the MRH Forum

Mike Confalone's Allagash Railway - Railfan Images from New Sharon Journals/Blogs
Reply
Regular poster 479 posts mikeconfalone Regular poster 479 posts
mikeconfalone

Hey guys,

Some images from the recently "completed" section at New Sharon, Maine. Many more details to follow down the road, including switch stands, lineside and roadside details and mryiad other details, but the macro scenery is done.

Pics demonstrate some of what a railfan might see on a typical day trackside at New Sharon in April 1980. We've got a pair of road jobs - northbound KA2 (Kennebec Jct.-Allagash) powered by a pair of F7s and an Alco RS32, and southbound counterpart AK1 with a C420/GP9/RS11 combo. The New Sharon Switcher (N1) is also busy switching the Franklin County Feeds mill and working the yard. Power is recently-demoted Alco RS32 701. Finally,the New Portland Switcher (P1) arrives in the yard with a single loaded boxcar of woodpulp from the St. Regis mill and powered by GP38 202. Before heading back to New Portland, the 202 fuels up while the 701 continues drilling the yard.

Structures at New Sharon include the former passenger station, now an MOW base, a yard office, an abandoned track car shed, the New Sharon post office, the Franklin County feed mill and the engine house. Ken and Sadie's Country Store and the other buildings up the hill, and the road are all part of the photo backdrop.

The biggest challenge here was scaling the images on the photo backdrop to get the proper size and perspective, and seamlessly blending the 3D road into the backdrop road that climbs into the hills. The skewed bridge made this more difficult. The photo backdrop measures nearly 20' in length, the longest I've ever worked with.

Seeing these photos makes me realize just how badly I need to take a week or two and JUST weather freight cars!!

Comments and questions welcome.

Mike Confalone

NS1.jpg NS2.jpg NS3.jpg NS5.jpg NS6.jpg NS7.jpg NS8.jpg NS9.jpg NS10.jpg NS11.jpg NS12.jpg NS13.jpg NS14.jpg NS15.jpg NS4.jpg 
Reply 2
Joe Atkinson IAISfan Super User 3,774 posts
Joe Atkinson IAISfan

Beyond words

I'm really at a loss here Mike.  That's some of the most realistic modeling I've ever seen.  Outstanding work.

Joe Atkinson
Modeling Iowa Interstate's 4th Sub, May 2005
https://m.facebook.com/groups/iowainterstate4thsub

https://www.iaisrailfans.org/gallery/4thSub

My MRH blog index

https://instagram.com/iaisfan
Reply 1
MLW Frequent poster 594 posts
MLW

Well done

Hi Mike

Terrific work / modeling as always.

Your backdrop fits perfectly for the season / time / era. Same with the vehicle in the pictures. You have some serious skills to make it look so life-like. Example: The spacing in the telephone pole! Just like the real thing.

Also in your backdrop the "feel" and building is very much in tune with the era you are modelling

You have an eye for time sensitive details. Hard to pin point one area better then the other, however I really like the feed mill / silo. Very well done.

The allagash paint scheme is bold yet realistic. What happen to the MLW M420?

Always enjoy your post

Cheers

Syl
Reply 0
wp8thsub MRH Author 3,348 posts
wp8thsub

Awesome!

Great stuff, Mike.  Where did you get the gas pumps in front of the country store?  I could use some just like those.

Rob Spangler MRH Blog
Reply 0
Purdey19 Active Member 31 posts
Purdey19

Left wondering

When I first viewed the photos I really thought they were of the prototype. The clarity, realism and photo height made the images very realistic. Well done, certainly inspirational stuff!

West Coast Mining MK IV - Miners of Fine Australian Pilbara Iron Ore - N Scale
Reply 0
Alexedwin Regular poster 427 posts
Alexedwin

Brilliant!

Alex

One day I might be modeling the Puffing Billy Railway, Victoria, Australia.

My location - Queensland, Australia.
Reply 0
Joe Walder PRR 2277 Active Member 41 posts
Joe Walder PRR 2277

Excellent As Always

Mike -

I like the depth of field that your photos show, but I'm sure in reality, the distance is much shorter. The way you blend in the layout's scenery into the photo backdrop is so awesome that it gives the sense that we're actually standing trackside.

Excellent work as always, Mike.

Talk to you later,

Joe
Reply 0
JR59 Regular poster 489 posts
JR59

I'm speechless! That's so

I'm speechless! That's so cool!

best Regards

Jürg

my Blog: http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/blog/31531
Reply 0
Tom Patterson Frequent poster 628 posts
Tom Patterson

Beautiful!

Hard to add anything more to what's already been said- just some really beautiful work, Mike. It would neat to hear the story behind all the different paint schemes on the Allagash locos at some point. 

Tom Patterson
Reply 0
East Rail Regular poster 124 posts
East Rail

Master of the Backdrop

Mike,

You're the king of photo backdrops!  Great job all around.

Lance

Visit the Downtown Spur at http://www.lancemindheim.com
Reply 0
Michael Cougill New member 23 posts
Michael Cougill

Well Done

Mike, there is a sense of spaciousness to these scenes that is rare. They are uncrowded, and as someone said, the utility pole spacing is spot on. All the visual clues are present and well executed. Well done. Mike Cougill
Reply 0
David Calhoun Frequent poster 820 posts
David Calhoun

Stellar!

Instead of a railroad, I should just put up a backdrop and post pictures of yours on it. . . .really, really outstanding.

Chief Operating Officer

The Greater Nickel Plate
Reply 0
rocdoc Regular poster 189 posts
rocdoc

Fabulous

That's some fabulous work Mike. Love the dirt on the Beetle. And loco #701 looks the real deal. Always look forward to your posts.

Tony in Victoria, Australia
Tony in Gisborne, Australia
Reply 0
James Leighty Jim Leighty Super User 230 posts
James Leighty Jim Leighty

Great Work!

OK Mike, that's enough of the prototype pictures, now show us your recent layout photos. All I can say is unbelievable! Thanks for sharing them with us, Jim

Jim Leighty

Central New York and New England Railroad

Blog: https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/jim-leightys-blog-index-12227310

0tiny(1).JPG
Reply 0
35tac Regular poster 214 posts
35tac

New Sharon

Fantastic and hard to beat. Beautiful work as usual. Thanks for the pictures.

Wayne

 
Reply 0
LKandO Prolific poster 3,839 posts
LKandO

So Real

I only save modeling images in my Inspiration folder when they are truly outstanding. All of these images went in the folder. 

Alan

All the details:  http://www.LKOrailroad.com        Just the highlights:  MRH blog

When I was a kid... no wait, I still do that. HO, 28x32, double deck, 1969, RailPro
nsparent.png 
Reply 0
Matt Forcum Regular poster 411 posts
Matt Forcum

Tall Grass

Is the tall, yellow, grass static grass or is that a technique using the grass mats similar to the Model Railroader Article that featured the covered bridge from a number of years back? I'm looking to recreate that same look on my own layout.

Thanks for sharing pictures.  Stunning work as always!

ooter(1).png 

The Metaline Falls Railroad Blog

The Metaline Falls Railroad Youtube Channel
Reply 0
Motley Regular poster 194 posts
Motley

OMG! That is so real looking,

OMG! That is so real looking, I had to look really hard to tell it was an MRR. The scenery skills you have, and the photo backdrop is incredible work.

Michael
Reply 0
WANDRR Regular poster 362 posts
WANDRR

While I stop short of

While I stop short of idolizing anyone, I have to admit that I highly admire your abilities and attention to detail.  I strive to accomplish some minutia of that realism in my own efforts and can hopefully learn from a Master such as yourself.  Outstanding work!

TJ R.

Mobile, AL (Originally from New Haven, IN)
Reply 0
caboose14 Frequent poster 647 posts
caboose14

Nice!

Great stuff as usual from Mike. He is a master at getting colors correct for that perfect overcast look he is modeling and in his photos.  Also love that his photos are usually always at ground level. Wonderful stuff!

Kevin Klettke CEO, Washington Northern Railroad
ogosmall.jpg 
wnrr@comcast.net
http://wnrr.net
Reply 0
DMRY Regular poster 230 posts
DMRY

Nice work

Great job Mike.  Love the photos.  Thanks for posting.

Chris
Reply 0
joem5127 Active Member 55 posts
joem5127

Very nice. The backdrop does

Very nice. The backdrop does it!

Joe

http://wabashcolumbiabranch.blogspot.com/

http://detroitconnecting.blogspot.com/

 
Reply 0
lcutter New member 8 posts
lcutter

New DVD?

Looks like it's time for a new Scenery DVD.

 

Larry Utter

Greeley, PA
Reply 0
Drastal54 Active Member 64 posts
Drastal54

Great work

Great work Mike I love seeing your modeling you are pretty much what keeps me going in this hobby honestly ever time I want to take a break u post stuff like this and make me want to go back to my layout and keep working I model the lamoille valley one that you model before and that was great work it got me back into the hobby and brought backy love of the hobby keep up that great work mike
Reply 0
monkeymeat Active Member 31 posts
monkeymeat

I thought I was really there!

As someone said earlier, it has the "open" factor.  It somehow sucks you right into the scenes because of it. Wow, that is some VERY nice work, Mike.  Love the weathering on the diesels too.

 

Freelancing the northern Sierras in HO/HOn3
Reply 0
Reply