Westinghouse Electric — Springfield Traction Motor / Lamp Division in Springfield OH

Plaintiffs alleged in publicly filed U.S. asbestos personal-injury and wrongful-death litigation that they were allegedly exposed to asbestos while working at the Westinghouse Springfield traction motor and lamp works in Springfield Ohio. This page documents the Springfield portion of Westinghouse’s multi-state industrial footprint. For the full corporate summary, see the Westinghouse manufacturer page.

Plant Description and Operating Era

The Westinghouse Springfield works housed Westinghouse’s traction motor manufacturing (motors for streetcars, interurban rail, freight and passenger locomotives, and mine haulage) and, through much of the twentieth century, portions of the Westinghouse Lamp Division (incandescent, fluorescent, and specialty lamps). Springfield served as a mid-sized specialty manufacturing site within the broader Westinghouse motor and lighting network, operating through the mid-to-late twentieth century before phased closures and divestitures.

Premises ACM Narrative

At the Westinghouse Springfield works during the U.S. asbestos era (approximately 1920s-1980), plaintiffs allegedly encountered:

  • Asbestos pipe covering on steam mains, process piping, and utility lines
  • Asbestos-block hot-side lagging on lamp-envelope forming furnaces, glass-annealing lehrs, and motor heat-treat ovens
  • Asbestos-molded De-Ion arc chute plates in Westinghouse switchgear during production and rework
  • Asbestos-fabric electrical winding insulation and asbestos-tape slot insulation on Westinghouse traction motors and railway control apparatus built at Springfield
  • Asbestos sheet gaskets at process piping and boiler flanges
  • Asbestos-cement bulkhead panels in electrical rooms and test cells
  • Asbestos sprayed fireproofing on structural steel throughout the multi-story manufacturing buildings (pre-1973 EPA ban)
  • Traction-motor-specific pathway — asbestos brake shoe linings and asbestos commutator-brush shrouds handled during traction motor final assembly and test

Workers Exposed

  • HFIAW Insulators — asbestos pipe covering and block insulation
  • UA Pipefitters — flange bolt-up on steam and process lines
  • IBB Boilermakers — powerhouse boiler work
  • IBEW Electricians — switchgear and motor control work
  • BAC Bricklayers — refractory work on lehrs and furnaces
  • IUE / United Electrical Workers (UE) — coil winders, lamp assemblers, and machine operators
  • Millwrights — heavy manufacturing equipment installation

If You Worked at Westinghouse Springfield

If you or a family member worked at the Westinghouse Springfield traction motor / lamp plant — or any other Westinghouse manufacturing site — before 1980 and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease, you may have a legal claim.

Free, confidential case evaluation: Speak with O’Brien Law Firm — (314) 936-2956