The Roundhouse

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How does being both a museum and living history center enable The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village to interpret railroad history. Curator of Transportation Matt Anderson joins us to cover their collection and the unique elements of operating steam locomotives daily among the historic buildings of the village.

This episode is sponsored by Rapido Trains Inc.

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How did so much of the “world’s shortest commercial railway” become preserved? Huntsville & Lake of Bays Railway Society VP Charlie Tardif shares the unique history of this narrow gauge Canadian railway and how it has been preserved today.

This episode is sponsored by Rapido Trains Inc.

Photo by Larry Broadbent.

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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 loves passenger car restorations.

This episode is sponsored by Rapido Trains Inc.

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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 TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to Nick’s Train of Thought, part of The Roundhouse Podcast.

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. Scranton got to experience the Taylor Swift effect of having its local economy boosted by $16 million. Countless reporters, public officials, and influencers have shared their experiences with the locomotive. Even for me, Facebook keeps recommending posts from small business owners having “watch parties” next to the line.

This was a herculean effort. And with the trip coming to an end, it seems to have paid off not just in the smiles of railfans but the delight of the public at large.

While the focus is on a single locomotive owned by one company, it’s worth recognizing that even Union Pacific needed to work beyond its offices in Omaha to pull this off. Yes, the UP Steam Crew put in a ton of effort to ensure that the logistics of the trip would work, but let’s acknowledge that a Fortune 500 company needed to collaborate for this tour to happen as it did. Norfolk Southern, Reading and Northern, and the National Parks Service provided venues for people to connect with the locomotive. Fire departments provided water. Police departments kept the roads around the train safe. Local news outlets built up the excitement. And many other people and entities played equally valuable roles. A big thing happened because a lot of people collaborated to make it happen.

I was talking with Rob Davis, one of the founders of the Ahead of the Torch forum on Facebook about this phenomenon. He posed the following question that has been ringing in my ears for the past month: how does heritage railroading take this level of interest in trains and try to use it as a springboard for our field at large?

With my company Streamliner Media, something I almost always say to clients is “meet your audience where they are”. Understand the audience and what their knowledge on a subject is. Then, find ways to relate to what they know while introducing them to new ideas or information.

Right now, our audience, the general public, is captivated by the story of this huge locomotive traveling through the Eastern states. The Altoona Curve Baseball Facebook page posted a “man on the street” style video where they asked stadium attendees questions about Big Boy and trains in general. That video in a few days racked up almost 20 thousand views within two days. Major news outlets like CBS Mornings and NPR run their own stories on the trip. It’s not every year that hundreds of thousands of Americans are talking about one single steam locomotive-centered event. Where is our audience at this moment? Talking about trains!

So how can we carry that forward? Sure, as individual organizations, we can put out a social media post that ties in with Big Boy, but that is just the start. Much more can be accomplished if we create events that are driven by multiple organizations working together. If we make the most of combined strength, skillset, and resources, what doors does that unlock?

When we look at the landscape of tourist railroads, museums, and historical nonprofits, there are so many ways in which combining our resources can yield events and opportunities that otherwise might be unthinkable. One event from the past that I like to cite as an example of this is the Joliet Rocket, a collaboration between Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (owners of Nickel Plate 765), Metra, and various other partners. Four round trips over two days accommodated 2,500 people and brought a sense of prestige due to the glamor element of train travel being a prominent selling point. Then there was Train Festival 2009, a gathering of locomotives and vendors from around the country. Estimates are that 40,000 people came to Owosso Michigan over the course of four summer days.

The time has never been better for us to find those ways to take this renewed interest in trains and channel it into ridership, attendance, donations, volunteers, and even careers in the field of heritage railroading.

That’s my train of thought, but what is yours? How could you see rail organizations collaborating on larger messaging and events in practical sustainable ways that makes the most of this opportunity?

The post Big Boy Happened. Now What? (Nick’s Train of Thought #1) appeared first on The Roundhouse Podcast.

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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 publicly transitioning to a woman opened her career further.

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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 by Rapido Trains and Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services.

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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 immigration shaped Canada into what it is today.

This episode is sponsored by Rapido Trains Inc and by Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services.

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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!

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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 Rail Road Mechanical Services.

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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 Lego as a worthwhile medium for modeling.

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The Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway is a 140 mile short line located within North Carolina. Founder and Chairman Robert Menzies talks to us about his philosophy with establishing the railroad, how they transformed a locomotive into a “bar car”, and their plans with a recently acquired steam locomotive.

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Did you know that Conrail still exists today? Though primarily known as a major Class I railroad in the Northeast US from the 70s to 90s, Conrail still exists as a shared asset operation jointly owned by Norfolk Southern and CSX. Current President Brian Gorton started with the pre-merger Conrail in the 80s. He shares his perspective on how Conrail has evolved, experiences from his time working for Union Pacific, and how he was involved with the George H. W. Bush Funeral Train.

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R Duck Locomotive Works is a company specializing in creating laser-cut wooden kits depicting real locomotives and rolling stock. Founder and owner Tripp Aquadro talks about his inspiration for the business and how he develops his products.

See his products on his website.

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In 2027, America will mark the 200th anniversary of its railroading legacy—a transformative journey that began in 1827 with the laying of the first stone of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Baltimore, Maryland. To honor this historic bicentennial, the B&O Railroad Museum is leading a nationwide, year-long celebration in collaboration with partners like Amtrak and CSX to spotlight the enduring impact of railroads on American industry, culture, and daily life. Executive Director Kris Hoellen discusses the projects at the museum, how their volunteers are revitalizing the buildings on their site, and why she sees the anniversary as a year for collaboration between heritage railroads and museums.

You can learn more about the 200th Anniversary from their website.

This episode is sponsored by Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services.

Photo by Wallstreethotrod.

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Talyllyn Railway Media Manager Luke Ryan joins us to discuss how the railway has progressed since we last featured it on the podcast, the importance of interpreting the Rev. Awdry’s work, and why hosting meaningful events such as the Awdry Extravaganza for fans matters.

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The post 157: Talyllyn Railway w/ Luke Ryan appeared first on The Roundhouse Podcast.

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What does operating a big mainline steam locomotive like Santa Fe 3751 on the west coast require? Alex Gillman, VP of the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society, joins us to talk about the work required to restore and operate the locomotive, along with how they are developing a museum.

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Photo by Sean Lamb.

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The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wisconsin, is expanding its museum facilities. CEO Jacqueline Frank joins us to discuss the history of the museum, how they successfully transported their “Dwight D. Eisenhower” locomotive back to the UK for an event in 2014, and their approach to showcasing the national history of railroading in the United States.

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What is a notable example of museums or heritage railroads collaborating to create a great event?

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, share this episode with at least one person today, and remember that The Roundhouse is Our House!

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Chuck Baker, President of American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association, talks about the state of the short line railroading in early 2025, how the organization is involved in advocacy for the industry, and the growing trend of freight railroads entering tourist railroading.

This episode is sponsored by Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services.

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What short line or regional railroad impresses you?

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The interviewer is interviewed! Guest host Kelly Lynch asks your questions for regular host Nick Ozorak about the history of the podcast, what continues to motivate his work, and why he is so optimistic about Next Generation Railroaders.

Attend Next Generation Railroaders’ first virtual public programming.

This episode is sponsored by Strasburg Rail Road Mechanical Services.

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Are there any other questions you have for me, Nick Ozorak?

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, share this episode with at least one person today, and remember that The Roundhouse is Our House!

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Tony Hatch, Senior Transportation Analyst for ABH Consulting, provides us with a greater understanding of the financial landscape of Class I railroading in the 21st century.

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Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, share this episode with at least one person today, and remember that The Roundhouse is Our House!

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