If you want to check out something related, wierd, and interesting check out German radio controlled truck conventions ... lots of people go together and drive their RC stuff in a sensible realistic manner. I find it adorable.
That sort of thing, but with little trucks, diggers, forklifts, and tractors all by radio control ... I guess I never understood the appeal of train sets whereas driving a little truck around looks like fun
With models, for me it's not about immersion but rather some fascination with having little versions of real things ... I don't know why, and I especially don't understand why making models of anything is 99.9% a men's hobby :-/