Re: The Book of Dreams

There are several things which might make the railroad memorable. Lack of creature comforts would definitely go on the negative side of the ledger.
Big on the plus side would be a pleasant day seeing beautiful scenery and getting the feeling that what they are experiencing is at least close to the experience of folks more than 100 years ago. That sets the mind to working, and that creates memories.
Obviously, if the experience is going to seem like it is 100 years ago, some "play acting" would go a long way to nourish the feeling. People will be more or less receptive to the efforts the railroad makes to "simulate" history depending on their own sense of historical values and whether they feel that these efforts are of interest to their family members.
This is the place that preservation and interpretation can walk hand in hand.