Commentary
Experiences of a Woman Yardmaster, 1975
In 2019, about a year after the introduction of the authorized biography of E. Hunter Harrison by Howard Green, I was browsing the web looking for how the book was being received. During this exercise, I came across a website with a review by Stephen Karlson. I was surprised when I saw he had mentioned my name and said, “Perhaps … Sue Rathe, one of the pioneer female yardmasters, will write her memoir ….” Well, Mr. Karlson, I’m not sure my life story is worthy of a whole memoir, but I believe some of my experiences in the railroad industry may be interesting enough for an article or two. I decided to begin by writing about my time as a yardmaster.