Bill, That's a lot of good information you have dug up about coal mining and steel making in the Mahoning Valley! Each area has it's own unique history, geography, geology, etc that can make anyone's layout unique. I have not tried Atlas track, but I like the looks of it. The solid rail and detailed ties remind me of HO and N scale track I used for years. I'm sure it is a whole lot quieter than Fastrak. I went with GarGraves track and Ross switches because Atlas had a real shortage a few years ago, and I was afraid of going with a product line that might not be there in the quantities I wanted in the future. As it turned out, they fixed whatever problems they were having.
I'll be looking forward to seeing what you come up with when you post it!
