Throwing in the Towel...

[Cajonpassfan]

Kiz, sounds to me like all the very good advice you're getting here is not useful right now because you're just not open to it, right now. We've all been through times in our lives when trains just seemed unimportant or even a burden. But you have to believe you'll bounce back, soon or eventually, and maybe something good will come out of this. Maybe getting rid of 90% of your least favorite cars and keeping "only" 340 of them would be a good start to simplify your life, recoup some of your costs, and get you a chance to enjoy this wonderful hobby again. There is a lot more to it then collecting cars....
Best, Otto K.

[seusscaboose]

I have a cat that I can't keep out of the only space I have in which a layout would fit.

Hmm... Kiz is a stubborn
nut...

THIS (See above) can be easily solved by putting a sheet (or sheets) of aluminum foil on top of the layout when not in use.

[Denver Road Doug]

Some of the unhappiest people I've ever met have great big layouts.   Of all scales.
1)  They usually don't run all that well and require way too much maintenance after track is down
2)  The territorial and financial battles usually come at tremendous personal cost (d-I-v-o-r-c-e)
3)  They rarely, if ever, reach the finished level where you can do justice in photography and exist mostly in the imagination of the builder
4)  God help you if you have to move or relocate, it's chain saw time.
5)  They only really thrive in an area large enough to have a crew to operate them.  If you're a lone wolf, it's rather pointless.

I'd say this is pretty spot-on.  I've witnessed all five. I personally know a few that have large layouts that run well, but not by accident. (meaning, it took $$$ and time to do the things necessary for that to be the case)

An n-scale layout at 40x65 is fun to think about, but the reality is that I doubt too many people really contemplate something like that.   You rarely see gargantuan layouts in MR, and you have to imagine that it's because they don't exist...MR is many things but being too dumb to not showcase the biggest layouts--quality be damned--is not one of them.   With the majority's love affair with excess, huge layouts should be in every magazine and they're really not.   I guess my point here is....don't put so much pressure on yourself.   Trust me, I've been there (with the pressure of my "dream layout" clogging the works) and still do it to some extent.   But having a nice 6x10 layout is a huge accomplishment.

I would suggest: start your selloff, but first pick out some "untouchables".  So, let's say the "Model Railroading FRA" mandated you had to only have 30 locomotives and 600 freight cars.   Go through that process.  It might take awhile but you should also easily be able to identify--on the other end of the spectrum--30/600 that would be the first to miss the cut and thus the first ones up for sale.  That gets you headed in the right direction.  I know you've studied era closely...ratchet that down and anything that is out of era goes...that'll take care of some more count maybe.   If you arrived at a "dream layout" train length, cut that by 1/3 and see what that does to your numbers....should help especially for unit trains.   Keep in mind...this process doesn't have to be grueling.  Some of the most fun times I've had have been when I'm whittling down my collection.  You get to see all the great cars and locos you own, and it's kind of liberating when you find something that you can do without.

Anyway, as you can see by the replies, we've all been there.  No shame in this game....just get lean and mean and go for that smaller layout.   

[Kisatchie]

Just out of curiosity, what are your books about?

The story is about a wondrous, rare human mutation that gives the person the ability to "see" the past and future. It also vastly improves their morality. With my manic depression interfering with writing it for months at a time when I was depressed, it took me over 20 years to write. I have 3 complete books ready, plus the final book presently under construction LOL.


Hmm... Kiz won't let me
read it... Wonder why...

[Kisatchie]

Okay, I've rethought things and decided to build a small layout once the cat goes on to his reward. I thought I already posted this, but I don't see it. Sorry if it's a duplicate post.


Hmm... Kiz's mind is
going...

[gbcaboose]

 

[Dave V]

You gotta do you, but I can't help but wonder if a good-old HCD layout with Unitrack isn't what the doctor ordered.

@Denver Road Doug and @randgust are spot-on in that even if you started your gigantic dream layout, it very likely would consume you.  The thing about dreams is that you don't just suddenly accomplish them all at once.  You work toward them incrementally.  You could spend years filling a room with benchwork, and yes...that'd be incremental progress.  Or, you could hammer out a fully scenicked and operating HCD layout in a year or two, and have a place to run a few dozen of your 3,400 cars.

The other thing about dreams is that they are rarely static.  Sometimes life experience makes certain dreams less appealing while others come to the forefront.  Equally importantly, though, dreams can evolve and change.

Again, you have to do what you think is right...  But the case you're making for abandoning the hobby wholesale because you can't build a mega-layout is not going to find much traction amongst this particular group of modelers who have tried to push the boundary on what can be done in a small space with a small budget in a short period of time.  If I can be a model railroader and move 8 times in 20 years, you can too!

EDIT:  Just saw your post!  Now it's time to start a Kiz Layout Engineering Report!  Woo-hoo!   

[MichaelWinicki]

But having a nice 6x10 layout is a huge accomplishment.

Unless someone has built a layout, get scenery on the thing with all the structures and details, they have no idea that amount of time it takes to build a nice 6x10.

I know a gent who had a 2,500 sq-ft layout that he started around 2000.   And he had the benefit of being retired for some of the years so he would devote far more time to it than many others... Anyway he passed from a heart attack not long ago, the layout was about 1/3 with some sort of scenery.  He was always futzing with electrical problems and maintaining cars and loco's and track.  Just the act of setting the thing up for an ops session took many hours. For some that's fun.  But I just look at it and I'm glad I didn't go down that path– even though at one point I was tempted... Mostly because I didn't realize the back-end commitment to a huge layout.

[MichaelWinicki]

Unless someone has built a layout, get scenery on the thing with all the structures and details, they have no idea that amount of time it takes to build a nice 6x10.

Glad to see there's been a changing of the mind.

[Catt]

My current N scale layout is a third the size of what I originally had.It is both to small and to darned big at the same time,but I can run trains on it.

Kiz, I have roughly 1/10th  of the cars you have (in N scale) and I still have waaay to many.Sell some cars buy a good loco and some Uni-Track and have some fun.

Oh and take good care of that old furball they can be great therapy when your feeling down.

[ljudice]

Same here - started big when I got the space, made it bigger - been paring it down ever since.

Looking at another cut in size now, in fact.

[unittrain]

With cats for which I have three the trick is to make the layout at least 4.5 feet off the ground and keep it narrow I have 2' x 6' modules and in all 7 years I've had them never once had a cat got on them I'm always careful not to have a perch nearby for them to jump from also cats like things that appear stable something narrow and far off the ground makes them not even attempt it, the problem I do have us them running into the module legs every so often and knocking some things over. With a door I'd go 5 feet off the ground.

[jmarley76]

The thing about dreams is that you don't just suddenly accomplish them all at once.

That's right! Go small and have a series of accomplishments and triumphal moments!

[Hamaker]

I'll chip in my two cents worth......I built my "dream layout'...a modest 8' by 14' layout about five years ago.  Very happy with it and I have fun operating it. BUT.....as I get older, I'm resenting the time it takes me to keep the track clean and operating well. At least I don't have a duck-under ! (WHEW !)  I have a small switching layout and a small 'dogbone' layout (30" X 78") which are easy to keep clean and operate.   

[casmmr]

Kiz, think about going with t-trak modules, there are 2 manufacturers of t-trak module kits, you use unitrack and it stores really nice on a shelf unit when you do not run on it.  4 single corners and 2 double straights should be a good start.  Look in the layout engineering reports under modules for SWARM to see what you can do in a small area.  Think about it.  later, Craig