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169: The Everett Railroad w/ Alan Maples
The Everett Railroad is a story of how a small freight short line in Central Pennsylvania became not only a strong carrier but also a successful tourist railroad. Alan Maples, President of the Everett Railroad, talks about how he came to take ownership, grew the freight business, and entered tourist railroading, along with why he…
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168: ‘Thomas & Friends’ Video Storytelling w/ Carson’s Video Workshop
Carson Marenka and his team at Carson’s Video Workshop create original video stories set in the Thomas & Friends universe. We explore how he uses a train simulator to create the videos and his approach to making original stories fit the world of Thomas the Tank Engine. This episode is sponsored by Rapido Trains Inc.…
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Big Boy Happened. Now What? (Nick’s Train of Thought #1)
Whether you think it’s massively impressive, massively overrated, or just massive, there is no denying that Big Boy’s Eastern US tour has captured public attention for steam railroading in ways that haven’t been seen in decades, if ever. But how can we channel that enthusiasm into rail preservation moving forward? Photo by Fan Railer. FULL…
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167: Bernie Wagenblast – Transportation Journalist and Voice-over Artist
Known as the “Voice of the New York City Subway” Bernie has had a wonderfully varied career using her vocal talent and journalism skills spanning decades. For Pride Month, we are learning about how she got her start in voiceover and journalism, what led to her voice being used for transit station announcements, and how…
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166: American Civil War Railroads
In what ways were railroads crucial to the American Civil War? We talk with Thom Radice of the American Civil War Rail Roads Historical Society to learn more about some of the key individuals involved with the railroads, how the railroads shaped the conflict, and what resources exist for further research. This episode is sponsored…
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165: Canadian Pacific Railway and the Golden Northwest
The story of constructing Canada’s first transcontinental railway has been explored many times, but how did that railway come to shape immigration policy? David L. Jones, author of New World Dreams: Canadian Pacific Railway and the Golden Northwest, shares how his time as a CP employee enabled him to research this story, and how westward…
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164: Creating Vintage Hats w/ LaRose Hat Co.
Chris LaRose was a musician until COVID changed his career trajectory. Learn about how he came to develop his line of vintage railroad caps and why he feels it connects him to the past. Check out the hats! This episode is sponsored by Rapido Trains Inc and by Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services. Related Episodes…
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163: The Journey of Rapido Trains w/ Jason Shron
Eleven years ago, we interviewed Jason Shron from Rapido Trains about the history of the company up through 2015 and his vision for the future. Today, we see how Rapido has grown into the US and UK markets while still adhering to the principle that model railroading should be fun. This episode is sponsored by Strasburg…
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162: Building Realistic Lego Trains w/ Glenn Holland
Legos are thought of as toys, but there is a subset of Lego fans that aim to make their trains look as real as possible. Glenn Holland is one of these people and has been making custom Lego models for years. He shares his experiences and projects with us, along with why he views…
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The 2025 Train Mountain Triennial
By Zach Jones Photo 1: An aerial view of Train Mountain’s main yard, back shop and Containerville storage area. Photo by Joe Lagerstrom When you think of the large scale live steam hobby, there are a great many things which come to mind. You may envision the club which gives rides in a local park,…
The Everett Railroad is a story of how a small freight short line in Central Pennsylvania became not only a strong carrier but also a successful tourist railroad. Alan Maples, President of the Everett Railroad, talks about how he came…