Off the Rails with Rowdy and Bethan
Episodes
Episode 12: Responsible Railfanning
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Rail...
Episode 11: MRSR History and Legends. Tea Edition.
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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."...
Episode 10: Back from D.C.- Railroad Day on the Hill, CRISI & Fuel Prices
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Episode 9: Unsupervised: Foam with Eric and Rowdy
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Off the Rails, Bethan is MIA, and the "talent" is upgraded, with Eric Mencis volunteering as Podcast Tribute. Left witho...
Episode 8: What Makes a Steam Locomotive Work?
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 7: Floods, Farewells and Full Steam Ahead
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 S...
Episode 6: Unpacking the Christmas Madness
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 mi...
Episode 5 Milepost Zero: Origin Stories and Tourist Railroad Basics.
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week our ringmasters detail their entry to the three-ring circus, known as heritage railroading. Bethan’s accidental journey to Executive Direc...
Episode 4:Good Vibes on the 1472 Waiver
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 3: Heritage Rail Alliance 2025 Conference Recap
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh off the 2025 Heritage Rail Alliance Conference in Durango, Colorado, Rowdy and Bethan sat down to record before they’d even unpacked. They cov...
Episode 2: The impact of politics and a weakening economy on tourism and the rails.
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
The Introduction: The Business of Heritage Railroads
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad Superintendent Rowdy Pierce and Executive Director Bethan Maher in this first episode of Off the Rails! Why DO they h...