I've discussed this topic many times as part of the general problem of declining interest in railroading, its history and the preservation & operation of equipment. When you go out train chasing (844/4449 a good example), you can see it in the newer fans. Besides lacking respect for RR property, understanding a photo line, they don't even grasp what an 800 or GS4 is, or where they ran everyday for 25 years. A story that I heard recently from a 4449 crew member who came across a couple of fans w/ cameras last year (& had no idea who he was) who were so eager to expounded on him about the great shots they had been getting of Dash-9's, and how they had x number of them on their model railroad. Talk about disconnect. All those miles showing off the 4449 and all you get is a couple of new foamers who love Dash-9's???

The flip side is that when I was younger, I bought Railroad magazine for 1 reason: Mike Eagleson's steam column. I wanted pictures & news on 759, 844, 2101, 5632, 5629. I had absolutely no interest in Freeman Hubbards own railroad world of 4-4-0's and true tails from the rail cicra 1910. Not my era or what I had just missed.

A turning point in preservation probably happened when the group back east rebuilt from totally derelict condition the F-units that were redone as CNJ ABA F's. I think that they even bought & scrapped a CF7 to get parts. This was around 1980 ?, and nobody had done such a thing with an 'old diesel'. At the time, I realized that these guys were rebuilding what they saw & liked as 18 y/o fans, and this group would probably not develop into steam volunteers. FRRS at Portola is similar. Fortunately, that era of fans has done a lot better job of saving lots of good stuff, much in operating condition.

I sort of define myself & friends as the "right" kind of fan, but I can see that there is a generation thing to it.

Another aspect of becoming a fan in the last 20 years is that railroads have in less view. Today, a person can only get exposed to a train at the crossing. When I was walking age, I was getting taken into F-unit cabs, visiting the roundhouse, etc. by relatives & freinds. A lot fewer kids have railroaders for relatives today, & how many care about it?

However, one area that is a big improvement is access to hands on participation at shortlines. Thirty years ago, it was rare to know somebody with a shortline connection where you could get on the property and 'help'. Railroading used to be a Class I activity, which was difficult for even the lucky fans to experience.

Where do the new ones come from? It's got to be more than just Boy Scouts, and it's also about getting them to understand and get involved in the real world of nuts & bolts and large things that make noise as opposed to computers and chatting & video games.