History and Equipment Restorations. Do the rivet counters count? The GT&C Collection

How important is historical restoration to you, or your organization? Historical railroad books and Pages like this have increased my knowledge of my favorite narrow gauge subjects. Specifically the restoration of equipment once owned by the D&RGW and the RGS. There are a number of people responsible for some great restorations in the narrow gauge community. I say this in general terms, but in this conversation I would like to focus on groups like Friends of the C&TS, Colorado Railroad Museum, Durango Railroad Historical Society, and Knott's Berry Farm.

Being more specific, I've seen the Knott's crew do some amazing things to improve the condition and historical appearance of their equipment. A few years ago D&RGW 340 and RGS 41 looked about as historically accurate as they possibly could. Box headlights, diamond smokestacks, phony cowcatchers, fantasy (?) paint schemes. GONE! And thank you to those dedicated employees and historians who had the vision to take the maintenance and upgrades in this direction. I should also point out that the color and appearance of the passenger equipment is pretty impressive.

I hope I don't see too much backsliding on this approach. D&RGW 340 is loosing her looks with that green cab panel and the excess brass trim. Should we care? Should we count the rivets? Is theme park management out of touch with railfans? I would prefer not to put my head in the sand and say that changing things to something inaccurate doesn't bother me. There are an number of people out there who make their living because they have a historical knowledge of railroads and equipment. How do you defend your stance on the subject of historical accuracy?