Documented Exposure Sites
| # | Facility | Industry | Active Period | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Pacific Railroad Houston Shops | Railroad Maintenance | 1903–1990 | Critical |
| 2 | Missouri-Pacific Railroad Yards | Railroad Operations | 1910–1982 | High |
| 3 | Hughes Tool Company (North Plant) | Oil Equipment Manufacturing | 1924–1975 | High |
| 4 | National Pipe & Tube (Fifth Ward) | Steel Fabrication | 1935–1972 | Moderate |
| 5 | Houston Lighting & Power (Fifth Ward Substation) | Power Distribution | 1920–1970 | Moderate |
Southern Pacific Railroad Houston Shops
The Southern Pacific Railroad operated its primary Houston maintenance and repair facility in the Fifth Ward from the early 1900s. The shops serviced steam and diesel locomotives, freight cars, and rail infrastructure across the Gulf Coast rail network. Locomotive maintenance involved extensive asbestos exposure: boiler lagging, firebox insulation, brake shoes, and pipe insulation on steam systems all contained asbestos throughout the era of steam power and into early diesel conversions.
Machinists, boilermakers, pipefitters, carmen, and laborers who worked in the Southern Pacific shops have filed mesothelioma claims against asbestos insulation manufacturers and component suppliers. The railroad itself declared bankruptcy in the 1980s consolidation era; claims are directed against the asbestos product manufacturers rather than the railroad operator.
Hughes Tool Company Connection
Howard Hughes Sr.’s Hughes Tool Company maintained manufacturing operations in the Fifth Ward corridor, producing oil drilling equipment used throughout Texas and the Gulf Coast. Asbestos gaskets, packing materials, and insulation on process equipment were standard throughout the facility’s mid-century operations. Workers who fabricated or maintained drilling equipment at the Hughes Fifth Ward plant may have qualifying asbestos exposure.
Yes. Former railroad workers, including those at Southern Pacific’s Houston shops, can file asbestos claims against the manufacturers of the insulation, brake, and gasket products used in railroad maintenance. Under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA), claims against the railroad itself may also be available depending on employment status. Texas’s 2-year statute of limitations runs from mesothelioma diagnosis date. An experienced attorney can identify which claim types apply to your specific work history.
In railroad maintenance shops, the highest-risk occupations were boilermakers (who insulated and repaired locomotive boilers), pipefitters (who worked on steam piping insulated with asbestos), carmen (who installed asbestos brake components and handled insulation materials on freight cars), and machinists who worked in enclosed shop environments where asbestos dust accumulated. Laborers and sweepers were also significantly exposed from cleaning up asbestos debris without respiratory protection.