January 29, 2017
Bill - I hear you.... In earlier years, I've been covered with asbestos
dust, had the soles on my steel-toe boots rot from PCBs and breathed clouds of
smoke with God knows what was in it, but, at age 70, have not yet
experienced any quantifiable ill effects. However, mesothelioma from asbestos
exposure and blood cancers such as lymphoma from toxic chemical exposure are a
reality and one's good health should never be taken for granted. Some folks
just seem more resistant to such assaults on their well being such as your's
truly and your friend Mr. McCroskie whom I applaud for his determination to work
on weed spray trains. I guess I can best sum it up by quoting a friend of mine
who is a career funeral director. When I ask him about what happened to
so-and-so, he just shrugs his shoulders and says, "It was his time."
Best Regards - Louis
In a message dated 1/27/2017 5:01:29 P.M. Central Standard Time,
CBQ@yahoogroups.com writes:
Louis,
I have a friend and fellow model railroader (Jim McCroskie) whose first job
out of the high school was working the sprayer on the weed trains. He's talked
about about being in a T shirt and jeans and having all of the weed spray
sometimes just cover you as you would work down the track. That happened all
summer working those sprayer trains. He then became a Q clerk and retired as
BN special agent. He's amazed to this day that he has not had any health
problems that could be attributed to the weed spraying work.
Bill Hirt
January 27, 2017
Rupert/Hol - This is what I remember, too, on Lines East. I still
remember the "stink" of the chemical all these years later.... Today, the
EPA would never tolerate such an operation. Think about how the chemical
spray cloud could drift off the ROW if the wind picked-up. Chemical exposure
to employees as described with the spray nozzle operator being
"coated" would also be a huge concern in the present era. But, a weed
spray train was certainly a part of everyday railroading 60 plus-years ago.
Times were very different then.... Best Regards - Louis
Louis Zadnichek II
Fairhope, AL
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Posted by: LZadnichek@aol.com
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