October 17, 2024 6:00 pm - October 17, 2024 7:30 pm

We’ve Been Working on the Railroad!

When one thinks about the Railroad, it is easy to think of the gigantic machines hurtling down the tracks and the men in overalls running them. However, most people do not realize that women have played a pivotal role in the railroad industry for over a century. For example, did you know a woman invented the crossing gate? How about greased wheel bearings?

We’ve Been Working on the Railroad! is a presentation that shares a rarely told story of the women who kept the country rolling and celebrate the history of women on the railroad. Join Mandy Lockaby, a female freight conductor for BNSF Railway, as these women are brought back to life from the pages of history and Mandy shares her own experiences of life on the rail.

Presenter: Mandy Lockaby has worked for BNSF as a conductor since 2013.  Over the course of her employment, she has earned an associates degree in business and is currently completing her bachelors degree in operations management for logistics and transportation. Mandy serves on the executive board for the Slaton Harvey House where she gets to share her love for the railroad with some of the most amazing people, working together to preserve an important part of West Texas railroad history. Her husband also works for the railroad as an engineer, and they are Slaton’s first ever husband and wife train crew, which makes them the “love train” when they get to work together.