Meet one of BART's first female train operators: Susan Lynch reflects on experience

Susan Lynch was one of a handful of women working at BART as a train operator in 1973, one year after the system began operating.

She began working out of Hayward station as a test driver, ensuring the tracks wouldn't fail.

"It was very difficult. At that time, women didn't do jobs like that," Lynch told NBC Bay Area. "Once I started driving passengers, I would stick my head out of the window to make sure people didn't get caught in the doors. And, I would see young girls, and I could see they were impressed."

Lynch, a graduate of Mills College, worked at the station for a few years before hanging up her operator hat to produce the film "Northern Lights." However, she missed the excitement of working with trains and returned to BART as a station agent.

Now retired, she loves to travel and still loves trains.