LIRR highlights 45-year anniversary of first-ever, women-only operated train

ByKemberly Richardson

Thursday, August 8, 2024

LIRR highlights 45-year anniversary of 1st women-only operated train

Kemberly Richardson reports on the 45-year anniversary of the woman-only train.

JAMAICA, Queens (WABC) -- The LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) on Thursday celebrated 45th anniversary of the first-ever, woman-only run train.

On June 6, 1979, a train operated by only women pulled out of the Port Washington station on Long Island.

At the controls was Deirdre Hickey, the first qualified female conductor. And right there with her was Beverly Terrillion.

"It was exciting and groundbreaking," Terrillion said.

Terrillion -- 24 years old at the time of the historic moment -- was working a mortgage company but making much less then her male counterparts.

"The State Department of Labor was in the same building and the railroad," Terillion said. "In order to get state funding, they had to hire women. This man literally knocked on all of doors on all the floors, asking only some if they wanted to start."

Terrillion signed up immediately, and was joined by Eileen Coleman a few months after.

"I saw that there were other women doing this man's job," Coleman said. "I said, yeah, I want to be part of that."

Coleman, Terrillion and the other woman from that day celebrated 20 years of women on the LIRR in 2000. They took a picture, and recreated it just last month.

"We lost three women to cancer and a couple others were coming down with cancer and I thought, before we lose anyone, I wanted to recreate it," Terrillion said.

Both Terrillion and Coleman are now retired, but they are very proud of what they've accomplished -- paying the way for other women.