You asked: "In England, they have built new locomotives from scratch as well as miles of new line. How do they do it? Do they have more Government support than we do, or are their fans just more dedicated? I don't know, but I'd like to know how they do it."
There are various ways of raising money, none of which involve direct money from central government.
1. Lottery grants but it appears that these days if there are "no minority benefits" this source can be forgotten. There have been groups turned down on these grounds recently and there is a real row going on.
2. Grants from European sources - only available for "deprived areas" (think Chama/Antonito and this is the sort of area that benefits).
3. Donations etc - this is where most of it comes from. The new build pacific is being funded by people subscribing a fixed sum per month.
4. If a working railway, revenue from vistors - more profit from refreshments and souvenirs than from train rides........
G