mikerowe Wrote:
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> Something becomes an obsession, Ron, when only
> your own definition of what constitues reality (in
> this case, purety of preservation above all else)
> is taken to the point that you refuse to admit to
> the possibility of any other reality or realities.
> I grudgingly admire your tenacity, but IMHO it
> has taken you up a blind alley.
>
> Old saying: Why is a closed mind like a parachute?
> Because neither will work if you don't open
> them.
>
> IMHO, again, the spark arrestors are not
> permanent, do not change the reality of what has
> been preserved, may prevent fires that could
> imperil the C&TS, and most of all, are not the end
> of the world as we know it.
>
> And that's about all that I care to say on that
> subject.
>
> Mike
Gee, I have not even given a definition of what constitutes reality. And I certainly never said spark arrestors were out of bounds. I only said that change is not preservation. I believe there are a lot of changers who don’t realize that, or don’t care. So, if the line gets too blurred, historical railroad attractions can become modern ride entertainment.
To the changers, it may seem like nit picking to want historical accuracy with things like color schemes, lettering, locomotive appliances, etc. But it is a slippery slope that can lead to gas producer fireboxes, superinsulated piping, modernized exhaust nozzles, vegetable oil fuel, shiny steel culverts, and high visibility vests.
If there is any obsession, it seems to me that it is the exaggeration that preservationists are inflexible and don’t want to change one single molecule.