Manufacturing jobs weren’t the only ones left vacant by men who’d gone overseas during the war – because of gasoline and rubber rationing during the early 1940’s, passenger train traffic doubled and railroad companies scrambled to hire women to keep their engines running. Approximately 116,000 women were working on railroads by the war’s end, and Office of War Information photographer Jack Delano captured some of them on film as they did their part to support the war effort.
Photos of Women Railroad Workers during World War II:
Women Railroad Workers Clean Giant Locomotive
Mother of Two Employed as Roundhouse Wiper
Women Railroad Workers at the Roundhouse
Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Roundhouse Wiper
Women Wipers at Chicago and Northwestern Railroad
Women Railroad Workers on Lunch Break
Dorothy Lucke is Wiper at Iowa Railroad Roundhouse
Roundhouse Helper Learning to Operate Turntable
Lunchtime at the Chicago and Northwestern RR Roundhouse
Wiper Gives Locomotive a Steam Bath at the Roundhouse
Roundhouse Sweeper at Chicago and Northwestern Railroad
