Explore every episode of the podcast Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan

In this week’s episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy & Bethan, things are hot, hot, hot- and we’re not talking about Christmas beverages.

Union Pacific’s Big Boy tour has wrapped up, the West Coast is burning, and Rowdy may or may not be in the midst of a mental breakdown. Just another normal week in heritage railroading.

Here’s what we’re getting into:

1.) Rowdy Is Doing Great
And by “great,” we mean he appears to be in the midst of a mental breakdown. We check in.

2.) What Happens After Big Boy?
Union Pacific’s Big Boy tour has wrapped up, leaving a massive amount of public attention on steam locomotives and railroad history in its wake. The Roundhouse podcast recently posed an interesting question: How can heritage railroads capitalize on the publicity the Big Boy tour created? Rowdy and Bethan have answers. They do not have the same answers.

3.) In the News!
This week’s news segment gets a little personal and seriously related to the next topic...

4.) Why Is the West Coast Burning?
Yes, this is a railroad podcast, but Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad was built around the logging industry, and our museum preserves the history of logging railroads in the Pacific Northwest.

So we’re going there....How have forestry practices and policies changed over the decades? What did forest management look like historically? How does the decline of the timber industry factor into what we’re seeing today? And what does any of this have to do with the catastrophic wildfires burning across the West?

It’s complicated. So naturally, Rowdy and Bethan have opinions.

5.) FAQs & Listener Questions
We wrap things up by answering some of your questions.

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Got a question or a topic you want us to cover? Send it our way. We’d love to hear from you.

So grab your coffee—or whatever is getting you through the day—crank up the phonograph, and let’s go Off the Rails.

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In this week's episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan, we have a special guest! Off the Rails very first guest - Hyce! 

In this episode we talk: 

1.) Who the heck is Hyce? 
2.) SWOT Analysis of the Industry...
3.) How the internet internets and the impacts on our goofy little niche of the railroad world and our lives. 
5.) In the News! 

Got a question or topic you want us to cover? Send it our way—we'd love to hear from you.

So grab your coffee (or whatever is getting you through the day), crank up the phonograph, and let's go Off the Rails.

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In this week's episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan, we present Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad’s version of a True Crime podcast, or plea for someone else to do one. 

This episode follows another bridge fire on Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad and ongoing trespassing concerns.
 
1.)  True Crime Here’s the timeline (with some stuff left out):
 October 2024 – Mean, no-good emails start.
 December 2024 – Trespassing incident / western standoff. 
 December 2024 – More signs, etc. 
 February 2025 – Manifesto
 February 2025 – More emails
        February 2025 – MRSR requests heightened law enforcement due to ongoing risks.  
        April 2025 – Trestle fire at GG-92
       July 2025 – More nasty notes. 
       July 2025 – Harassing phone calls. 
       July 2025 – Boxcar Canyon Fire 1
       September 2025 – Requests to elected officials and law enforcement
       October 2025 – Follow-up to requests
       June 2026 – Boxcar Canyon Fire 2
2.) The most recent fire at Boxcar Canyon and ongoing trespassing issues.
3.) In the News! Trains Magazine drops from 12 print editions every year to 10, the internet has feelings! 
4.) Listener questions, like “do you sleep?” 
Got a question or topic you want us to cover? Send it our way—we'd love to hear from you. So grab your coffee (or whatever is getting you through the day), crank up the phonograph, and let's go Off the Rails.

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In this week's episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan, we're calling this one the "Hangover Edition." Neither is actually hungover, just running on fumes after submitting our CRISI grant and getting Polson 70 back under steam. The result? A completely unscripted episode in which no one is entirely sure what was talked about... but apparently it was a lot.

1.) The final push to submit our nearly $30 million CRISI grant application and what the last few days looked like behind the scenes. At the time of filming, Bethan still hadn't submitted it.
2.) Getting Polson 70 back into service following her 1,472-day inspection and rebuild, personnel meltdowns and all. 
3.) Rowdy's problematic internet presence. 
4.) The Oregon Trail, favorite presidents, whether heritage railroading is a viable career, legal pads, spot plates, World War II, and a variety of other topics that production wouldn't have put on the agenda.
5.) In the News! This week's news segment covers paperwork at Railtown.

Got a question or topic you want us to cover? Send it our way—we'd love to hear from you.

So grab your coffee (or whatever is getting you through the day), crank up the phonograph, and let's go Off the Rails.

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In this week’s episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan, Bethan is M.I.A., and Calvin - commonly known as "Production" steps in to talk about all things YouTube and his entry to the Chugg Life. 

1.) Who is Calvin? What's he do aside from "Production" stuff?  What's his entry to the ChuggLyf been like? 
2.) Behind "The YouTubes." How it got started, how it's found it's footing, and what goes into each week's episode. 
3.) Polson 70 updates following the FRA's visit. 
3.) In the News! Our weekly news segment talks about America 250 paint schemes.
4.) Our Frequently Asked Questions – like, why does Calvin say "brother," so much? 

Got a question or topic you want us to cover? Send it our way- we’d love to hear from you. 

So grab your coffee, crank up the phonograph, and let’s go Off the Rails.

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In this week’s episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan, Rowdy is conspicuously absent, leaving Eric in the hot seat for a special Pridecast focused on LGBTQ+ history in railroading and logging railroads, with a look at where we are today.

Eric and Bethan spend some time discussing the unique "flavor" of Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad in the Year of Chugg™ (2026) and the team that has come together to make it all happen.

There isn't much written about queer history in American railroading, which makes uncovering these stories all the more interesting. One great resource from across the pond is the UK's National Railway Museum: People, Pride and Progress.

As part of Bethan's ongoing quest (hyperfixation) to uncover the untold stories of logging and railroad history, she dives into a few notable LGBTQ+ stories, including the Sumner Welles/Pullman Porter affair of 1940 and Portland's 1912 Scandal.

For those interested in learning more, check out Peter Boag's Same-Sex Affairs: Constructing and Controlling Homosexuality in the Pacific Northwest.

Fast-forwarding to the present day, Eric shares his own coming-out story and reflects on life as a gay man in the railroad world, particularly within the heritage railroad community.

In the News!

Our weekly news segment was almost nonexistent this week, thanks to a complete hyperfocus on history rather than current events. We do, however, discuss some exciting new gift shop merchandise.

Frequently Asked Questions!

This week's FAQ segment included a question about nationalizing the U.S. rail network, a topic we mostly decided to nope right out of.

Got a question or topic you'd like us to cover? Send it our way, we'd love to hear from you (we think).

So grab your coffee, crank up the phonograph, and let's go Off the Rails.

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Thanks to Huffman Machining Solutions is proud to sponsor this Off the Rails podcast.  See how we can help with your next challenge at huggmanmachining.com

In this week’s episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan, Rowdy and Bethan are back to the usual shenanigans, with a bit less food-centered content than "the talent" prefers. They detail activities where they're parading around undercover, hanging out with the "Big Kids," a.k.a. freight folks. 

1.) Recapping the ASLRRA Conference that was held in Minneapolis from April 12 through 14. 
2.) The current state of our CRISI application. The scope of our project has increased from a mere $20 million to $29 million, and Bethan is definitely feeling the pressure. 
3.) In the News! Our weekly news segment is a bit self-serving, featuring the start of our 21+ event series! Also covered, the magnificent debut of the newly restored Cheney Depot.  Check it out here: https://www.cheneydepot.com
4.) Our Frequently Asked Questions – like, what the heck is behind you guys? 

Got a question or topic you want us to cover? Send it our way- we’d love to hear from you. 

So grab your coffee, crank up the phonograph, and let’s go Off the Rails.

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Thanks to Huffman Machining Solutions is proud to sponsor this Off the Rails podcast.  See how we can help with your next challenge at huggmanmachining.com

In this week’s episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan, they discuss the “tough stuff,” their take on radical transparency, and a recent situation regarding anonymous complaints to the FRA about Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad’s repair work on steam engine, Polson 70. 

1.) Radial transparency. Why has MRSR taken this approach from the start? How does radical transparency fit into our organizational purview and how it affect us? What things can we share, and what things can’t we share? 
2.) A recent situation regarding a formal complaint to the FRA regarding the condition of Polson 70’s back tubesheet knuckle. How we interact with the FRA, what our response was, what the paperwork burden is, and how we’ve “gotten to the other side.”
3.) In the News! Our weekly news segment covers the President’s budget requests for railroad activities – Amtrak, Intercity/Passenger Rail, and other railroad projects. 
4.) Our Frequently Asked Questions – like, how the heck did Rowdy get his name? 

Got a question or topic you want us to cover? Send it our way- we’d love to hear from you. 

So grab your coffee, crank up the phonograph, and let’s go Off the Rails.

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In this week’s episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan, Rowdy and Bethan dive deep into a topic near and dear to them, "Responsible Railfanning." 

Here's what comprises this episode: 

1.) Introducing while Bethan loads up on the Red Bull. There's some buffering.

2.) How to safely foam. With some really, really big things happening in heritage rail space this year, we want to take a minute to talk about how to safely and respectfully railfan. 

3.) What do we do with heritage equipment that needs saving? The internet is full of last-minute emergency fundraisers and calls to save historic equipment, on tight timelines, and often, without solid plans for the future. How do we, as a community, museums, and railroads, be good stewards of our historic assets? 

4.) In the News - Appropriations! Rail Funding! 

5.) Questions. (This was filmed before our "fuel storage solution" was announced. :) 

Got a question or topic you want us to cover? Send it our way- we’d love to hear from you.

So grab your coffee, crank up the phonograph, and let’s go Off the Rails.

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In this week’s episode of Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan, Rowdy and Bethan do what they do best - talk - a lot....while "sipping tea."

Both self-proclaimed history nerds, they dig into their ongoing effort to broaden the story told at the museum by shifting the focus to include the people who lived along, worked on, and were impacted by the railroad and logging industries in the Pacific Northwest. They touch on topics they could easily spend hours on, including Japanese loggers, millworkers, and railroaders prior to 1942, the railroads' roles in internment, and the lasting impacts that followed.

They also wander (enthusiastically) into stories about some of the larger-than-life personalities who helped shape the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad - Blackie Mosier and Tiny Freeman. Think today’s crew has personality? Turns out, we’re just carrying on a long-standing tradition.

Listener questions and an “In the News” segment round things out—so climb aboard.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

David Sakura Interview – Densho Archive (Eatonville resident)
https://ddr.densho.org/interviews/ddr-densho-1000-498-1/

Photo of Japanese Americans relocating camps to Tule Lake, CA
https://ddr.densho.org/ddr-densho-37-288/

Tiny Freeman – Seattle PI Article
https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/maybe-big-living-tiny-can-bring-character-back-1241413.php

Tiny Freeman – Bio/Blog
http://zelsj.mlblogs.com/2013/09/16/j-j-tiny-freeman-larger-than-life/

Blackie Mosier Article
http://www.bigbendrailroadhistory.com/2023/01/fred-blackie-moser-obit.html

Got a question or topic you want us to cover? Send it our way- we’d love to hear from you.

So grab your coffee, crank up the phonograph, and let’s go Off the Rails.

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Thanks to Huffman Machining Solutions is proud to sponsor this Off the Rails podcast.  See how we can help with your next challenge at huggmanmachining.com

In this episode of Off the Rails, Bethan is back from D.C.and both she and Rowdy are barely surviving the latest version of the plague.

Bethan recaps the massive undertaking that is Railroad Day on the Hill (huge shoutout to the ASLRRA for pulling it all together): long days navigating Capitol Hill, heightened security, and the importance of sticking to the ASLRRA playbook to deliver clear, consistent talking points.

Those talking points? They centered around four big priorities: (1.) modernizing the 45G short line tax credit to keep up with inflation and continue driving private infrastructure investment; (2.) ensuring strong, reliable funding for key safety grant programs like CRISI, RCE, and Section 130 while encouraging adoption of new safety technologies; (3.) streamlining federal permitting so critical rail projects don’t get stuck in endless delays; and (4.) pushing for a fair, user-based Highway Trust Fund while opposing heavier and longer trucks that shift costs onto taxpayers and infrastructure.

From there, the conversation shifts to CRISI prep. With the NOFO expected any day, and rumors of a tighter turnaround, Bethan is already deep in the trenches, doing everything possible to get ahead of the rush.

On the home front, reality hits hard. Rowdy experiences sticker shock with a diesel delivery coming in at around $7/gallon, making the cost of “doing business” feel especially steep. The episode wraps with Bethan slowly spiraling over budgets and fuel prices, while Rowdy floats some…creative ideas for expanding the tax base.

So grab your coffee, crank up the phonograph, and let’s go Off the Rails.

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In this episode of Off the Rails, Bethan is MIA, and the "talent" is upgraded, with Eric Mencis volunteering as Podcast Tribute. 

Left without supervision, Rowdy and Eric dive into the deep end of the foam. 

Then things take an unexpectedly foamy turn. What starts as a straightforward conversation is both informative and hilarious, as the two discuss what goes into planning and executing a successful photo charter/photo foam and talk about "what if," scenarios for our operation. They also take a deep dive into the future of Mt. Rainier Scenic’s car restoration work and what the future consists will look like. Yes, consists, plural, because we will have two steam engines operating this year. 

Of course, we’ll cover current news in the industry and feature a robust segment of questions from our listeners. So grab your coffee, crank up the phonograph, and let’s go Off the Rails!

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In this episode of Off the Rails, Bethan and Rowdy dig into what it actually takes to make steam work on a railroad, and we do not just mean lighting a match and hoping for the best.

Before getting into the nuts and bolts, there is an unavoidable recap of the Super Bowl rivalry, very much against Bethan’s wishes. 

From infrastructure needs, water supply, track conditions, shop capabilities, and the "quirks" of operating steam locomotives, they break down the practical and sometimes sobering, and surprising realities behind running steam in 2026. It is a candid look at what has to be in place before that whistle ever blows.

Then things take an unexpectedly foamy turn. What starts as a straightforward operational discussion derails, naturally, into Bethan floating the idea of revenue freight pulled by steam. Is it brilliant? Is it unhinged? Is it both? Rowdy has thoughts.

If you have ever wondered what separates a static display from a working steam program, or what it would take to make steam not just nostalgic but economically relevant, this one is for you.

Listener questions and In the News round things out, so climb aboard.

Submit your questions and topic suggestions for our next episode in the comments!

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In this episode of Off the Rails, Rowdy and Bethan are back after a longer-than-planned break to share where they’ve been. Recorded before the big Sportsball game, there was a quick detour into Seahawks talk, and a tangent on the surprising similarities between Christmas trains and potty training.

The mood shifts as they recount the Old-Testament-level flooding that hit the railroad in December, when the line (and a bridge) nearly washed away, saved only by some seriously impressive emergency work from the crew.

This episode also marks recounting of an emotional milestone: Baldwin steam locomotive #70 made her final run in December, a difficult goodbye, especially for Bethan.

Looking ahead, they share exciting plans for 2026, including restoring both #5 and #70, tackling major track work, reopening more of the line, and welcoming passenger trains back starting on February 14.

Listener questions and In the News round things out, so get on board!

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In this episode of Off the Rails, you'll hear about how important the Christmas season is for tourist railroads.  As Rowdy jumps ship after 5 minutes to get the train consist ready for the season,  Bethan is joined by Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad's  Hospitality Manager Eric Mencis to unpack what it takes to launch our all new for 2025 Christmas Train,  Christmas With The Clauses and the 'new guy' makes an appearance as well!   At the time of publication of this episode our 22 professional actors have all arrived and are in costume fittings!  All your favorite segments are here this week,  including 'In the New' and 'Listeners Questions'.  Don't miss it! 

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This week our ringmasters detail their entry to the three-ring circus, known as heritage railroading. Bethan’s accidental journey to Executive Director,  Rowdy’s childhood fascination that turned into a lifetime on the rails.  This episode includes a thoughtful discussion on Jim Wrinn’s 10 Rules for Tourist Railroads, a bit of discussion about ever-changing social media algorithms and more Q&A.   Origin stories, practical wisdom and good vibes coupled into one tidy consist. Choo Choo!

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Can a 1472 waiver spark joy? Rowdy and Bethan turn FRA fine print into a darned good listen—mixing wisdom and Monty Python with their game plan for marketing the madness on social media, YouTube, and wherever railfans scroll. Climb aboard for good vibes, greasy gloves, and the strangely satisfying clickety-clack of compliance meets content.

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Fresh off the 2025 Heritage Rail Alliance Conference in Durango, Colorado, Rowdy and Bethan sat down to record before they’d even unpacked. They cover the week’s train trips, seminars, and share a few thoughts on what they’d like to see at future conferences — with the occasional tangent about food. Bethan’s suitcase came back 12 pounds heavier thanks to Colorado green chili, and both of them sound about as tired as you’d expect after a week of nonstop railroading with some late night forays with industry collogues. 

Episode three of Off the Rails is a little less polished, a little more honest, and very much recorded on day one back home.

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The impact of politics and a weakening economy on tourism and a heritage railroad. 

Did you know that running our steam engine is significantly less expensive and more environmentally friendly to operate than our diesel engine?  In this supersized episode,  Bethan and Rowdy discuss this, regressive tax structures and how to make things roll in a remote and rural small community tucked at the base of Mt. Rainier.  Oh and corn. Lots and lots of corn content. 

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Join Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad Superintendent Rowdy Pierce and Executive Director Bethan Maher in this first episode of Off the Rails! Why DO they have a podcast?  Listen and you'll learn the answer to that very valid question and so much more.  Topics include how to bring legitimacy to the industry in a sustainable way, finding young talent to learn steam and answering questions like 'will a steam engine soon be hauling freight' and 'are people clutching their pearls when they see our marketing.'  

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