Steam in general

Greetings all!

Something I have been hearing ever more often is that of people stating that "you can't depend on steam locomotives" or "you can only get so much out of an old engine". This, as we all know, is catagorically untrue. Unfortunatly this seems to be the excuse used when a locomotive fails or otherwise does not perform after a rebuild or during service.
There are numerous examples (a vast majority actually) of successful locmotive restorations by both volunteer groups as well as contractors such as Steam Operations Corporation, Diversified Rail Services, Steam Services of America, Wasatch Railroad Contractors...etc.
Things such as hot bearings, thrown rods, flange wear...etc are the result of an incomplete or improper rebuild or poor inspection.
So, the question I am posing to you all is that of what can be done to protect the image of steam in this country? If this negative perception is perpetuated then we will see less steam running in the coming years as well as increased difficulty in securing grants/funding.