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by Jared
Join Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad Executive Director Bethan Maher and Superintendent Rowdy Pierce and take a ride into the modern age of steam locomotives, cows, corn and incontinent Santas. This is an unvarnished look at the business of tourist steam railroads like you've never heard before.
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- 2 weeks ago1h 23m
Episode 15: Special Pridecast
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 railroadin...
- 4 weeks ago1h 1m
Episode 14: Playing with the Big Kids
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...
- May 5, 20261h 7m
Episode 13: Radical Transparency
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...
- Apr 21, 20261h 9m
Episode 12: Responsible Railfanning
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 h...
- Apr 7, 20261h 11m
Episode 11: MRSR History and Legends. Tea Edition.
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, millwor...
- Mar 24, 202653 min
Episode 10: Back from D.C.- Railroad Day on the Hill, CRISI & Fuel Prices
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.) moder...
- Mar 10, 20261h 20m
Episode 9: Unsupervised: Foam with Eric and Rowdy
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. T...
- Feb 24, 202657 min
Episode 8: What Makes a Steam Locomotive Work?
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 sober...
About Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan
Join Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad Executive Director Bethan Maher and Superintendent Rowdy Pierce and take a ride into the modern age of steam locomotives, cows, corn and incontinent Santas. This is an unvarnished look at the business of tourist steam railroads like you've never heard before.
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