Meet Union Pacific Railroad's first female African American train engineer

When she was hired at Union Pacific in the early 1970s, Edwina Justus was one of five black women who worked in the Omaha office. Within a few short years, she would become the company’s first female African American locomotive engineer.
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[@heathermetz6576]

Kudos to Edwina for sticking with Union Pacific. Love the style and positive attitude to make your workplace better!

[@jeraldford3494]

Wow what a story I'm proud of her for sticking in there and maken it threw kudos to you edwina 😁

[@shr3dthegnar1]

Some of the most wholesome content I’ve stumbled upon in awhile. Thank you for the post and thank you Edwina! Much love!

[@csexplore4110]

That was really cool! I absolutely applaud her sticking in her career. Very inspiring

[@tomatoes3]

Find it hard to believe that she was treated that way, such a shame as she was able to do the job.God bless you Edwina.

[@TheBamaPrinceable]

What's hard to believe about it? It's no secret how unapologetically racist the US was then.

[@richesse3126]

great story! glad i found this.....gutsy woman. and kudos to UP for hiring her back then!

[@Adamdaj]

Being an locomotive engineer was one of many dreams I had, but have Cerebral Palsy, that dram was not come true. I did as a teenager got the opertunity to operate passenger MU car train supervised by the first Female engineer SEPTA ever had. So my dream didn't die, it just got a shrt lived.

[@Petemonster62]

Adam - Maybe, one of the railroad museums that offer " Throttle Time " can work with you to run one of their locomotives?

[@sharonhenderson8956]

Inspiring Historic story on the Union Pacific Railroad Engineer Ms. Edwina Justus. A mighty awesome Trailblazer.

[@juneshopper]

wow, that is inspiring. I had never heard about this until a friend just posted this video on FB. I knew there were women engineers but did not know about her.

[@martymartinez157]

Hey curl....it's Marty Martinez from n.p now living Vegas.. Looking good

[@Majorbrainfog]

What a heart-warming story. Edwina Justus should be an inspiration for us all.

[@jimstevens1726]

She was tough enough to keep going!

[@csxt7527]

That's pretty cool. My dream was to become a locomotive engineer but I'm colorblind.

[@fogdan]

Just Awesome!!!

[@johngreen6385]

Great story 👍

[@justkiddin08]

Beautiful story!

[@edwardchamberlain3504]

Love this story

[@roscoepcoltrane5499]

its a shame she wasnt recognized at the time....in 1974 my father was desperate for a job....coming out of Nam no one would hire him...he was hired at the Rock Island...he was one of 4 Latin-latinos out of 13,000 men...he carried onto CNW and then BN. sadly Brasilian men or latin were not taken to too kindly in the railway industry.

[@SleeTheSloth]

She is a trail blazer! Way to go! May the god Lord watch over her and her signals always be green!

[@dianneklemmer9381]

That is so cool. On the top of my bucket list is to ride on a locomotive lol 😂

[@darrylnelson6264]

I was a train buff since day one. I had HO and O Gauge trains. I entered the Air Force as a career and never pursued a job in railroading. My little brother inherited my hobby trains and became a locomotive engineer. I had a good life but always wanted to be an engineer.

[@jimmymakmta]

Thanks UP for beliving in people

[@jimmymakmta]

I believe and love good people that's what keep me going your so welcome

[@juliencooper177]

Woman Power to Edwina Justus. And to her sister operators on both seats. 😊

[@DanThaMans]

Love this!! 💙👏🏾🙌🏾

[@sturmgesutz]

Well done to Edwina.👍👍

[@Urnieburns70]

Absolutely wonderful

[@g.malcolmdial1327]

Love it

[@jackreed3445]

Way to go Edwina!

[@martyhudgins5307]

That is awesome.

[@julianbassett5172]

What a lovely lady.

[@ReadingAreaRailfan]

I had no idea UP used GP7's all the way into the 70's

[@calvinbarnes7664]

I am so proud of you engineer at wein you were always better than they were

[@robertmoir5695]

I certainly accept you

[@kenvandevoort7820]

If you always wished you could be an engineer, there are a lot of railroad museums that are always looking for volunteers. Pay your dues. Work your way up to the right seat of the cab.

[@bd1128]

You never know until you KNOW.

[@LONEWLF]

Beautiful

[@Petemonster62]

The 1970s were a bad time for anyone trying to enter the Railroad Industry; especially the Operating Department. Amtrak only kept a fraction of the passenger trains running & freight trains were fewer in number as well - plus all the rail lines that were abandoned. Most railroads deferred track maintenance in the 1970s, so work trains were fewer in number. Union Pacific engineers would have operated the Amtrak trains that ran on the Union Pacific lines back in the 1970s.

[@party2theppl969]

Correction, anyone of color. Thanks

[@LeeDfined]

Amazing

[@jimmymakmta]

Story's like this is so I aspiring one day the world won't see color

[@robertmoir-vj1kq]

Nice women train drivers are alright with me and I do miss the 1960s

[@arlentraster382]

My daughter is half black..it’s cool to see this..maybe my daughter would want to be like myself…a locomotive engineer

[@daleolson3506]

Another words

[@PamPooh1111]

She makes me was operate a train

[@Ericechild1979]

🫶🏾❤️

[@anthonywindfield8439]

no comment

[@jeffkitney39]

Dirty job

[@25mfd]

used to be... back in the steam era days