The "Storm Lake Mobil" Builld

I thought I would attempt to do a build blog.  To follow along as I construct the "Storm Lake Mobil" kit from JL Innovative Design (http://www.jlinnovativedesign.com/) .  I'll probably be plagerising every other build blog I've ever looked at before, but I'm new to all of this, & the way I see blogging is that it's a new extension of the hobby, that I enjoy. (Even if I only have 1 follower of my blog!)  It's a diary of sorts & like the hobby of model railroading, is very cathartic!

So here goes!  I can't promise the build to go quickly, as life must still go on in the real world, but I will do the best I can. 

As you can see it's a laser cut wood kit with plastic doors & windows, a few metal parts, & plain paper signs.  It looks pretty easy & the instructions look well thought out & practical.

"EL" AKA Run up

I'm in the home stretch on the ore dock run up.  It took a total of 10 "Imagine That" ( http://imaginethatlaserart.com/ ) elevated 2 track extension kits to complete.  The kits are really easy to build & have awesome detail.  They are laser cut wood kits & they have a natural patina from the wood & laser cut/burnish marks.  I wanted mine to match another painted bridge that adjoins it so I matched the paint & dry brushed the aged detail.  I did have to adjust one section where there's a curve & I wanted to add a switch/control tower.  The tower is a "JL Innovative Design" ( http://www.jlinnovative.com/ ) Avon St. Elevated Tower it's also a wood kit.  I thought it would add some uniqueness to the over all scene.  Some the the ideas I got were from a book on Iron Ore railroads titled, "The lake Superior Iron Ore Rasilroads" by Patrick Dorin (1977)  Some of the trackage leading up to the dock ( which I've termed "run ups") looked a bit like the "Elevated tracks".  So I thought using the Imagine that kits would work just fine.  I would've liked to lay the track myself onto the "El" but I'm not good enough or willing to be frustrated enough to try & attempt to create an "N" scale turnout from scratch.  So Peco & Atlas flex track will suffice!