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Work inside is coming along and we now have a cowboy watching to make sure the bridge is ok 😁 The tunnel and hill are one piece and can be lifted off if access is needed to the point. Signal placement isn't ideal but I'm having to use a bit of "artistic license". If I put it further away from the tunnel the clearence is very tight. It does the job though. An in built sensor turns the signal red when a train passes then starts the timer to go through the light sequence. If the point is thrown the signal will stay red until it is put back in favour of the mainline. Being a traintech sensor signal I can buy another 2 sensors and place them along the outside section and link with a wire to replicate block signalling in the future.

I've used Anyrail for track planning. The free version has a maximum of 50 pieces of track so you might only be able to do small bits. There are cheats or you can buy the full version. Other track planning software is available. Peco setrack is the same as Hornby geometry but Peco Streamline is a step up in realism and running. Streamline geometry is based on a line separation of 51mm and turnouts of 12°. It's intended for when you run easier radii curves than Hornby or Setrack. That all said, there is nothing wrong with running Setrack in the garden. I guess most people do it so they can have longer runs with easier curves but there are no rules.

Further questions:   From previous railways I've been used to "thinking" in Hornby track numbers, but everything on this forum, and that I've read, indicates Peco Streamline 100 is better to use.  Are Peco points and crossovers "equivalent" in curvature to Hornby points ?   Website/online resource to plan the layout with - suggestions/recommendations would be most welcome.

The last of the bridges over this gorge is completed.

Well, I've been working on my layout since 2016 and there is still a lot of track to gravel, signals are still completely missing. So your work doesn't have to hide there.

Thankyou! Its certainly not your layouts level, but its fun to play trains again! The signals are very old hornby dublo with some beefing up to the bases. They seemed the most robust option for outdoors

Thanks! Aside the accurascale tipplers I'm slowly collecting secondhand stock and locos I can fix / detail or repaint. Its nice to be able to run long trains!