’s locomotives and cars. For most of that time, asbestos was part of the job, especially in the boiler insulation known as lagging that covered every steam locomotive. Generations of Blair County families made their living in those shops, and some are now facing asbestos disease as a result.
History of the Pennsylvania Railroad Altoona Shops and Juniata Shops
The Pennsylvania Railroad built its shops at Altoona in the 1850s, at the base of the mountain grade that made the town a natural service stop. Over the decades, the complex grew to include erecting shops, machine shops, foundries, and car shops, among them the Juniata shops. Altoona grew right along with it, and in many ways, the city owes its existence to the railroad.
Ownership changed several times. The Pennsylvania Railroad merged with Penn Central in the late 1960s, and Conrail took over operations in the following decade. Today, Norfolk Southern continues shop work at Juniata. The heaviest asbestos exposure belongs mostly to the steam and early diesel years, before and shortly after mid-century.
Asbestos in Steam Locomotive Boiler Lagging and Shop Materials
Steam locomotive boilers ran hot enough to require heavy insulation, and for decades, that insulation was asbestos lagging. Workers applied it over the boiler and covered it with a sheet metal jacket. Asbestos also turned up in pipe insulation, insulating cement, boards, gaskets, packing, and some friction materials.
Building a locomotive meant putting that insulation on. Repairing one usually meant tearing the old, brittle lagging off first, which released the kind of dust most closely linked to asbestos disease.
Diesels replaced steam during the 1950s, but the exposure didn’t stop overnight. Older equipment still had to be stripped and serviced. Steam heat systems and insulated shop piping remained in place, and the buildings themselves held decades’ worth of buildup.
Altoona Shop Crafts With the Highest Asbestos Exposure Risk
- Boilermakers worked directly on lagged boilers.
- Machinists, pipefitters, and sheet metal workers handled insulated parts and the metal jacketing over the lagging.
- Laborers swept the shop floors and hauled away stripped insulation.
In the erecting shops, locomotives were assembled and taken apart under one roof, and every craft breathed the same air. Exposure was never limited to the worker holding the lagging. For a broader look at the industry, see the railroad workers and asbestos sections.
FELA Asbestos Claims for Pennsylvania Railroad Workers
Railroad workers are not covered by standard workers’ compensation. Their injury and occupational illness claims fall under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), which allows a railroad worker to pursue a negligence claim against the railroad. Which railroad or successor company is responsible can depend on when the exposure took place. With the Altoona shops changing hands several times, that question deserves a careful look.
Separate claims against the companies that manufactured the asbestos products used in the shops can often proceed alongside a FELA claim. The two types of claims involve different defendants and different filing deadlines, and some of those deadlines can be short. That is a strong reason to have the timing reviewed as early as possible.
Mesothelioma Latency: Why Altoona Railroad Workers Are Diagnosed Decades Later
Asbestos exposure is the main cause of mesothelioma, and the disease usually appears decades after the exposure that caused it, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI asbestos fact sheet). That long delay means shop workers from the mid-twentieth century, and the spouses who washed their work clothes, may only now be receiving a diagnosis. This is general medical background, not medical advice.
Proving Asbestos Exposure at the Altoona Works
Railroad employment tends to be well documented. Railroad Retirement Board records can confirm a worker’s railroad service. Personnel files and craft union records can help show where he worked and what craft he held. Years of litigation have also documented the asbestos products used in locomotive shops. The Altoona Works is one of many Pennsylvania asbestos exposure sites, and family members exposed to shop dust brought home on clothing may have claims of their own, as explained in our page on secondary asbestos exposure.
Families often hold details that make a claim stronger:
- Which shop did the worker report to
- Whether he talked about boiler work or car work
- The craft listed on his union card
- The names of coworkers he carpooled with
Wrongful Death Claims for Altoona Railroad Families
When a former shop worker has passed away from an asbestos disease, his family may be able to bring wrongful death and survival claims. These claims have their own filing deadlines, which generally run from the date of death, so families should act promptly.
Free Case Review for Altoona Railroad Asbestos Claims
If someone in your family worked in the Altoona shops and has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos disease, request a free case review. Michael Schafle will help you sort out the FELA and product claims, as well as the deadlines that apply to each.