Pennsylvania N Scale Layout

I'm planning on building a layout to somewhat replicate the route of the Braodway limited. I know so far that it will be 16x4 and have the Harrisburg station in the middle. I'm essentially building a layout to go with my Kato Broadway Limited set. Harrisburg is so that I can change the train from the GG1 to the E 8/9s and vice versa. I've been contemplating extending one side to 8 feet and creating a scale model of the Horseshoe Curve... maybe.

For any of you Pessy oficionados, what details do I need on the layout, what should the scenery look like. Does anyone have any ideas for me?

And for any of you modelers, how could I possible create the Rockville Bridge?

Hi and welcome aboard.

It seems to me (without checking the facts) that any one of the features you're planning could be the centerpiece of a layout of the size you're planning and would still require a lot of "selective compression."

In terms of capturing the look and feel of the PRR in Pennsylvania, I've always liked Dave Frary's "The Pennsy Middle Division in HO Scale." It was a Model Railroader project layout that ran in MR from January to September 1993 and was available later as a softcover book from Kalmbach. It doesn't specifically have any of the key items you're looking to include but it might be a resource for ideas.

While it's HO Scale, I knew someone who built the layout size to the same physical size as the HO pike, and then built an N Scale layout on it. It was never finished, but what was done up to that point was very impressive.

I don't know whether you're new to the hobby, but if you are, may I humbly suggest that you try to start slowly and then grow into the ambitious plans you've made. There's no shame in this; I can't think of anyone who successfully dove into a large layout without trying out ideas and skills on a "starter layout" of sorts.

Thanks, I'm gonna try that book somewhere. That's probably going to help. I am not new to the hobby, I have a 3x6 layout because of my limited space but now a relative has given me the space for us to build a layout where we can run prototype lenghth trains.