logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2020
33m 38s

That Time Trainwrecks Became a Spectator...

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Nowadays, most people use the term 'trainwreck' to describe a situation gone catastrophically wrong, but back in the glory days of the railroad, trainwrecks -- actual trainwrecks -- became PR stunts and spectator sports. Tune in to learn more about the Crash at Crush.

 

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Jul 16
The Ridiculously Inspiring Story of Free Public Restrooms, Part Two: The Rise of CEPTIA
In this week's Classic episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore how a misunderstanding of the geography of the Great Lakes started a feud, known as the Toledo War, between the state of Ohio and a territory called Michigan. Tune in to Ridiculous History to hear how the conflict between ... Show More
33m 15s
Jul 15
The Ridiculously Inspiring Story of Free Public Restrooms, Part One: Everyone Has To Poop
Today a great many people in the United States take free toilets for granted. Yet, as Ben, Noel and Max discover in the first part of this two-part episode, there was a long -- and ridiculous -- road from the origin of public toilets to the free facilities we enjoy today. Tune in ... Show More
36m 30s
Jul 11
CLASSIC: The Rise and Fall of Local Scrip: Alternative Currencies of the Great Depression
Have you ever been so broke that you ended up creating your own currency? It may sound like a crazy idea today, but during the Great Depression multiple communities actually created and circulated their own forms of local currency. And this wasn't a lark -- it was a matter of sur ... Show More
39m 8s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2017
The Crash at Crush and Other Train Wreck Spectacles
<p>For a brief window from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, people in the United States were watching train wrecks for fun. These staged spectacles would draw thousands and thousands of paying onlookers, but why exactly were they so popular?</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad ... Show More
31m 8s
Apr 2023
SYMHC Classics: Crash at Crush
This 2017 episode covers a window from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, people in the United States were watching train wrecks for fun. These staged spectacles would draw thousands and thousands of paying onlookers, but why exactly were they so popular?See omnystudio.com/listen ... Show More
28m 42s
Mar 2020
Offbeat History: The Crash at Crush and Other Train Wreck Spectacles
In fall 2017, we talked about a strange cultural phenomenon. For a brief window from the late 1800s to the early 1900s, people in the United States were watching train wrecks for fun. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/liste ... Show More
28m 12s
Apr 2022
Sideshow 7: Collision Course
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
28m 47s
Jun 2018
Great Train Wreck of 1918
We’re coming up on the 100th anniversary of one of the worst train wrecks in United States history. More than 100 people died. And even though it’s usually noted as the worst train wreck in American history, it was kind of a run-of-the-mill accident for the time.  Learn more abou ... Show More
29m 19s
Jan 2022
SYMHC Classics: History of Carousels
This 2015 episode delves into carousels. They're part of childhood, but they were originally billed as an entertainment for adults and children alike. And even further back than that, it's believed that they were used to train horsemen. Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/ ... Show More
27m 59s
Jan 2020
What Happened to the Daredevil Showmen?
<p>Are stunts perceived as even more dangerous and spectacular if they’re well-promoted and built-up ahead of time? Join Scott, Ben and Kurt as they ask: What happened to the attention-seekers; the daredevil showmen of the past? Is there a modern stunt performer with the flair an ... Show More
44m 52s
Oct 2022
More Train Talk: The Great Train Robbery
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
52m 31s
Feb 2022
So Fancy
<p>A single moment can define a person. Some will try for years to move past it, while others are happy to hang their laurels on it and call it a day. Today's tour should demonstrate how.</p><p> </p> Learn more about your ad-choices at <a href="https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.co ... Show More
10m 20s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami