We ride the Thuringian Waldbahn from Gotha through forest and small towns, tracing its history and design while asking why systems like this are rare elsewhere. Along the way we test timed transfers, swap notes on fares, and weigh what rural mobility could look like in the US. • route overview from Gotha to Waltershausen, Friedrichroda and Bad Tabarz • single track operations with passing loops • history from 1894 urban tram to 1929 Waldbahn • fare simplicity with the Deutschlandticket • reg...
All content for Transit Tangents is the property of Louis & Chris and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
We ride the Thuringian Waldbahn from Gotha through forest and small towns, tracing its history and design while asking why systems like this are rare elsewhere. Along the way we test timed transfers, swap notes on fares, and weigh what rural mobility could look like in the US. • route overview from Gotha to Waltershausen, Friedrichroda and Bad Tabarz • single track operations with passing loops • history from 1894 urban tram to 1929 Waldbahn • fare simplicity with the Deutschlandticket • reg...
What if the fastest way to speed up buses isn’t a new gadget, but removing a ritual that steals minutes at every stop? We dig into the push for fare-free buses—why the idea is surging in New York City, what Kansas City learned after rolling it back, and how speed, safety, and budgets collide when the farebox goes quiet. We start with the tangible wins: all-door boarding, shorter dwell times, and less anxiety for occasional riders who don’t know the local payment dance. Then we press into the...
Transit Tangents
We ride the Thuringian Waldbahn from Gotha through forest and small towns, tracing its history and design while asking why systems like this are rare elsewhere. Along the way we test timed transfers, swap notes on fares, and weigh what rural mobility could look like in the US. • route overview from Gotha to Waltershausen, Friedrichroda and Bad Tabarz • single track operations with passing loops • history from 1894 urban tram to 1929 Waldbahn • fare simplicity with the Deutschlandticket • reg...