Harbor Rail Services Company contracts with Class I railroads and Short Line railroads to perform railcar inspection and repair. The company has over 30 locations in 12 states, and is one of the leading railcar repair contractors in the country. The company has more than 500 employees, including today's women in railroading--Regina Strader, Mandy Vila, Terra Thelan, and Chelsea Morrel.
Regina Strader and Mandy Vila are both operations managers with Harbor Rail Services. Both women have been with Harbor Rail Services for more than 5 years, rising quickly through the ranks to their current positions.
Strader runs a 12 person car department in Tacoma, Washington. Vila runs a cleaning operation for the Union Pacific in Jonesboro, AR.
Strader has been in the railcar repair business for 20 years in the Pacific Northwest, starting out as a repairmen at a car repair shop. She joined Harbor Rail as an administrative assistant, but quickly proved she could run the operation.
Vila, also started as an administrative assistant, but took the reins within a year of joining the company.
Strader also employs a female carman on her team. Terra Thelan has been in the railroad industry for more than ten years. She has worked in car departments and as a locomotive mechanic for various companies throughout her career. She proudly possesses more welding certificates than any other employees at Harbor Rail Services in Tacoma.
Chelsea Morrel also works for Harbor Services as a car repair-person.
Chelsea works in Doswell, Virginia as part of the Buckingham Branch Railroad (BB) car department. She has been working for Harbor Rail Services for just over a year.
Tired of working behind a desk, and equipped with "some" welding experience, Morrel applied to Harbor because "a running repair start up sounded like an adventure." She was not disappointed. The challenging day-to-day keeps her on her toes, presenting new and unfamiliar problems "every other week or so."
Morrel relies on perseverance to get her through tough times and thanks her mother for being a shining example of strength and success. "[She] has been the most influential person in my life," she said.
A welder, firefighter, and federal investigator, Morrel's mother led by example throughout her naval career.
"She didn't raise me to believe in binary career paths or strict gender roles," Morrel said. "It didn't even occur to me until I entered the workforce myself that there were people who considered my interests or talents to be inherently male. Her support, wisdom, and encouragement continue to be a great source of strength for me."
Morrel notes that she has faced many obstacles as a women in railroading, adding, "what women hasn't?" She says that certain situations can be tough and must be addresses in a way that feels most comfortable to each individual. "There's no easy answer," she said. Fortunate that she's never had to deal with mistreatment at Harbor, Morrel feels lucky to have a crew that makes her feel safe and respected.
Looking ahead, Chelsea hopes the industry comes to better understand the unique strengths women bring "to the table"-a keen mind and attention to detail, to name a few. She reminds that the industry relies on a lot more than brawn to succeed. "If this job were all about brute strength, a forklift could do it."
For those young women who may be considering a career in railroading, Morrel offers the following advice:
"Discard the opinions of anyone who belittles you or makes you feel like you belong in this field any less than they do. Internalizing those attitudes is toxic and will only make you doubt yourself."
She adds that friends and mentors that motivate and inspire you are often the greatest learning tools, "Nelu Covaci, our lead, and Bill Ritter, our mechanical supervisor, have been excellent mentors to me over the past year. Find the people who make you better and don't waste your time or energy on anyone who makes you feel like less than you are."
