It's starting to looks like something at last!

I had a list of 5 things to do today. I've done 3 of them!
The ply trackbed will hopefully be completed over the weekend.

A view of the new bunds for the A.B.H plant. They may look high, but remember, the ply trackbed is yet to be put on so it will look better then.

Finally the salt water effluent streams have been dug out now I knew where I wanted them!

A new mock up has appeared in the form of a large low relief workshop behind the existing one. This should hide the curved tracks nicely, and also seems to make the whole corner look more right. I still need to sort out what to put  in the gap by the end of the pipe bridge in the photo. Although I suspect it will be more trees!

A view up the new salt water effluent flume between the steam shed and the fire station. I will cut away the ply to match the flume soon. Again, yet more trees will be located around here to screen the refinery.

I included this photo just to show you the effect I was after for the main focal point of the layout - the power house. As you can see, the Simplex is absolutely dwarfed by it. Admittedly part of it is also down the low angle, but shh...

I couldn't get an overall shot of the layout as there is no backscene so the background is too cluttered, however, I like this view of the new earthworks to hide the other scenic exit. I am yet to recess the left hand bank to fit the asphalt tanks in. These tanks provide the perfect reason for the pipework and pipe bridges that will hide the track. There will also be a large amount of vegetation in this area, particularly on the left hand hill and behind the pipe bridge. My aim is to cover the exit in bushes in an effort to hide it more pleasingly!

I'm really pleased with how the basic land-forming has transformed this part of the layout, and once the ply trackbed has gone in, I think it will be much easier to see what's going on in photos. The deadline may be looming ever closer, but at long last the layout is actually starting to look like... well, a layout!