Edwina Justus, aka Curlie: The first African American woman locomotive engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. Raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Edwina was initially rejected by Union Pacific due to her race and gender, but was ultimately hired as a Traction Motor Clerk. In 1976, after the men in the shop challenged her to apply for an open engineer position, Edwina became the first African American woman locomotive engineer in the country. She worked for Union Pacific for 22 years before retiring.