The "International Woman's Day At The Historic Strasburg Railroad" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with my friend Jere who lives in State College, Pennsylvania with his wife Sue.  We have been calling weekly back and forth from Lancaster to State College for over 20 years, since we both retired from Manheim Township High School where Jere and I taught for many years until he was given the job of Grounds Superintendent.  Jere, Sue and I all graduated from the same high school, but Sue only arrived in her sophomore year at MTHS.  During the summer months, while Jere was still teaching Industrial Arts, he would work at the historic Strasburg Railroad as a fireman on one of their antique engines.  Tough job shoveling coal into the engine's firebox during the hot summer months in order to keep the train running, but it was a labor of love for Jere.  Jere and I grew up around trains since we each lived about a block from the Lancaster Train Station.  Today, right on the front page of the local newspaper, was a big photograph of a young woman doing the same chore as Jere used to do.  Next to the large photo was another slightly smaller photograph of another woman with her head out the window of the train's engine, smiling for the camera, as she maneuvered the engine on the tracks of the railyard.  Might not be a big thing to some of you, but for the Strasburg Railroad, these two women were the first females in the 189-year history of the Strasburg Railroad to do what at one time was thought to be a man's job.  What made it even more memorable for the two young women was the fact that it was International Woman's Day.  Andrea Biesecker was the engineer for the historic day while Shelley Hall was the fireman; perhaps that should be firewoman, on the train.

Firewoman Shelley Hall adds coal to he firebox.

 Hall shoveled coal into the firebox throughout the day while Biesecker made sure the tracks were clear of cows and other unwanted objects.  

Engineer Andrea and Firewoman Shelley

Andrea joined the Strasburg Railroad mechanical team in 2009 and is proud to be a part of history.  Shelley is a certified pressure vessel welder and the first female to fill that position.  They both think it is great that young girls can see women doing what at one time was considered only a man's job.  I have made many trips to the Railroad as well as the nearby Railroad Museum to visit and see some of what Jere and I saw many years before at the Lancaster Train Station.  Type in "Strasburg Railroad in the little white box at the top left of this blog to see what else I may have written about the Strasburg Railroad.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Photos were taken by Robert Devonshire, Jr.