Well, we have covered a lot of ground here as to what means what to whom.
Interesting ideas from all who have commented on this post and subject.
So now a couple of things come to mind.
I would like to first of all turn your attention to "Great Model Railroads 2001", and to page 46 of that issue. Read it and then see where you feel Bob Rivard's article of his model railroad falls. Look at the amount of work and research he has done to re-create the (Andy you'll love this one) "Rocky Soo".
I have been through this area many times, and have friends who work railroading there. This guy has re-created, almost to every blade of grass, a 20mile area in the Twin Cities.
Folks, this goes way beyond "fanticy' or "science fiction". It's history! And it's darn accurate to the real thing as it existed some time ago. A lot of the highways and over passes are still in use today.
I showed this artical to several who railroad that area and they could not believe what this man has done.
Call it what you like, to me it's history!
There has also been talk of "future" power units, different types fuels etc.
We should remember that in the 50s & 60s the Union Pacific did indeed have Gas Turbine power units. The first started off somewhere in the 4500 H.P. range and ended up putting out 8500 H.P.! They even surmize that the actual power of some of these was in the 10,000 H.P. range.
They of course had draw backs, outlawed in L.A. because they were making too much noise of which if you were ever close to one, (I was many times), they would take your ear drums and put them into the next zip code.
They were finally fazed out due to their huge appitites for fuel.
The point is some of this stuff the folks who grew up on "si-fi" mention have already been tried.
Common sense will tell you that with the amount of fuel large (and small) railroads use each year they would be the first to grab on to something new and wonderful.
They have actually gone along way with the newer power units such as the SD70MAC type . U.P is ordering 1000 of them, must be something there they like!
So now for a moment, lets take all the trains off the landscape of the U.S. and transport all the goods only by truck, then add up the fuel consumption and cost of transportation. Many business would have to fold up, they could never afford the cost of having goods delivered by trucks and only trucks.
Railroads are still the most economical means of transportaton we have today. And history is just that, history.
This does not mean that someone who does a area of the country to his own ideas and values is wrong, but there is a huge difference between the two, at least in my mind. And if you will, both can be very correct, it's just that those who research and try to re-create something real have to put a lot more into it.
Lance