A Passion for Rail Eight years ago, a work-related accident led Osceola, Arkansas, Marine Terminal Conductor Stefanie Gentles on a path into a craft that she is now passionate about: railroading. Gentles’ husband experienced a work-related injury that left him disabled and left her to find a way to support her family. She started applying for jobs online and was invited to a hiring event for Union Pacific Railroad.
Stefanie Gentles
6 The Dispatch | August 2021
“Everyone else showed up for the interview in work boots and jeans, and there I was in my high heels and a skirt,” said Gentles. “The interviewer asked if I even knew what a conductor was. I had no idea but remembered when my son was small, his favorite show was ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ and his favorite character, Mr. Conductor, was in charge of the safety of the railroad. So that’s what I said, ‘Yes sir, conductors are in charge of the safety of the railroad.’ They called and offered me the job the next day. It was really quite funny and unbelievable. I still had no clue what a conductor was or what kind of whirlwind of a career I would be encountering, but I have no regrets. I love my job!”
