Your wife is quite right, Les (aren't they always...?
) - actually getting a bit of track down, even if only laid temporarily, and being able to run a basic train is absolutely the best way to get going and to keep your interest up..... for myself, I spent almost fifteen years just collecting stuff before I got any sort of line down at all, and recognise in hindsight that it wasn't the best way of doing things, though I did try to visit as many open running days at other peoples' lines as I could so that I could actually get some of my locos and stock out on the rails.
Get some track on the ground, run a train and enjoy watching it - there is no better encouragement to keep going than that!
Jon.