State Historical Society of Iowa

Women Wipers Cleaning a Giant "H" Class Locomotive in Clinton, Iowa, April 1943

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Image
A group of three women cleaning an H-Class locomotive.
Courtesy of Library of Congress, Delano, Jack, "C. & N.W. R.R., women wipers at the roundhouse cleaning one of the giant "H' class locomotives, Clinton, Iowa," April 1943

Description

Often the focus of women's work during World War II on the homefront has been in the factory. The photograph shows another way women supported their country by keeping the railroads open and various resources, such as food or weapons, moving across the country. The image was taken in Clinton, Iowa and shows three women working on an H-Class locomotive. In addition, with rationing of gasoline and rubber more and more citizens took to rail transportation over cars. By 1945, over 116,000 women were working for the railroads and literally keeping the nation moving. 

Source-Dependent Questions

  • Describe the type of work women are doing in the photo. Why was this type of work important to the war effort?
  • Compare the work of the women in this image to the woman working on the B-25 bomber. Why are images like the one of the bomber more visible in studying World War II?

Citation Information 

Delano, Jack, "C. & N.W. R.R., women wipers at the roundhouse cleaning one of the giant "H' class locomotives, Clinton, Iowa," April 1943. Courtesy of Library of Congress