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Did you work with Alco 244 and 251 series locomotive turbocharger and exhaust manifold asbestos-sheet gaskets? According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, it allegedly contained asbestos. Here is what it was, who was exposed, and who is responsible. Alco 244 and 251 series locomotive turbocharger and exhaust manifold asbestos-sheet gaskets, made by American Locomotive Company, sold from 1946 until the 1980s (service life into the 2000s). Plaintiffs allegedly identified Alco (American Locomotive Company) 244 and 251 series locomotive turbocharger and exhaust manifold asbestos-sheet gaskets as an asbestos exposure source in roundhouse and diesel-shop repair work. Compressed asbestos-fiber sheet gaskets allegedly used at the turbocharger mounting flange, exhaust manifold segments, and manifold-to-turbo elbow of Alco 244 and 251 series prime movers. Gaskets were allegedly baked onto flanges by exhaust heat; removal during power-assembly and turbo change-outs required scraping, wire-brushing, and grinding — allegedly releasing asbestos fiber into cab and roundhouse air. Workers allegedly exposed around this product included Railroad Machinists, Railroad Shop Laborers, Railroad Locomotive Engineers and Firemen, and Railroad Car Maintainers. Asbestos claims are brought against the companies that made the products. If you worked with or around Alco 244 and 251 series locomotive turbocharger and exhaust manifold asbestos-sheet gaskets and were later diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim against the manufacturer. This is educational information from an independent publisher — not a law firm — and is not legal advice.
Product Description
Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that American Locomotive Company (Alco) 244 series and 251 series diesel prime movers were sealed at the turbocharger mounting flange, along exhaust manifold joints, and at the manifold-to-turbo elbow with compressed asbestos-fiber sheet gaskets. The 244 series powered postwar Alco road units (RS-2, RS-3, FA/PA cab units, and early hood units), and the 251 series powered later Alco (and MLW/Bombardier) road, switcher, and export locomotives, with service lives extending well beyond Alco’s 1969 U.S. exit.
According to publicly filed asbestos litigation records, exhaust-side gaskets on turbocharged prime movers allegedly baked onto their flanges under sustained high-temperature exhaust flow. Power-assembly overhauls, turbocharger change-outs, and manifold repairs allegedly required workers to scrape, wire-brush, and grind residual gasket material off flanges in confined engine-room and carbody spaces, allegedly releasing asbestos fiber into the immediate breathing zone and into the general roundhouse or diesel-shop air.
Workers Exposed
- Railroad machinists performing power-assembly overhauls, turbocharger change-outs, and exhaust manifold repairs on Alco locomotives
- Railroad shop laborers cleaning up scraped and ground gasket material from engine rooms and shop floors
- Railroad locomotive engineers and firemen exposed to residual dust when returning locomotives to service after shop work
- Railroad car maintainers working alongside diesel-shop crews on shared platforms
- Railroad electricians performing electrical work adjacent to open engine compartments during overhauls