Just might need them. Ed. Worldwide easy to get petroleum reserves and field production peak about two year ago and the reamining 50% is heavy, deep and hard to get to...i.e. more expensive.
After a two week trip in the western states, I did not notice as many "back east" plates or vehicles...mostly local tourism.
Durango being without an outside rail access with the end of D&RGW service to the rest of network is going to be a hard and more expensive place to get to in about 10-15 years....Alpine prisons with 5 week growing seasons...
Hopefully there is enough sense left in Colorado not to destroy any of their remaining rail network...a lot is going to have to be rebuilt after oil goes away as it is now happening.
Narrow gauge of steam locomotion just might be coming back for practical reasons, but am still under the thoughts that once the rails are gone and the oil is going away, the people will be going away. There will not be the Will or money to rebuild a network again.