Hi Ed:
Well, I am rather jealous of the rich railroading history you have in your family, especially with the Pennsy. I hope you got some pictures somewhere along the line.
You will have to pardon me, if your friends have been giving you that sort of friendly grief for that long, I must say that is rather special. Friendships of that sort are rare, and I cannot say that I really have any right now, much to my chagrin.
I have seen Marty's layout in detail here, but not in person. 'Amazing' is an insufficient adjective for his system, even the pictures. You are extremely well-advised if you are getting tips and / or tricks from him. I hope someday I can see it and perhaps even sign a corner of his wall.
Please do post some pictures of your progress when you can. I enjoy seeing how others install catenary on their layouts.