Cable is a problem for me, as I do not have any sources. If you know a
good supplier of 50 or 100 pair 16 ga cable, I would really appreciate the
tip.

50 or 100 pair? This is why buss cabling is often a better solution. Going
along a buss means less cabling bulk and weight. There's always trade offs
between buss versus home-run wiring. Buss wiring wins on cost of wire,
weight and bulk savings. It's true you may have higher per-device costs in
terms of connectors and interface intelligence. But that's often a
worthwhile compromise.