This video of a home in Canada just brings me to tears.
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Thank you for sharing, Sad.
To the point of the OP's thread title concerning estate planning for what will happen to our layouts when we are gone, especially if the layouts are large and permanent:
When I reached my 60's, I had an attic filled with a permanent N scale layout. I have been active in N scale since the 1960's. With two grown children and a wife, none of whom shared my interest in the hobby, I decided to dismantle and store the layout, and resolved that any future layouts would be portable. In this way, I would not burden my family as much when I passed, by making it easier for them to dispose of my trains. My current O scale subway layout is made up of four easily transported (and saleable) modules. My N scale layout is stored in labeled boxes. If I ever return to N scale, it will also be in modular, portable layouts.
Sad, somebody ransacked that house and probably took the trains.
Indeed what a sad end to a life of an individual whose home was gutted and left to rot.
I've seen helix's before but nothing like what is in this video. I couldn't tell how many different loops there were. However there were several switches so they may have been connected.
From the strewn boxes, it seems the old guy had a nice collection at one time made up of at least by Lionel, MTH and Williams trains.
@feet posted:Sad, somebody ransacked that house and probably took the trains.
My thought exactly: Thieves and low life's have already ravaged the place and took anything of perceived "value" they found. 
Andre
A lot of work and time all that roadbed and Gargraves.
Wow! Definitely looks like "interlopers" have been there. Suspect the person lived alone without family nearby.
@WRW posted:Thank you for sharing, Sad.
@feet posted:Sad, somebody ransacked that house and probably took the trains.
@laming posted:My thought exactly: Thieves and low life's have already ravaged the place and took anything of perceived "value" they found.
Andre
Could have even been heirs. 
@Allegheny posted:Indeed what a sad end to a life of an individual whose home was gutted and left to rot.
I've seen helix's before but nothing like what is in this video. I couldn't tell how many different loops there were. However there were several switches so they may have been connected.
From the strewn boxes, it seems the old guy had a nice collection at one time made up of at least by Lionel, MTH and Williams trains.
The helixes and train storage tracks on the walls must have had some collection at one time.
Hopefully ( and probably ) this person never saw his trains in this shape before leaving.
In a positive vein , this person sure must have loved the hobby. 
I'm not so sure that thieves took the trains. If you notice there is not one train car in the house ,none on the floor,none on the shelves or anywhere, just boxes. No broken or dropped ones either. Surely there would have been at least one car left behind. The only possible two trains that I saw were Williams boxes in the upstairs closet. I think he might have taken all his stuff and left the boxes, or the family did and left the house. Surely with thieves which were probably druggies, they would have dropped, broken or smashed them just for the heck of it. While we know their value, most people still look at them as toys. There would have been at least one or two cars left on the tracks in the basement. No thief is going to go to to all that work to get every train in the house, especially some druggie or kid. On another note it always amazes me how people like himself explore these houses at night mind you with no backup and they go everywhere in the house. You gotta figure , if you're in the house why would some one else be in there?
Indeed what a sad end to a life of an individual whose home was gutted and left to rot.
I missed the part about an end-of-life story if it was in there.
Wow, how did he build that, it’s all hung from the ceiling. Hard to assume what happened to his trains. If they were taken by a train nut, what makes you think he would leave anything behind.
Really sad to see. The word “defiled” came to my mind as I watched.
This is why I always urge my train acquaintances to set their priorities when building a layout. To spend so much time and effort in building a layout in a deficient structure while allowing the structure to fall to rack & ruin is not the way to go about it. Notice the trains are newer than the wall paper or appliances or any maintenance done on the home.
Jon 
Based on the overall conditions, I'll speculate that it was an older man who lived alone and didn't have any family nearby to keep an eye on him, or perhaps he rejected their help. He clearly had a passion for trains at the expense of neglecting the rest of his surroundings. Unfortunately, as people age they often become distrustful of others and resist assistance - I'm not sure of the best approach for dealing with that.
My takeaway from this is that we should all do what we can to keep in touch with our older friends and try to be mindful of warning signs regarding their living situation. Get others involved when necessary. We can't save everyone from their circumstances, but we should certainly try.
@ConrailFan posted:I'm not so sure that thieves took the trains. If you notice there is not one train car in the house ,none on the floor,none on the shelves or anywhere, just boxes. No broken or dropped ones either. Surely there would have been at least one car left behind. The only possible two trains that I saw were Williams boxes in the upstairs closet. I think he might have taken all his stuff and left the boxes, or the family did and left the house. Surely with thieves which were probably druggies, they would have dropped, broken or smashed them just for the heck of it. While we know their value, most people still look at them as toys. There would have been at least one or two cars left on the tracks in the basement. No thief is going to go to to all that work to get every train in the house, especially some druggie or kid. On another note it always amazes me how people like himself explore these houses at night mind you with no backup and they go everywhere in the house. You gotta figure , if you're in the house why would some one else be in there?
I agree - in addition, vandals/druggies would probably have ripped out the track and other metal items to sell as scrap.
I just did a quick search on the magazines that were strewn on the floor where he couldn't see the date at 13:46. No help there, the three that I could see were from Nov 2002, July 1998, and Jan 2005. So no clues there either. But all the boxes strewn around looked pretty new and in good condition. I'll tell you what, they looked in better condition than most of the boxes that come with trains and are described as "Like New" on ebay! LOL
Sad. No pictures of family. No memorabilia. Just trains.
I often wonder what will happen to my collection of trains when I pass. I also wonder what will happen to all my CAD models, engineering projects, and code as well.
To any who are interested, it is always a good idea and an investment in the future for you (and your spouse) to make out your "life documents" (Will, Health Care Proxy and Power of Attorney) while you have a chance. I see so many people who procrastinate and their families end up having to deal with matters like these.
In a Will, you can choose who inherits your train collection by making a bequest of specific items to that person or persons. You can also make a charitable donation of these items. Traditionally, it is engines, rolling stock, equipment, figures, cars and trucks, and structures. Unless you have a modular layout or one that can be easily removed or where trackage can be readily picked up, it is generally not worth it to dismantle a layout. If there is nobody who will carry on the hobby after you go, you can also specify that your fiduciary sell the collection and distribute the funds as part of your overall estate.
