I'm definitely enjoying this build so far. And, yes, the unusual subject matter is what makes it interesting. The fact that it literally fell into my hands is truly remarkable.
God, I love my local model store!
In the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro there are several hobby stores that sell models. Michael's is the worst for selection, followed by Hobby Lobby. Hub Hobby has two locations, but plastic models are a tiny fraction of shelf space. Scale Model Supply devotes half their space to trains, half to models, and another half to everything else.