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PODCAST

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails

thenakedrailroader

I became fascinated by trains as a young’un when I saw my first steam locomotive and train being used on a movie set in Inglewood, CA. I have worked on 4 railroads for over 40 years and I have a lot of stories to tell. Trains would always be a part of my life, even after I retired as an Amtrak Engineer in 1994. I have also worked on the tech side in live theater for more than 20 year, most of them with my wife, Susi who is the actress. I will be sharing these stories with you as well every so

leisure hobbies

All Episodes

40:41

19 Third Time's A Charm

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2026/02/01

Tommy received a question from a listener:Why did you become a Santa Fe locomotive engineer three times and were the procedures and examinations the same each time? Intro and Outro: Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At Riverside, October 16 1950, 4-6-2 1369 is on No. 54

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32:25

18 A Day With Engineer Barney 1953

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2026/01/18

Tommy tells a story of winning over the heart of one grumpy engineer.

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48:31

17 Colorado Blvd and the Rose Parade

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2026/01/04

Many people watch the Rose Parade on TV and we know that a lot of work goes into this event. Most people don't know that there is an active railroad track that goes right across the parade route. Tommy tells us about getting the track parade ready and spending time with his grandmother at the parade.

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54:36

16 All Aboard The Polar Express!

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/12/21

Tommy and Susi volunteered for almost 20 years at Railtown in Jamestown, California. For five of those years, they worked on the Polar Express, Tommy as a conductor and Susi as the Hobo. It made for long, exhausting days, but it was worth every minute. Today, they share memories together of the time they spent putting this epic event together. Dad, of course must tell all the technical details, while mom and I want to share our memories of the fun times!

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40:37

15 And That's Show Biz!

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/12/07

Tommy continues to share his experiences and reveals who he liked working with the most. #MitzyGaynor #SammyDavisJr #LeslieUggams # Liza #BillCosby #Rockettes #SteveMartin #BottomsUp #GaylordAndHoliday Intro and Outro:Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At Riverside, October 16 1950, 4-6-2 1369 is on No. 54

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0:39

How Did Tommy Get Into The Theater After The Railroad?

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/11/23

Tommy had two loves in his young life; railroading and theater. His parents raised him on ballet, opera, and musical theater. But Tommy realized his true love was Railroading. After a few years of the railroads and military, he decided to see what the theater had in store for him. Here are some of his theater stories from Inglewood High School, Ventura College, and, of course, Harrah's Lake Tahoe.

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21:24

13 I left the Santa Fe for love

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/11/10

Tommy answers the often asked question of why he left the Santa Fe in the early 50's.

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28:55

12 What do railroad engineers and fishermen have in...

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/10/26

Tommy continues talking about the Harbor District with a few more stories.

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31:43

11 28 Miles, 102 Street Crossings, 4 SP Crossings, 3...

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/10/12

Welcome to the Harbor District. Before it was dismantled by the Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, and Union Pacific, the Harbor District was like the wild west of the railroad. There were no crossing gates and the people who worked there were rugged cowboys. But they were hard workers and Tommy enjoyed working there. Here is the first installment of the Harbor District.

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24:39

10 We Still Don't Have A Timetable

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/09/28

Employee timetables are a required piece of running a train. Find out what happens when Tommy doesn't have a time table

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31:38

9 Steam Engines Are Like Tea Kettles

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/09/14

Tommy talks about what it takes to get a train over Tehachapi using steam engines.

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49:20

8 Hostler Jobs...What in the world is this?

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/08/31

Tommy talks about what a hostler job is and a few good times he had when he worked them.Intro and Outro: Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At Riverside, October 16 1950, 4-6-2 1369 is on No. 54.

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28:37

7 Learning How To Fire A Steam Engine

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/08/17

How do you learn how to fire a steam engine? Well, according to Tommy, you stand outside the Train Masters door until he hires you. Then you find Engineers who will take you out on training trips. In this episode, he talks about learning how to fire over the Tehachapi Loop, one of the most intense grades in the United States. Intro and Outro: Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At Riverside, October 16 1950, 4-6-2 1369 is on No. 54

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33:53

6 Movie Trains!

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/08/03

When you see trains in the movies, they are run by railroaders like Tommy. He always managed to figure out when the movie trains were running and position himself so that he was available. Tommy's knowledge about theater also helped to make the train look perfect and steal the show (in his eyes!) Intro and Outro:Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At Riverside, October 16 1950, 4-6-2 1369 is on No. 54

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32:29

5 Cab Cars

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/07/20

In the late 80's, Amtrak started using Cab Cars on their trains so that the train wouldn't have to be turned around at the end of the line. In the beginning, they had many problems and you could leave it to Tommy to be the voice that let the powers that be know this!Also, what would you do if you saw the engineer lying in the middle of the isle of your passenger car when he was supposed to be running the train??? Intro and Outro:Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At

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23:36

4 The Caboose and Crew Dynamics

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/07/06

What was the purpose of a caboose? They haven't always just sat, abandoned, in train yards or used as restaurants or B &Bs. In this episode, Tommy will tell you who used the caboose and what it was used for. Intro and Outro:Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At Riverside, October 16 1950, 4-6-2 1369 is on No. 54

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32:07

3 Who runs the train?

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/07/06

It takes many people to run a train. Passenger trains take additional people that you might not think about. What are their titles and the jobs they do? Tommy tells us in the episode of the Naked Railroader. Intro and Outro:Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At Riverside, October 16 1950, 4-6-2 1369 is on No. 54

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24:38

2 Tehachapi Loop and The Naked Railroader

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/07/06

One of the most iconic pieces of track in the United States is the Tehachapi Loop. Tommy worked there when he was just starting out on the railroad. He shares how it was designed and what it accomplished. We also learn why Tommy is called the Naked Railroader! Intro and Outro:Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At Riverside, October 16 1950, 4-6-2 1369 is on No. 54

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35:29

1 The Beginning

The Naked Railroader - Going Off The Rails ·

2025/07/06

There is always a beginning. Tommy will share with you how he became interested in railroading, and theater, even though his parents weren't really happy with his decision. Spoiler alert: they were happy later when he would go by San Juan Capistrano on the way to San Diego and wave to them from the cab of that big engine. Intro and Outro:Sounds of Santa Fe Steam Locomotives by Stan Kistler Track 14 At Riverside, October 16 1950, 4-6-2 1369 is on No. 54

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19 results

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