Roundhouse Crosstalk

Happy Halloween from us at the California State Railroad Museum! In this episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk we enjoy three spooky stories inspired by the railroad and the museum. 

Imagined and written by Emilie DeFazio. 

Performed by Li Garcia, Amanda DeFazio, and Crystal Skaggs. 

Produced and edited by Amanda DeFazio. 

Opening music written and performed by Lexi Snyder. 

Executive production by Jake Jennerjohn and Jason Rankins. 

This episode is for entertainment purposes. All characters and events appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, dead or alive, other real-life entities, or events, past or present, is purely coincidental.

Listen to Roundhouse Crosstalk!:

In this week´s episode we sit down with California State Parks Interpreter Debbie Hollingsworth to learn about the work of the Chinese Railroad Workers who built the western half of the Transcontinental Railroad. In this episode we discuss how they built the Transcontinental Railroad, what their conditions were like as they blasted through the granite rock of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and how they fought back against discrimination. 

Come visit us to learn more with our Chinese Railroad Worker Exhibit!

This episode Jason Rankins, our Guide II Supervisor at the California State Railroad Museum, will be speaking with Dr. Max Geier, an Emeritus Professor of History at Western Oregon University. Dr. Geier is also the author of the book “The Color of Night: Race, Railroaders, and Murder in the Wartime West.” His book focuses on railroad workers in California and Oregon. The book investigates the trial and conviction of Robert Folkes, a labor organizer and civil rights activist who served as a railroad cook during World War II in the Pacific Northwest. Geier’s book makes a compelling exploration of race, class, and privilege in the wartime Northwest. It contributes to a more extensive understanding of the roles, positions, and union affiliations that Black railroad workers held during the early to mid-twentieth century.

If you are interested in reading Dr. Geier’s book, “The Color of the Night: Race, Railroaders, and Murder in the Wartime West” you can purchase his book on Amazon, or from the Oregon State University Press.

In our newest episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk “Chasing Trains and Capturing Time: The Railroad Photography of Phil Hasting” we sit down with Tony Reevy to discuss his newest book The Railroad Photography of Phil Hastings. Get ready for an inspiring journey that will transport you to a realm where steel meets artistry, and where trains become more than mere modes of transportation.

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk! In this week's episode high school senior Miles Rankins sits down with former Roundhouse Crosstalk co-host Amanda De Fazio and long time museum docent Helen Ornellas to discuss the influence of jazz and the railroad. Musicians traveled from city to city on the trains, playing in clubs and venues across the country. The rhythms of the railroad, the clacking of wheels on tracks, and the sounds of the whistle became part of the musical language of jazz. For his senior project Miles researched the connection between the railroad and jazz music, recorded both interviews, edited, and produced this podcast. The Roundhouse Crosstalk team thanks Miles for his hard work in bringing this story to life!

To learn more: https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2017/01/19/trains-jazz

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk. In this episode we sit down with museum docent and guest curator Chris Pifer-Foote to discuss her exciting research on Anna Judah.

Anna Judah was influential in building the Transcontinental Railroad. She joined her husband Theodore Judah while he hiked, surveyed, and found the route through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. While his achievements have been long known and recognized, Chris Pifer-Foote uncovered Anna's crucial role in these expeditions. She often joined him on these trips and painted beautiful water color paintings, sketched the surveyed lands, and complied rare plants into two herbariums. These resources were eventually used to help convince congress to fund the Transcontinental Railroad through the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. This podcast dives into her life, legacy, and offers a glimpse into the research process that led to the California State Railroad Museum's newest exhibit!

To learn more about Anna Judah come and visit her new exhibit at the California State Railroad Museum! The exhibit opens in early May. Follow us for more details coming soon!

Join us for this week’s episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk! In this podcast we sit down with our long time docent and station master Paul Self to learn about Hospital Trains in the past and the present. These trains have been instrumental throughout history in saving lives both in battle and now for humanitarian causes. 

In this week’s episode we interview James Zimmerman about his new book The Peking Express: The Bandits Who Stole a Train, Stunned the West, and Broke the Republic of China about the Lincheng Outrage. On May 5, 1923 1200 bandits derailed the Peking Express and took 25 hostages from several European countries as well as the United States. This quickly became an international incident that impacted the newly created Republic of China and influenced media throughout the world. These events (adapted for a popular audience)  were eventually turned into the movie: The Shanghai Express. Tune in to learn about the true events that created this award winning film!

Pre-order here: https://www.amazon.com/Peking-Express-Bandits-Stunned-Republic/dp/1541701704

Learn more about book events here: https://thepekingexpress.com

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk! This week we interview CSRM intern Desun Oka about his work on a digital exhibit about the White Train Movement. The White Train Movement was instrumental in the fight for nuclear disarmament during the Cold War Era. In this podcast we learn about their tactics, government response, and what the activists did after the end of the Cold War. 

Digital Exhibit: https://express.adobe.com/page/E5nxBSyx4ZQP3/

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk where we dive into the role of the railroad in the Crimean War. Throughout our program we've looked at the railroad as a force for rapid technological change and as a symbol for modernity. This episode showcases this concept in a global setting, in what our interviewee Anthony Dawson terms the first modern war. 

Anthony Dawson's book: https://www.amazon.com/Railway-that-Helped-win-Crimean-ebook/dp/B0B19551DP/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=anthony+dawson+crimea&qid=1673632463&sr=8-3

Anthony Dawson's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AnthonyDawsonHistory

Have you ever wondered how railroad tracks are maintained and serviced after they're built? In the Southwest this work is often done by Navajo maintenance of way workers. In this episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk we look at the history of these workers, what their experience is like today, and how their cultural beliefs and attitudes impact their work for the railroad. 

To learn more check out Jay Youngdahl's book: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Railroad-Walking-Beauty-Navajos/dp/0874218535

Have you ever wondered what it was like to travel on a bullet train in Japan? One important aspect to all types of long distance travel is food! In this week's episode we dive into the food culture onboard Japanese railroads. Learn about how the unique Ekiben boxes available at railroad stations across Japan reflect a local food cultures and how they've impacted Japanese travel. 

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk. We often talk about how the railroad has shaped our communities, but we don't often get to dive into real world examples of this phenomenon. In this episode Amanda sits down with Derek Whaley to discuss how the railroad helped shape Santa Cruz California. 

 Derek Whaley's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Cruz-Trains-Railroads-Mountains/dp/1508570736/ref=asc_df_1508570736/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312126490544&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2513460548026114491&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032523&hvtargid=pla-571153649988&psc=1

In this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk we sit down with Dr. Kevin Waite to learn about his new book West of Slavery The Southern Dream of a Transcontinental Empire. We discuss the South's vision for expansion westward, their desire for a transcontinental railroad, and what the South's connection to the West says about our past. 

Learn more about Dr. Waite's book: https://uncpress.org/book/9781469663197/west-of-slavery/

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk. In this Halloween Special we sit down with Tony Reevy to learn about the history of ghost stories and the railroad.

To learn more read Tony Reevy's book: https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Train-American-Railroad-Legends/dp/1883089417

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk. In this bonus episode we commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month by learning more about the railroads' role in the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. 

For this topic we interviewed Desun Oka about his new digital exhibit for the museum available here: https://express.adobe.com/page/EZberU5iy1oNE/

What do the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, the Women’s Suffrage movement, and the golden age of Hollywood have in common? The Central Pacific Commissioner’s Car was there for them all! Tune in to this week’s episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk, a podcast hosted by the California State Railroad Museum. The Commissioner’s Car, now over 150 years old, is one of the newest additions to the museum’s collection of locomotives and train cars. Join us as we talk to Wendell Huffman, the previous curator at the Nevada State Railroad Museum, about the history of the Commissioner’s Car and its significance today.

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk! This week we sit down with Dominique Bregent-Heald an associate professor at Memorial University to discuss how railroad films helped create the modern idea of tourism and helped with the conservationist movement in both the United States and Canada. 

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk! This week we sit down with Nick Ozorak from The Roundhouse Podcast to discuss his love of railroading, what he's learned as a railroad podcaster, and learn about railroad simulators. 

The Roundhouse Podcast: https://theroundhousepodcast.com/2022/03/15/kelly-lynch-fort-wayne-fmw-solutions/

Join us for this week’s very special bonus episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk, where Jake Jennerjohn, Amanda DeFazio, and Alex Clark discuss the new action film Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt. Is this movie an accurate and enjoyable representation of Japanese bullet trains? How many beloved train tropes does it include? Is it as thrilling as they say? Stay tuned to find out!

In this episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk we interview Lev Grossman and Sam Sedgman, two bestselling children's book authors, about how they use the railroad in their stories and what the railroad means to them. For more Roundhouse Crosstalk follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more please visit our website: https://anchor.fm/california-state-railroad   

For more information about the books discussed in this podcast please visit: https://levgrossman.com & https://samsedgman.com

Join us for this week’s episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk, where we trace the changing relationship between the American South and the railroad through song. Both the railroad and the South have become symbols of the past in the American psyche. How did this association come to be and what can music teach us about it? Stay tuned to find out!

You can read Professor Huffard’s article, “Ten Train Songs that Tell the Story of the South,” here: https://bittersoutherner.com/ten-train-songs-that-tell-the-story-of-the-south

You can follow Professor Huffard on twitter here: https://twitter.com/shuffard

You can access Professor Huffard's website here: https://scotthuffard.wordpress.com/

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk, where we interview Leann S. Taagepera a student in the California State University Sonoma Cultural Resources Management Program. The California State Railroad Museum has partnered with California State Universities to provide students with a platform to create and showcase digital exhibits for our museum. This episode looks at the Solano Train Ferry and its unique place in local and regional history. It offers us a chance to look at how communities interact and respond to technological change. 

Solano Train Ferry Digital Exhibit: https://express.adobe.com/page/PYBA6LKpCYnAi/

More Student Digital Exhibits: https://www.californiarailroad.museum/education/laboratory-of-learning-1/student-exhibits

Join us for this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk! Have you ever wondered how timezones got their shape? Or if time was always so important to people? Were cavemen running around worried about being late? Well, in this week's episode we speak with Dr. Scott Johnston about his new book The Clocks Are Telling Lies. We discuss the invention of standard time and its connection to railroad history as well as look at different proposed models of universal time keeping. 

The Clocks Are Telling Lies: https://www.amazon.com/Clocks-are-Telling-Lies-Construction/dp/0228008433

Tune in to this week’s episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk, where we talk about the history of Kansas City’s music scene in relation to its development as a railroad town with Dr. Gabriella Roderer. What happens to the music scene when the railroad comes to town? And what can the changes in Kansas City tell us about the rest of America?

You can find Dr. Roderer's website here: https://www.gabriellaroderer.com/

Welcome to Roundhouse Crosstalk! June is Pride Month, so for this week’s episode we talk with Tony Reevy, author of The Railroad Photography of Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg, about Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg, owners of the Gold Coast private rail car we have right here at the museum. Beebe and Clegg were not only influential train photographers, but also icons of high society and some of the earliest and most famous gay men to live openly in American history. Stay tuned to find out more about Lucius Beebe’s celebrity lifestyle as well as his influence on railroad photography.

You can find Tony Reevy’s book here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-railroad-photography-of-lucius-beebe-and-charles-clegg-tony-reevy/1127691228

Join us for this week’s episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk. In this episode, we talk once again with Dr. Jeff Ferrell, a professor emeritus of Sociology at Texas Christian University, about how the desires for autonomy, adventure, and authenticity combine in train hopping.

In this week's episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk we sit down with Dr. Julia Lee to discuss her new book titled The Racial Railroad, which focuses on the connection between stories about race and stories about the Railroad. In the episode we discuss this interconnection, the many ways railroads are used symbolically in popular media, and the legacy of the Transcontinental Railroad. 

Dr. Lee's new book: https://www.amazon.com/Racial-Railroad-Julia-H-Lee/dp/1479812773

We would like to invite you to E.B. Crocker's Birthday Party! In this very special episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk we look at the contribution of EB Crocker to Sacramento and California. We look at both his impressive contributions to the Transcontinental Railroad and his continued legacy in Sacramento through the Crocker Art Museum. 

Happy Earth Day, everybody! Tune in to this week’s episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk where we discuss environmental tourism with Rachel Wolff, a graduate student of Public History at California State University, Sacramento. Rachel has contributed her newly published digital exhibit, Rails to Redwoods, to the California State Railroad Museum.

Enjoyed this episode and want to learn more? You can access Rachel’s exhibit here: https://www.californiarailroad.museum/education/laboratory-of-learning-1/student-exhibits

In this episode we speak with Dr. Rebecca Harrison a lecturer a the Open University in the UK. She primarily focuses on the impact of media and technology on class, gender, and race and is the author of From Steam to Screen: Cinema, the Railways, and Modernity. This episode covers the development of Cinema Trains in the UK, what these trains represented to travelers, and their ultimate legacy. 

Dr. Harrison's book: https://www.amazon.com/Steam-Screen-Railways-Modernity-Society/dp/1784539155

Adventure Pass: https://www.parks.ca.gov/adventurepass

In this episode we speak with Dr. Rebecca Harrison a lecturer a the Open University in the UK. She primarily focuses on the impact of media and technology on class, gender, and race and is the author of From Steam to Screen: Cinema, the Railways, and Modernity. Fittingly, this episode looks at the connection between cinema and the railroad during the very late 19th century and the early to mid twentieth century. We’ll discuss how mass media and mass transit helped make modernity, and how people of different classes, races, and genders interacted with these new technologies.

Dr. Harrison's book: https://www.amazon.com/Steam-Screen-Railways-Modernity-Society/dp/1784539155

Adventure Pass: https://www.parks.ca.gov/adventurepass

Have you ever noticed the bright, colorful graffiti on freight cars? Who put it there and why? Join us on this week’s episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jeff Ferrell, a  professor emeritus of Sociology at Texas Christian University. Listen in as we discuss the world of freight train graffiti and the fascinating overlaps between railroaders and graffiti writers.

This episode is the second part of a two part interview with Miriam Thaggert, a professor at the University at Buffalo about her new book Riding Jane Crow: African American Women in the American Railroad. In part one we discussed how railroad travel was both radicalized and gendered and how African American men and women used train travel as a marker of social progress, or lack thereof. In this episode we look at a few individuals who helped test these racial and gender boundries. 

You can preorder Riding Jane Crow at: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=28nsg7gk9780252044526

For more information on women in the railroad visit our digital exhibit Crossing Lines: Women of the American Railroad at https://www.californiarailroad.museum/crossing-lines

Join us on this week’s episode of Roundhouse Crosstalk. In this week's episode we speak with Miriam Thaggert, a professor at the University at Buffalo about her new book Riding Jane Crow: African American Women in the American Railroad. We discuss how railroad travel was both radicalized and gendered and how African American men and women used train travel as a marker of social progress, or lack thereof. This is the first of a two part interview.

You can preorder Riding Jane Crow at: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=28nsg7gk9780252044526

For more information on women in the railroad visit our digital exhibit Crossing Lines: Women of the American Railroad at https://www.californiarailroad.museum/crossing-lines