John
You have "walked in the moccasins" of many hobbyists who could offer similar stories to yours (and mine). Your story is about progressive revelations of the variety and scope of the world's greatest hobby; i.e., discovering more and more as time moves forward and extends your awareness and knowledge.
I was an American Flyer kid as a boy, but sold all that stuff to neighbor kid who was bedridden (in 1956) with a heart condition. His dad asked about my trains as a pastime for his son during recuperation. I still remember the asking price: $330 for three trains, freight and passenger cars, a transformer and rectifier, plus track and switches. Probably worth $1800 in today's marketplace.
When my dad passed away at age 80, I was 50 and re-entered the hobby through the Lionel gateway. I'm now 83, and have designed and built several O-gauge layouts. I joined the Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) and met many train hobby friends. Then I joined a local train club that sponsored Train Open House events for the public.
With help from family, friends, and train hobby friends, I designed and built my current 15x19 feet L-shaped layout. It's wired for TMCC and DCS, but most of my collection is Lionel. Several trains are LionelChief2 - for my great grandkids. Fun for them, especially the Dinosaur Train. Some pix are attached.
Carry on ...
