Well, it's been a long time since I updated this, including a house move which has seen the railway find a home in one of the rooms instead of what was essentially a corridor. I've also built some legs for the boards (no I wasn't waiting for the trees to grow in order to make them)

Firstly an overall view of the layout with the station to the far left, goods yard infront of it and the coal siding coming down to meet the canal. can't remember if the station building had been plonked on a plank of wood to make it about platform height or not.

Looking along the length, apologies for the blurry photo, was leaning over boxes of things yet to be unpacked

starting of the embankment and viaduct, I've always wanted a viaduct on my railway, if I hadn't bothered then this layout would have been running months ago! The bridge for the road is a wills 00 gauge cattle culvert, but then again, the arches on the viaduct are rivaling Brunell's Maidenhead arches for span width and low height. (ironically, my recent house move was actually to Maidenhead)

The white farm house building will eventually gain a pub sign, (does it look a bit cramped in there?) the road winding across in front of the pub and under the near arch, some bushes etc will blend the arches in a bit.

The main line disappears into a tunnel shortly after the viaduct as the scenic break.

Station end, hiding behind the goods shed is the turntable, standing about 6mm proud of the base due to it's flange, station building (sat on 10mm of ply to simulate a platform) roughly in position, signal box will most likely be mounted on the platform as it looks a little small and likely to not have a great view of things if a full train (the 5 and it's coaches do just fit although I can see the last coach finding it's way into the turntable pit at least once while backing on. I think normal trains might have to be four coaches with the occasional special resulting in the loco having to do a long run around right over the viaduct and back.

not sure if that was ever common practice anywhere, but never mind

and no, I don't know what a 27 is doing in the background, it's a bit big for making into a tram really.

Next jobs now are: put supports in place for the incline, build up the canal banks (5mm ply wood) seal the MDF with PVA glue and build up the trackbed / entire board to the same level as the turntable although I have been toying with the idea of removing the turntable's flange and sinking it fully into the board removing the need to build up the board slightly.