I do agree with you, there is no point having it in itself because you wont even have that much stuff.While large AE systems are indeed impressive and fun to build, I feel like AE is not very useful on its own. You have to combine it with other mods to make the most out of it.
The only thing I don't like about railcraft is the crafting recipe changesRailcraft
It was the second mod I had ever used (first one was the original Industrial Craft for MC Beta 1.4). I really like building the intricate rail systems, and the tunnel bore just feels much more rewarding than a quarry.
While large AE systems are indeed impressive and fun to build, I feel like AE is not very useful on its own. You have to combine it with other mods to make the most out of it.