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TrainPodcast.com Features "On Demand" Narration from the Midwest Rail Rangers

The Midwest Rail Rangers Launch TrainPodcast.com

Learn about the people, places, and history passing by outside your window -- anytime!

By Robert & Kandace Tabern, Email: info@railrangers.org

Published: October 23, 2018


http://www.trainweb.org/outsidetherails/TrainPodcast2018


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Since July 2015, Interpretive Guides with the APRHF Rail Rangers program have been educating (as well as entertaining!) train passengers about what can be seen out their window. Without a doubt… travelers love learning about the people, places, and history of the various areas they are passing through. It helps pass the time aboard the train for many… and makes one better educated about the country. Perhaps you have caught one of the APRHF Rail Rangers’ “history talks” on a private rail excursion somewhere across the Midwest… or the South Shore Line between Downtown Chicago, Illinois and South Bend, Indiana?

One of the biggest challenges the APRHF Rail Rangers program has faced over the past three-and-a-half years is trying to reach out to as many train passengers as possible with on-board educational programs. Interpretive Guides with the Rail Rangers currently ride the South Shore Line two to three weekends per month year-round… and are on private rail excursions out of Chicago Union Station up to one dozen times per year. However, that barely scratches the surface for the millions of train rides passengers take every year across the Upper Midwest.

But… what if you could take the APRHF Rail Rangers with you whenever you are on a train ride in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and/or Wisconsin?

Well, now you can!

The APRHF Rail Rangers are proud to announce they have researched, written, and recorded 18 different MP3 podcasts for all of the major regional and long-distance passenger train lines across the Midwest.

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APRHF Rail Rangers Chicago Coordinator Kandace Tabern (left) records a podcast session with Interpretive Guide Joe Kuczynski (right)

It doesn’t matter when you take a train ride — you can now purchase and download an MP3 podcast from the APRHF Rail Rangers to learn about the areas you are traveling through. Podcasts are now available for train routes running between Chicago and Milwaukee (Wisconsin), St. Paul-Minneapolis (Minnesota), La Plata (Missouri), Quincy (Illinois), St. Louis (Missouri), Carbondale (Illinois), Indianapolis (Indiana), South Bend Airport (Indiana) on the South Shore Line, and Detroit/Pontiac (Michigan).

All 12 of the APRHF Rail Rangers worked hard and contributed their voices for the MP3 podcasts. For example, purchase and download the MP3 podcast from Chicago to Milwaukee (or Milwaukee to Chicago) and listen to Interpretive Guides Kathy Bruecker and Steve Snyder telling you about the urban area between Chicago and Milwaukee… the scenic Driftless Region of Southwest Wisconsin… and the various Mississippi River towns in Minnesota.  Heading between La Plata, MO and Chicago in the future? You will want the Rail Rangers podcast featuring APRHF President Bob Cox and APRHF Treasurer Amy Cox to learn about historical landmarks along the Santa Fe and old CB&Q. APRHF Rail Rangers Executive Director Robert Tabern and Chicago Coordinator Kandace Tabern co-host all 18 podcasts. Other contributors include Rail Rangers Interpretive Guides Fred Glure, Joe Kuczynski, Alane Morgan, Robert Neil, Lowell Olberg, and Dave Poole.

The Rail Rangers’ Podcast lengths range from a little over 20 minutes to a little over one hour depending on the route. Separate podcasts have been recorded for each direction of a route, so that passengers will see the appropriate landmarks — as described on being out the right or left hand side windows. All podcasts cost $9.95 each, with all proceeds going to help support the APRHF Rail Rangers program, an affiliate of the 501(c)(3) non-profit American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation.

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Interpretive Guide Dave Poole records a portion of the Rail Rangers' Chicago to St. Louis podcast for TrainPodcast.com

Rail Rangers Executive Director Robert Tabern explains, “We are really excited about this new chapter for the APRHF Rail Rangers and think it’s the future of on-board educational programs… as well as a great fundraiser. We really get such positive feedback about our programs — but we also have people approach us and say — wow, I’m going to Carbondale next weekend, I wish you were going to be on our train. Well, now we can!  Just click, download, and bring your ear phones with you — and we will be with you on any train. You can learn about your window regardless if you’re traveling north, south, west, or east out of Chicago.”

APRHF Rail Rangers Chicago Coordinator Kandace Tabern says, “We really put a lot of effort into recording these route guide podcasts… it really was a year-long process. First, we cut down the route guide material in our books and e-books that we have sold for a few years now into something that would be around 30-60 minutes in length. We don’t want to talk non-stop during someone’s train journey. Then we had to find time to record with all 12 of our Interpretive Guides… all of whom have a busy schedule. And then finding the time to edit 18 different podcasts was also a challenge. But, we got it done!  We are so happy to be able to share this with passengers. We are the only ones I know who have done train route guide podcasts for all of the major train routes out of Chicago.”

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Rail Rangers Interpretive Guide Robert Neil studies his notes before recording a voice track for TrainPodcast.com

So, are you convinced and want to give the APRHF Rail Rangers brand new podcasts a try?

It’s simple… just head over to www.TrainPodcast.com and make your purchases!

The whole process is quite simple to use and understand. Each MP3 podcast download costs just $9.95 — and for that — you get 5 copies of the podcast you purchased. You can download one on your phone, laptop, desktop computer, tablet… and still have one download left to perhaps share with a friend or family member perhaps. Each download features the MP3 audio file as well as a PDF index sheet that shows a listing of the towns talked about. Basically, you listen to the story of an upcoming landmark… pause the podcast until you pass the landmark or town… and then listen up for the next story/landmark… and so on.

Discounts of www.TrainPodcast.com will also be coming soon for certain APRHF Members.

APRHF President Bob Cox says, “At a recent Board Meeting, we decided that starting in January 2019, TrainPodcast.com is going to offer Pullman Members ($65/year) a 15% discount code for podcasts and route guide e-books… and Engineer Members ($120/year) and above will get a 25% discount code for podcasts and route guide e-books from the APRHF Rail Rangers. It’s going to be yet another perk to look at upgrading your membership!”

Even though route guide books and e-books… and now route guide podcasts… give passengers more options to learn about the various train routes out there — you will still find the friendly faces of the APRHF Rail Rangers’ Interpretive Guides aboard the train too!

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APRHF President Bob Cox narrates for passenger on the South Shore Line as part of a Rail Rangers program

Robert Tabern says, “We are not going anywhere!  We will still have our Interpretive Guides on the South Shore Line two to three weekends per month and we are going to still do as many private rail excursions as we can given the new restrictions Amtrak has placed on private car movements earlier this year. Think of the podcasts as a big addition to our program when we are not on the train — but we hope people will come out an experience our live programming too because nothing replaces that one-on-one interaction we can have together on the train.”

And, even though all 18 Midwestern podcasts are done… that doesn’t mean there are not more podcasts coming!

Kandace Tabern explains, “We are going to take a little break now that we have produced podcasts for all of the major Midwestern train routes. However, starting in 2019, look for new podcasts to begin trickling on to the website. We have signed an agreement with author Eva Hoffman of the “Flashing Yellow” Route Guide series — and will begin producing podcasts for some of the routes she has written about. First up, will be for the daylight stretches of the California Zephyr between Chicago and Omaha, Denver to Green River (Utah), and from Winnemucca (Nevada) to San Francisco. We will then move on to the Southwest Chief and other routes. We got a lot more podcast coming!”

Once again, the APRHF Rail Rangers’ podcasts are now for sale at www.TrainPodcast.com.

For more information about the APRHF Rail Rangers on-board educational programs, check out www.RailRangers.org or www.DunesTrain.com

 

LINKS FOR THIS REPORT

TrainPodcast.com


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