Layout Update Feb. 1, 2023
I spent much of December and January developing version 10 of MR SLAM Formatter. I finally got it posted to the web on Jan. 19, 2023. Then a small bug was found and so I had to put out version 11 on Jan. 26, 2023.
Despite all the computer work, I have been working on the layout, mostly on details like adding more trees and also adding wood decking to the Cawood turntable. It is an Atlas turntable, but I wasn't pleased with the appearance. It had the openings for multiple tracks that I didn't need and the concrete appearance didn't fit my layout. Luckily my friend Dave Housteau had solved this problem on his Nickle Creek & Western HOn3 layout. 
Dave's layout was videoed by Art Houston and posted on his Grande Pacific YouTube channel. The turntable is featured starting about 6 minutes into the video. So to start I covered the unneeded track openings with styrene.
I used ChoochEnterprises flexible stone wall to fit around the turntable. It looks good in its natural tan/ brown but I decided to paint is Vallejo lite gray(71.050).
I've now gotten in a bit of scenery around the turntable. I still need to plank the turntable deck.
Another activity I've spent a far amount of time on is track planning for the rest of the layout. Here is a picture taken from my workbench looking down the aisle. The top layer is mostly finished except for structures and about a million more trees. You can see the supports for parts of the bottom layer. The helix is at the lower right. At the lower left the tacks will go through the wall into the next room.
I've been working on the helix down to the lower level and finalizing the track plan for that layer. Historically I planned on paper. Several years ago I tried XtrackCAD and it was pretty nice but I found it a bit difficult to work with. So last year after doing some online research I decided to purchase AnyRail 6. I have been working with it for awhile and find it very easy to use. It has extensive track libraries covering most manufacturers. The tools for working with the track drawings is very easy and powerful. I really like the ability to put things in layers. So I have a layer for the room, one for the benchwork (grey), the track, scenery, and structures. This allows me to remove layers that I'm not working on and focus on the details to get the plan just right. Also I can draw alternate track plans in different layers to see which one I prefer. I highly recommend this software [unpaid endorsement]. The cost is modest ($ 59 US) and it really works well.
Below is the current plan of the lower layer of my layout.
