Some things are better left "old school" than others. For example, jointed rail with the authentic clickety-clack is nicer than welded rail from a historic perspective, if not from a MOW point of view.

However, authentic boiler tube failures? With the possibility for authentic injury, scalding or even death? Uh, no thanks, that's a bit much...

flue failures come with the territory like any other piece of equipment, cars, mopeds, bicycles...

authentic, well, if thats the thought, just go watch some old hollywood movie that features a big wreck, I recall one railroad allowed 2 old steamers to collide headon for a movie, they were going to be scrapped anyways.

I would say part of authenticity is having the risk of authentic problems.


What problems would you consider authentic? Boiler explosions? , thrown rods?, overheated driver tires?

SAFETY is the first order of business. Whsen in doubt; the safe course is chosen.

That's (or some variation) in EVERY rulebook-its authentic.

I would suggest our best approach to “traditional” risks and problems is to have the skills and training to deal with them in a professional manor… minimizing risk, minimizing disruption, much as they would have been handled in the past.

Of course, in the past the professionals would have adopted new materials and testing methods to assure that they had as few problems as possible…

Yes, in the past, flues failed. In the past they might have cooled the locomotive just a bit, then climbed in the fire box to plug the offending flue, then fired the engine and returned to operation… all within a few hours.

That was the SNCF railway in France; the movie was The Train.

Wasn't that also done on "Denver and Rio Grande"?