It's kicking a dead horse, but this is a bit of a sticking point for me.
If someone designs equipment for their fictional road to give it character, they should have a say in how it's used. Even private release is not a guaranteed use, since people can and do distribute assets they aren't supposed to. So basically, the only 'safe' option is to keep our work to ourselves - that kind of destroys the point of designing a custom road with a real history. It doesn't matter if you use a CA&L engine an any given route - after all, there is no released CA&L route as yet - but trying to use the design creates problems, since these engines include the foibles of their roads. It's unreasonable to think that most lines would even think of fitting four air pumps, so a custom build or clone is unlikely. Purchasing secondhand stock is more feasible but should involve the same history as the original. I had the same discussion over some WVRR engines which had been "purchased" over 25 years after their retired husks would have been scrapped at the height of a world war. You can see how that messes with continuity.
So I ask: If you all please, use our content in whatever context you may. That's why creators release it to begin with. But especially if you like a fictional locomotive, don't try to incorporate it into your own canon unless you're willing to deal with a bunch of pedants, which creators tend to be. We can't categorically stop you except by pulling our content down, but if you use content as we design it, we will be more open, contented members of the community.
That's all it comes down to...this is a game, it's built to have fun. Enjoy it as you wish, but remember that we're just trying to do the same.
