Re: Authenticity/Costume nazis

I think for a lot of people, it's much easier to criticize and feel superior, than it is to acknowledge the work it takes to produce a functioning artifact. The auto restoration and aircraft restoration fields are full of "armchair experts" who never once have even attempted a project (or even financially helped a project), but who think they know far more than anyone else. I know of an incident in the aircraft restoration world where a very rare restoration was completed and an "expert" on a popular website began arguing that the wrong color paint had been used on one area of the aircraft. It got so out of hand that the "expert" was eventually banished from the website.

Another "critic" moment: Back in 1983, Earl Knoob called me up and said the Rio Grande Zephyr was going to stop running in April and did I want to ride it. In no time I was on my way to Denver and he and I, along with his friend Steve Samples, purchased round trip tickets to SLC. While we were heading up the Front Range, both Earl & I spent time in the dutch doors leaning out and enjoying the view. Some other older passenger came up, leaned out of one of the windows to look at the three F units charging up ahead, and gruffly muttered: "Should be PA's" then ambled off. You can never please some people. As it turned out, we were the last round trip to SLC due to the Thistle slide we were the last Denver to SLC round trip. Great memories...