Question,
Was lead paint used inside and outside on CN Steam Locomotives? What are the hazards associated with this?

Don't eat it, or grind it up and breathe it. Don't burn it and breathe in the smoke. Don't let anybody know it is present most of all.

dave

Thanks Dave but one of the companies said there might be lead paint concerns....

Just about any paint that age will have lead in it. There may be newer paints on top that may not have lead, but almost certainly there will be lead in the layers underneath.

this just gets better!!, so has anyone had to deal with flaking possibly lead paint on exteriors of locomotives?

LOL! You are probably regretting even starting this project.

We have all had to try and deal with it. However the Consumer Product Safety Commission link below states; that there is no completely safe method for "do-it-yourself" removal of lead-based paint.

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/5055.html

On the industrial side there are methods but I’m sure that regulations vary from state to state.

Department of labor lists a vacuum chipper method here.

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp ... p_id=20309

In general wet methods are better at containing airborne contaminants, but I think you’re going to find it difficult getting advice on asbestos and lead removal from museum operators in a public forum.

Encapsulation may be a recognized method of mitigation. Here is a link to a New York State publication about this approach: http://www.health.state.ny.us/environme ... ulants.htm

Wasser Coatings have been used to encapsulate lead on bridges - even rail bridges. Here is their web site: http://www.wassercoatings.com/index.htm I understand Wasser Coatings are now manufactured in Quebec so you should be able to source it locally. You must wear appropriate protective gear when you use this paint – it is a single component urethane.

--Richard
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As Bilbo Baggins would say, there's no completely safe way of stepping out your door! The megabucks they'd have you blow on contractors mean a bunch of other projects won't get done.

Besides we're not shadetree mechanic type do-it-yourselfers. We are professionals in railway restoration, and as such we have a somewhat higher standard (and also peril).

And I think we all know there is no one magic method to remove paint, you have to do whatever works, and as the page says, all of them require that you manage containment and exposure.

Certainly we should think seriously about lead in paint, as we do what we do, and as we design our shops. It would be quite useful to have a well-sealed strip and paint building specifically designed to be containment for lead paint stripping, asbestos removal etc. I wonder what that would look like?

Theoretically then, could the cab interior paint be safely removed using stripper with breathing masks and suitable eye protection etc? Reason I ask is that some metal areas have rusty flaking paint such as toolboxex etc etc

Lead can only be absorbed into the human body by ingestion or inhalation. Skin contact has no effect, unless the lead gets transferred to food. The most common entry routes when removing lead-based paint are (1) not washing your hands before grabbing that doughnut or sandwich, and (2) breathing paint dust, which gets trapped in your nose, and some of it inevitably gets swallowed. So wear gloves and a good-quality dust mask when generating lead paint dust by grinding or sanding.

Burning lead-based paint generates toxic lead fumes, so stand upwind if you must torch something covered with lead-based paint.

Abrasive blasting with sand or other hard media ("black beauty" smelter slag, etc) is the traditional stripping method to get down to completely bare white metal. It generates vast clouds of dust, and abrasive grit drifts everywhere, including the unsealed driving-wheel bearings. Permits are required in many areas. Disposal of lead-contaminated sand is expensive nowadays. Alternatives include:
- Wirebrushing (cheap but slow; should be adequate inside cab; generates more chips than dust, and doesn't attract unwanted attention), followed by encapsulation (paint over well-adhering original lead-based paint)
- Sponge blasting (abrasive particles embedded in sponge pieces, which minimizes dust)
- Cryo-blasting with crushed dry ice (won't strip surface rust, but knocks off top layers of paint, and the dry ice sublimates into CO2 gas, leaving only paint chips to sweep up and dispose of.)

There are good rust-converting paints available nowadays. Read the literature carefully. Despite the glitzy advertisements, some require an awful lot of prep, plus topcoat for UV protection. Some (POR-15, for example) are unusually toxic in liquid form, and require supplied-air respirators for safety.

A nice-looking coat of paint improves community support, and helps deter vandalism, because it shows that somebody cares about the locomotive / RR car. Paint right over moss and grass growing out of the boiler jacket if you absolutely must - it's better than looking like an eyesore.

- Doug Debs