The industry is simply evolving, which sometimes means reduction in size. Evolution has been happening as long as railroading has existed. Conrail eliminated competing lines and salvaged a segment of the industry. Compare how many workers were aboard a train in the steam era to how many there are now. Or the longshoremen who were replaced by cranes in the current container era. From the nostalgic perspective most in this hobby look at things from, it seems a loss, but it is just the way business has always operated. That said, while I consider myself a realist, I am still among those lamenting the losses.
|
|
