Train Set: Track Two

In 1876, Americans filled an iron safe with objects meant to tell their story — to be opened a century later. Roman Mars and historian Jill Lepore trace its long wait, from Reconstruction to Watergate, and the surprising, unsettling contents that emerged in 1976. What do the obje ... Show More

As wild and random as they might seem, a lot of work—and even poetry—goes into coming up with today's catchiest, most unforgettable drug names. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on App ... Show More

America’s 250th birthday calls for a history as sprawling and contradictory as the country itself. A History of the United States in 100 Objects — hosted by Roman Mars and produced by BBC Studios and 99% Invisible — tells that history one thing at a time. A gold coin from an 1857 ... Show More

Trains. It was an outrageous caper to end all capers: stealing millions from a train (and maybe a little of the train, too). What could go wrong? Well, a lot. But a fair bit also went right. Trains. And thanks to all that, we have a dope television theme song. Makes sense, don't ... Show More

City of the Rails passes a million downloads! Cause for a celebration, and a chance to thank all of you who sent so much love.  To mark this big achievement, we  made a bonus episode featuring just some of the hundreds of voicemails we got from people who adored the show (and als ... Show More

Circus trains: they were cities on wheels, integral to the sideshow circuit and home to all performers. Today, they’re a relic of a bygone time…but there’s one train that has solidified its place in the history books due to unthinkable tragedy. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri ... Show More

In 2017, audio producer Phil Smith travelled to Ukraine to attend his friend's wedding. There, somewhere between the cities of Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Odessa, he fell in love with the soundworld of the sleeper train: its steady hypnotic rhythms, the melody of hurtling through t ... Show More

<p>Trains are statistically one of the safest ways to travel, but please mind the vibrations. Dr. Sydnee talks about the brief period in the 1800's when men kept going wild on trains.</p><p>Music: "Medicines" by The Taxpayers https://taxpayers.bandcamp.com/<br /> </p> 

Looking to snuggle up with a few episodes of Story Train before bed? Tune in to hear a few of Birdie's favorite episodes from earlier this season, all in one place. 

Looking to snuggle up with a few episodes of Story Train before bed? Tune in to hear a few of Birdie's favorite episodes from earlier in the season, all in one place. 

Looking to snuggle up with a few episodes of Story Train before bed? Tune in to hear a few of Birdie's favorite episodes from earlier this season, all in one place. 

Today may be the most Off the Rails episode of Off the Rails we've ever done. First, we FINALLY have a call with the incomparable Wali P! Then the train completely leaves the tracks when Jimmie Lee the Jersey Outlaw calls in with the most deranged interaction imaginable. Jump int ... Show More

In this episode, Andrew talks about his recent train journey from Boryeong to Seoul. He shares his experiences of traveling on a crowded train, where he came across a mother and her young children who brought unexpected chaos to the trip. Andrew describes how the children’s behav ... Show More