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I'm up in Hunterdon, near the old Lehigh Valley... I've been studying these lines for YEARS, probably have every modern video out, etc.... Actually my younger son and I are planning to take a trip to railfan in late June, around the N-scale convention.I've been in love with both the Pokey and the Clinchfield for a long time - the tunnels, back and forth over creeks, the "hollers" and tight spacing in the valleys. The new Highball Productions Pokey Video has one scene in Keystone, shot from up a hill that almost makes an N-scale layout look TOO BIG and 24" curves TOO BROAD. Going double track is probably the logical approach. I have quite a stock of flex track (Peco C55) and oddly a ton of concrete flex to use in the hidden return section (NS would not be using concrete ties). There is something appealing though about single track though - which is why I am still pondering this...
I have my fairly large layout subroadbed and roadbed complete - at least for the mainline. Occupying around 23x17 feet it is around three walls and a center island with blobs on each end. I went ahead and laid cork for double track - figuring I would either go double track or former, cut down to single track. Locale is Appalachian, modern NS, largely protofreelanced, borrowing from the Pocoahontas District, Clinchfield and probably some other lines I've seen.Decision time is whether to do double or ex-double track. I am much more used to railfanning on the latter lines and the scarcity of double track railroads these days makes me wonder if I choosing that route would push me towards flat out modeling the Pokey or something. I think cut down double has more flexibility for industries, towns, scenery, etc... But realistically can one person meet trains? I could probably pull off about three 12 foot or so sidings plus at least one short one. For both concepts I had an operational concept of a major mine to coal processing plant and then to a yard movement to work in.Another thought is to do a post Conrail "through central PA" line, which I've thought about for many years, sort of a Pennsy subsidiary from Allentown to Williamsport and then west to Ohio - under CR and NS a valuable northern alternative to the former PRR, perhaps with state supported passenger service and maybe clinging to lower tunnel clearances...? This could logically also be either double or probably former double track. The other option is anyone want to move to New Jersey to help operate this thing??? ha....Any thoughts???