Why must we judge how another person pursues their train hobby? We all face compromises of space, time, money, skill, etc., and we all have different likes and desires. There's plenty of information available about the pros and cons of various approaches - we can all do some research and decide for ourselves.
A close friend has a 4x6 HO layout that consists of a loop with a couple of sidings. He likes creating scenes and building scenery and could care less about switching or realistic operations. He has a stressful job, and watching the train run through the scenes relaxes him. He's been a model railroader for 60 years and is well versed in the history, theories, and techniques of model railroading.
As long as a person does what makes them happy and doesn't do anything dangerous, I'm all for it.
