I can confirm this with my experiences in Switzerland, where several very well known characters (in the railfan scene) were active railroaders (such as the news editor of the publication of the association of railfan clubs (aka EA) at the time was chief of operation of a private railroad, or a chief engineer (engineer, not driver) of the SBB prevented early electric locomotives from being scrapped (and they are still around, many years after his retirement). Several drivers are also members of a club operating mainline steam locomotives, and so on, and so on…