The real marketing challenge

I, and a number of others, have expressed concern in other posts about the possible success of new proposed tourist railroad operations (Creede Branch, the old C&W west of Trinidad, etc.). If any such operation, or even the existing operations like the C&TS and D&S, are going to be (or continue to be) successful, they have to attract sufficient numbers of passengers. As it stands, there is a limited pool of potential customers to attract. If more operations are going to be successful, that "pool" of potential customers must be grown.
The thing I worry about is this: Is the number of people interested in riding a real honest-to-goodness train (not an amusement park ride) declining? Truth is--railroading is becoming an obscurity to most of the American public.
Consider:
Most people born after 1950 probably never saw mainline steam in regular service.
Most people born after 1960 have little recollection of non-Amtrak mainline passenger trains.
Most people born after 1970 have never seen a non-Amtrak passenger train (excepting commuter and tourist trains).
Most people born after 1980 have never seen a caboose on a train.
How to interest people under 40 in riding tourist trains will be the growing challenge of tourist railroads everywhere. If that can't be done, it's pointless to talk about more tourist lines--the ones we have will be in trouble.
I don't have the answers. Suggestions welcome.