Cost I don't think is much of the problem, given the maintenance and privacy costs of modern video games. Along with for an analogy having to change control set up every few years, consoles, pc hardware, like legacy from TMCC but with no backwards compatibility and having it happen about every 6 years. The thrill of change does not fit well with watching a beloved train around the layout every week.
On the other hand I have found that HO in particular has skyrocket in price while Lionel and the Lionchief sets have done a good job of keeping the price down, while adding features. My 0-6-0 tender engine now costs $75 to $85 instead of the $50 I payed for it, and the 2-6-2 now is over $125 from the $75 i payed for it 16years ago. now given they don't have some form of DCC are being discontinued which I find sad. since DCC HO gets really expensive fast pricing every one out from 600 to 800 dollar engine with about the same features, while remote locked and missing lash up capability, as a 200 dollar lionchief train set. miniaturization has its oddities and does not bode well.
Most of interest comes down to exposure, here on the west coast it is hard to find train events. the lack of commuter trains only aggravates this since Portland's light rail is not very impressive or wide spread. The west despite the westerns and 4449 is a bit sparse in the passenger train department aside from Amtrak. Which mostly follows the Interstate 5 corridor.
Oh, fun train fact Hudson soft a former video game company was named after the Hudson steam locomotive. There is in the video game the habit of you must have fight on a train, even suplexing the engine in one case, so video games and trains can mix with a splash of probably missed on this forum humor. Just tossing it out there.
