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PODCAST

Merlin’s Barn Podcast

A fortnightly show, join Merlin and friends as they explore the backroads, the quirky, the obsessed, the creative and discuss the detours that take us outside the mundane. Merlin"s barn is an actual place that serves as a home, a community center, a museum, a Jeep restoration shop and a crossroads for an amazing array of individuals. Tune in to hear the stories. merlinsbarn.substack.com

society & culture documentary

All Episodes

65:18

Ep 34: The Man in the Steel Teepee - John Valjean...

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2026/02/10

When they burned his house he built a steel teepee. He ran for President multiple times. He said," The Royal blood of peasants flows in my veins." He lived on an airfield covered in ww2 surplus. We chat with Scott Roberts who was friends with Mahalchik.Merlin and Scott on a typical day.To see photos of Mahalchik’s “Fabulous Fifty Acres” visit these websites:Weird NJRoadsideAmerica.comSpacesarchives.orgAaaand the weird helicopter blimp monstrosity Scott refers toPiasecki Helistat This is a public

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51:58

Ep 33: Alaska or Rust Part 3

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2026/01/27

The third installment of Merlin's 2017 Alaska or Rust adventure. With Merlin, Tasia, Matt and Nicole. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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56:02

Ep 32: Fake maple, odd skeletons and the rat...

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2026/01/13

The story of how an abandoned rat, wandering around our town became part of our lives, along with MANY other rambles and anecdotes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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0:33

Coming on the 13th

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2026/01/09

Sourtoe cocktail, breakfast horrors, odd skeletons and the cat AND rat distribution system.Enjoy the short promo video. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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57:49

Ep 31: Alaska or Rust the Journey Begins

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/12/16

The trip begins for real as merlin and crew work against a deadline to cross the United States and meet the convoy in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. They experience various states, deal with breakdowns, rescue a fellow Jeeper from Canada, cache a firearm in the oilfields and finish up in Crosby North Dakota meeting a a WW2 vet who drove the Alcan on the 50th anniversary in a WW2 truck. This is just the first stage of the adventure! if you want even more photos and more of the story you can find

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50:56

Ep 30: Rolling for the stans part 2!!

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/12/02

Wow, it’s episode 30! And we have much much more for you.Rolling for the Stans Part 2! We roll dice and work our way through another round of Matt’s stories from working in the various stan countries. Learn about how to make the Afghan army wave, the glorious (seriously!) subways of Tashkent, Soviet truck building, Embassy nerf wars, insanely hot foods and more! Tune in on Tuesday to any fine podcast purveyors. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get

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46:21

Ep 29: Prepping for the Alaska Highway

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/11/18

The gang discuss roadtrip stories as a lead in to Merlin’s Alaska or Rust vintage Jeep Journey. Merlin describes how the Alaska or Rust plan eveolved, how he was invited to join, and how a series of breakdowns almost kept him from going. Saved in the end by hours of work, good friends and a donation by an amazing auto repair shop, this is the beginning of the Alaska or Rust Story. This is the first of a series of episodes covering a 28 day 13,000 mile journey that will upload once a month.The book

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58:34

Ep 28: Rolling for the Stans!! (Uzbekistan,...

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/11/04

It’s our first “Rolling for the ‘Stans” episode. Matt has been to every central Asian nation’s capitol from Ashgabat to Nur Sultan with stories from every one of them.With Matt, Tasia, Merlin and Nicole as studio audience. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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58:08

Ep 27: Buffy, Scooby Doo and the Serpent's Key

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/10/21

In honor of Spooky Season Tasia and Merlin chat with the wonderful Beck, the unofficial witch of Hanover PA, about their store, their path, and the ridiculousness of some recent issues that we call “The Hanover Witch Hunt”. A fantastic interview, you will enjoy listening to Pennsylvania's only legal tarot reader, Beck.I bet the clues from last week make sense now!!!! Enjoy the episode. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes,

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25:18

Ep 26: Pumpkin Floods!

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/10/07

This is an OLD recording, maybe 11 months ago Matt did a deep dive on pumpkin floods and we saved it for Spooky Season. It’s a shorter one, sound quality is not as good, but it’s darned fun! We will make up for it in the next episode which is an absolutely awesome full length interview with Beck of the Serpent’s Key. Until then, enjoy being overwhelmed by pumpkins!! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

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67:51

Ep 25: Cross Country Wheelbarrow racing!!!!

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/09/23

This week it’s all about pushing the limits of pushing a wheelbarrow. Download to listen in as we discuss the history of pedestrianism, exhibition walking and wheelbarrow sports. It’s a wild one with chloroform, a pet wolf, poisoned beer, lamentations on the state of the fair and even hair sculpture. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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54:18

Ep 24: Swan boats, Power outages and generators, oh my!!

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/09/09

Merlin begins his summer break with a trip to New England to spend time with his parents and nephews……. aaaaaand returns in time for an almost week long power outage where he goes through generator after generator. Met Ed LIES!!!!!! Matt consoles Merlin while learning about swanboats.Substation fire in Adams County (second substation down!)Solving problems with a massive WW2 Generator. Thanks Paul!!!!The swanboats in Boston. Much nicer than power outages This is a public episode. If you'd like to

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50:03

Ep 23: The Man in The Polka Dot House

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/08/26

Louis Scholz, an inventor, a WW2 scientist, a man who worked on the Manhattan project. This episode explores high speed photography, glowing trees, radiation and Merlin’s hatred of cars designed by committee.Merlin shares a personal connection to a local and unheard of eccentric scientist and inventor. In the pre-show meeting Matt discovers he too has a connection to the story. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

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50:14

Ep 22: (Fixed!) Southbend, This Could Have Been...

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/08/25

The prior post of the episode has a blip at the end where the exit music overruns the conversation. This version you get the WHOLE episode!!!! Join Matt, Cody and Merlin to hear about the wonders of Southbend Indiana, and why the Studebaker Electric Fountain should have been prevented. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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50:14

Ep 22: Southbend, this could have been prevented

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/08/12

Stranger danger, a trip to Southbend, the strange constant reincarnation of the Studebaker Electric Fountain, and Moriarty the Mifflinburg Monkey. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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32:56

Ep 21: Train Gardens Christmas in July

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/07/29

Hear how Matt accidentally made a 'Train Garden', some history of why these are so quintessentially Baltimore and Nicole tells stories of childhood Christmas parties in South Baltimore with crab garland. (We apologize that this is our OLD sound before we upgraded the microphones.) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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49:52

Ep 20: Walking WW1 Battlefields

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/07/15

To find out more about Randy and his tours visit https://kneedeepintohistory.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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52:47

Ep 19: Airborne Beavers!

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/07/01

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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30:20

Ep 18: Canalboats of Oxford, dogs and locks

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/06/17

Matt tells Merlin and Tasia of his adventures in Fall of 2024 in Oxford when he want walking down a tow path and was sucked happily into the world of Canals, Canalboats, and ended up going for a ride. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit merlinsbarn.substack.com/subscribe

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37:02

Ep 17: The Red Ghost, Terror of the Old West

Merlin’s Barn Podcast ·

2025/06/03

Where Merlin originally read about it: https://www.americanheritage.com/red-ghostThis was a story Merlin read as a child, and it stuck with him. Now that our recording quality is great, Merlin spent hours doing primary source research to bring you this deep dive into the story of the Red Ghost that goes beyond the original 1961 American Heritage article. Enjoy!!! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

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