Steamtown Carnforth. (C) Dave's Archive
A respected heritage railway engineer from Nottinghamshire has died after developing incurable cancer caused by asbestos exposure during a career restoring vintage train carriages, including the world-famous Orient Express.
Malcolm Gelsthorpe, of Mansfield, passed away aged 68 on 7 March 2025 at John Eastwood Hospice, after a battle with epithelioid malignant mesothelioma, a cancer affecting the lining of the lungs and almost always linked to asbestos. An inquest into his death, held at Nottingham Coroner’s Court, concluded this week with a verdict of industrial disease.
Malcolm Gelsthorpe’s railway career spanned nearly half a century, beginning in 1979 at Steamtown Railway Museum in Carnforth, where he worked as an electrician for almost two decades. There, he was deeply involved in restoring historic rolling stock, including luxury carriages used on the restored Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
He continued to work on heritage rolling stock as a Quality Systems Manager at West Coast Railways, one of the UK’s most prominent charter train operators, from 1998 until his illness in 2024.
“Asbestos was everywhere”
In statements read to the court, Malcolm Gelsthorpe explained that during his restoration work, he was regularly exposed to asbestos, which had been sprayed into the walls, ceilings and underframes of carriages built in the early 20th century.
“Asbestos was everywhere and could not be avoided,” he said. “Most, if not all, of the railway carriages had asbestos within them. The metal frame had been sprayed with blue asbestos when they had been built. It was underneath the fabric of the train carriage, behind the walls, into the seats and ceilings. I would often have to work next to asbestos.”
Despite working daily in confined spaces where asbestos insulation had deteriorated, Malcolm Gelsthorpe was never issued respiratory protection and worked in environments where airborne fibres were released during electrical and mechanical repairs.
According to a respiratory medicine report prepared for legal proceedings by Dr Simon Taggart, the levels of asbestos dust and fibres Malcolm Gelsthorpe encountered were “above those usually encountered,” and his symptoms developed after a latency period of over four decades – typical of mesothelioma cases.
A legacy of dedicated service – and preventable harm
Malcolm Gelsthorpe began his career in the performing arts, working as an electrician at Nottingham Playhouse and then Chief Electrician at Dukes Playhouse in Lancaster in the 1970s, before his lifelong passion for the railway drew him to Steamtown in 1979. His knowledge of historic electrical systems made him a vital part of restoration projects across the UK’s heritage rail scene.
Despite stepping into quality assurance roles later in his career, he continued to work around ageing rolling stock.
Coroner Sarah Wood concluded that Malcolm Gelsthorpe’s death was caused by exposure to asbestos throughout his railway career, noting that the illness was more than likely the result of long-term occupational exposure.
“I find that Mr Gelsthorpe had a past occupation as an electrician working on rail tracks and rail carriages and was exposed to asbestos, dust and other contaminants,” she said. “I find that his occupation has more than minimally contributed to his death.”
She offered her condolences to his family and friends and recorded a formal conclusion of industrial disease.
A wider industry issue
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), asbestos remains the UK’s leading cause of work-related deaths, with approximately 5,000 people dying every year from asbestos-related illnesses. Though banned in 1999, asbestos remains present in many older buildings and heritage vehicles.
Malcolm Gelsthorpe’s death highlights the ongoing risks posed to those working with historic infrastructure, particularly in heritage rail, where older materials are still commonplace and restoration work often takes place in confined, poorly ventilated conditions.
His passing marks the loss of not just a highly experienced engineer, but a man whose dedication helped preserve some of Britain’s most iconic railway carriages – and whose life, like many others, was quietly endangered by materials long since known to be deadly.
