Well, it is in a parsonage study, anyway. This space over the fireplace and the photocopier seemed inviting, so I filled it with some benchwork:

The space is 116" wide, and the layout is 25" deep at the two ends, about 13" in the middle. This view gives an indication of the shape:

(Apologies for the picture quality, by the way. My camera is on the blink, and these are taken on my 'phone. I hope to get the camera sorted and have clearer pictures as this progresses.)

There are two boards, which clip together in the middle, and which simply rest on battens on either side and on the mantelpiece in the middle, so the whole thing will be removable, and could be used elsewhere. Construction is a pretty heathen mixture of 2x1 and MDF, but I used the same for my last layout (ages ago now) and didn't have any problems.

Here are the two ends of the layout:

It will be in N gauge, roundy-roundy, and you can see in the pictures the trackbed for the curve round to the rear fiddleyard. The curves will be hidden, too (with a minumum 2nd radius curve for good running) and viewing and operating will be from the front. I'll have to have a mirror setup for seeing into the fiddle yard once the backscene is in place... that's something to think about.

Next jobs are to get the backscene structure in place and to paint and stain the timber. Then some actual railway might appear.

As to what I'm going to put in that scenic gap, watch this space...