When the opportunity arose for Lauren Osier to begin her rail preservation journey at the 3-foot gauged Midwest Central Railroad in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, it became the journey of a lifetime for the now 25-year-old. She has taken on multiple volunteer opportunities at the railroad, ranging from social media marketer to engine crew; met her husband, Kendall, who together started the Midwest Narrow Gauge Preservation Society; and participated in a summer 2024 internship at the Nevada Northern Railway Museum. All while documenting the journey through YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok as the “Female Foamer.”
How did you get involved in rail preservation?
Lauren Osier: I’ve always liked trains ever since I was a kid. I didn’t do anything about it because growing up, I was a girl, I didn’t think I should like trains, and people around me didn’t like them. So, I just hid that part of me.
Then my brother started volunteering with Midwest Central when I was in high school. I was seeing him as a conductor and got a little envious. So, in 2018 when I went to college in advertising, I was like, “Maybe I could wiggle my way in by taking pictures for them and helping with social media.” They had a Facebook page, but they didn’t have Instagram and weren’t posting often. I reached out to someone I knew in the organization and asked, “Could I take pictures and post content for the social media pages?”
After about a month of that, I met my now-husband and he brought me into the work weekends saying, “I think you would enjoy more than just taking pictures.” So, I started working in the shop and then slowly worked my way to where I’m at now.
As for the “Female Foamer,” I think because I was an advertising major, I’ve always liked social media. I grew up in the core of when YouTube influencers were the big thing and began thinking, “What if it would be fun to post what we’re doing?” I wanted to share to the world all these cool things we’re seeing with all these amazing trains and different museums. My husband jokingly suggested, “You could be the ‘Female Foamer.’”
COVID-19 happened, I then downloaded the TikTok app, and just started posting as the “Female Foamer.” It’s been an outlet for me to hopefully be like, “Here, look at these awesome women in railroading out there! We can do this and we’re not alone.” I didn’t have a role model, so if I can be a role model for someone else, then that makes me happy. And I’ve made a lot of awesome connections out of it.
As a young preservationist, what have you found to be the most challenging aspects in the industry?
Lauren Osier: First, I want to say time and money. This both references us young preservationists, but also organizations. My husband and I drive three hours each way to go to Mount Pleasant, at least multiple weekends a month. Not everyone is privileged enough to have a railroad museum nearby. It’s a major factor that’s a challenge a lot of people have to contend with.
On a more personal level, I would say being a female has its inherent challenges in the industry. When you interviewed Kristen [Fredriksen], she touched on how we have to prove ourselves a little more, and I definitely agree with that. But even to build upon that, there are still people in the industry who don’t want us there. Some of the things I have been told are mindblowing, and it’s just contending with stuff like that.
Segueing into a story, but last year I was on fire-up at 6:00 a.m., getting the locomotive ready. I was walking back from breakfast and had this gentleman approach me. I’ll admit I did have a red bandana in my hair because during midwest summers, it’s hot as heck. The gentleman was like, “Look, a Rosie cosplayer!” I responded, “I’m actually going to go fire the steam engine. He then asked, “Can you even fire that?” And I answered, “Yes, you can come watch if you want.” That’s a tamer story.
But I will say there has been some improvement within the community, just from when I started in 2018 to now. We’re making progress.
What’s been the most rewarding for you so far?
Lauren Osier: There are so many things. Something that really sticks out during last year’s old threshers was I was firing. We were coming into the station with lots of people waiting, including this mom and her daughter. We got close enough to the platform that I could see and hear the little girl point and say, “Mom, look! It’s a girl!” That just made me so happy because that’s what I want. I want other little girls to see and be like, “Look, I can do this, too. It’s not just a boys club.” That’s what I’m trying for with the “Female Foamer.”
Then more towards the preservation side, something that makes me so happy is I love trains, I love history, and I love sharing all that. When I would do tours at Nevada Northern last summer, I would get super into it. I loved seeing when I was excited, the guests were excited. They were actually interactive and asked me questions. I would have all those people at the end of the tour say, “You actually made that super interesting and I learned something. Thank you.”
Where do you see rail preservation as it is today and what do you hope it’ll become for the future?
Lauren Osier: Honestly, I think we’re in a bit of a renaissance. So many projects have been announced in the last year. It’s absolutely nuts. The hard part is going to be making sure we retain volunteers. I think if we can keep people motivated and inspired, and I think relying on social media is going to help, that’ll keep the hobby, the practices, and the jobs growing.
What advice would you give for any young person looking to get involved in the industry?
Lauren Osier. Though a lot of places have volunteering age limits because of safety and insurance reasons, I would say start when you can, even if it’s just watching at first. I was not mechanically inclined before I started, but I’ve learned so much just through the osmosis of information. When you reach the age to start volunteering, it might suck at first because you may have to sweep or clean parts. But that’s you working up towards being able to help on the locomotive, and it just takes time. Be enthusiastic and try your best.
