Restoration of museum exhibits especially very old antique automobiles often results in more new material than original because the "artifact" is so far gone it is little more than junk when acquired. Yet, that is an accepted situation with antique car enthusiasts and museums who either acquire a restored auto for restore it themselves.

So, why is it "wrong" to restore a steam locomotive to operation to demonstrate how it functioned, yet "OK" to restore other antiques to exhibit how they functioned?

Personally, I would only yell "stop" when something major is about to be replaced and that would liklely only include the boiler itself or the frame. Otherwise, all the rest is "consumeable" to wear and tear or flame and has been replaced many times over since it was first built.

This is especially true of wooden rolling stock which would have been rebuilt many times over the decades and then repeated by the tourist RR or musuem and more than once unless stored indoors.



http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains
oldtimetrains@rrmail.com