BP,
I was not in the early days, so I trust you will recoginze that my obinion is just my opinion.
So part 2 asks about the applicability of these keen little exercises displayed over the course of the last several years.
The group who make these improvements and hobbiets. Some started with no knowledge of computer simulation, but commited to there personal dream of a perfect ww2 arial combat sim.
EAW is not open sorce, so the work to make it better can not be public.
Eaw will never be the latest and greatest. The progress of a mod group will always be limited to the hobby desires of those involved. Cutting edge will always progress faster then any mod group. Fortunatly, this group continues to share there ideas and there compleated work to the public.
I would have no malice if they kept there development private and worked with the copywrite owner to release it as a commercial project.
Gibbons,
Trains are easy to do from 2D data. The width can be extrapolated by the gage of the railroad and most parts are cymetrical.

that is unless you are like me and rivit counting stalls you.