Oh my!!!

I just skimmed through the pics for the article. If you don't feel like you are taking the picture in Photo number 50, then something must be wrong with you. That shot is amazing.

New Branch

Mike,

What an awesome article. I am truly inspired every time I see your work. Thanks for sharing with us.

Does Not Get Much Better Than This

Fantastic article Mike. Congratulations and a job well done. So inspired by your planning and modeling techniques.

Well done my friend.

Tom

Wow

Amazing work. I found myself comparing the model to the prototype shots, only to realize they were ALL models. Lovely work. I miss the shortline, it was cool and I have a soft spot for them, but your replacement is amazing!

Really Nice

Another great article, photos and continuation of the Allagash story.  Any chance we can see what the new track plan looks like?

Already ordered the DVD

Mike,

The new White Mountain Branch looks awesome. The track arrangement has a nice flow to it. I have always loved how you laid Madrid Yard. It is the definition of what a proper flowing track arrangement looks like. I can tell you used that same process with your latest efforts. Kudos for that.

I also enjoyed reading how the branch is operated by following along with a crew. One pro tip you may want to consider when planning moves. Most conductors will try to limit the amounts of times they will have to tie cars down with handbrakes during switching operations. And they will also try to make as few moves as possible to complete the work. In the case where you worked the pole yard, it would have been entirely prototypical after running around the cars at Andover to have held onto any extra cars between the locomotive and the pole car. And when you shoved back to the pole yard, to keep from applying the brakes on the load twice, you could have held on to it and pulled the empties and set them out, and then spotted the load. This would also accomplish another task...after the load was spotted, coupling back to the empties left on the main track would restore the industry spur switch back to normal position. Another good safety practice is to try to leave empty cars tied down on the main track preferred to loads, especially when grades are involved. Some handbrakes or conductors that either fail to apply them or tighten them down enough will see their car rolling away. Ask me how I know.

I am really looking forward to the video. You have a beautiful railroad.

Tim Garland

Good  informationand

Good  information and description as usual, Tim.

A good conductor uses his brain more than his feet and is always, constantly, looking for ways to accomplish a move with the least amount of car and human movement. That's one of the "fun" parts of working the ground not just knowing how to get a job done but doing it with the least amount of work.

Barry 

Always Amazing!

Exceptional redevelopment Mike you have done yourself proud! I loved the earlier shortline and what you did with it but understand your thinking. Keep it coming!

Ray

Very Real Looking

Hello Mike,

You have come a long way from the time I first visited your layout with my better half Mary and long time friend Leo Landry. Hope to run into you at the up-coming proto modeling meet at Enfield, CT next week. Love your work with photo backdrops, it all looks like the real thing.

Dick (Richard) Hamann

VV

The White Pine!

Amazing layout and story. One thing that caught my eye was the realistic white pine trees. I've always struggled to find them for sale that are that realistic. If purchased, where can I find them. If made, would love some details on how they were made.

Thanks,

Michael

Ridiculous!

I can not fathom the depth of detail in such close up photos to distinguish them from real or fantasy!  The pine trees alone could be an entire article!  Amazing work!  Mike, you are simply an amazing modeler!  Seeing how I live next door, (central Maine area) LOL, I really need to put you on the must visit list.  

This by far has to be the best single article I have read in MRH since becoming a subscriber 7 years ago!

As good as it gets, then it gets better

If quantum physics is true and if I understand it, somewhere in the universe all the versions of your railroads exist.  Through the miracle of photography, I can see them all and I don't have to choose!

I have seen a number of shots of the backdrop mill in Andover, but I couldn't figure out where they were on the trackplan.  So they existed, but they didn't exist on those trackplans.  But they exist now, though not as part of the layout that used to exist.  No wonder I was confused!

Amazing!

Mike, your modeling articles are what got me interested in MRH many years ago.  You are a very talented modeler, with a lot of courage.  I shudder to think about tearing out whole sections of my layout (much less what my WIFE would say!).  But you jumped right in and the result is Fantastic!!

Track Plan

That's great modeling, but for those, like myself, who are not that familiar with your layout, following along with the narrative and photos is difficult without a track plan.

Ray

Mike, spectacular work. Like

Mike, spectacular work. Like Tim I have pre ordered the video.

BTW Tim, your layout is very nice too. I like you Tim have operated with the Proto throttle on Tom Klimoski's layout.

Thanks Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I’ve operated on Tom’s Layout a couple of times and really enjoyed it. Tom along with Mike, Lance Mindheim and Pelle Soeborg have been great inspirations for my modeling.

Tim Garland

Tim, you nailed it Those 4

Tim, you nailed it Those 4 guys are the Apex of model railroading.

Jeff

Always top notch, you are the

Always top notch, you are the very few who builds a H0 scale railroad rather than a model railroad. All the scenic aspects are dead on!

Thanks everyone

Thanks for the nice words of encouragement everyone. Glad you enjoyed the article, and maybe you'll take a peak at the video as well. It is a fun branch to operate, and by itself illustrates the fact that model railroads don't need to be so big. A modest-sized railroad, based on a branchline or shortline can provide a LOT of model railroading value.

Thanks again!

Mike Confalone

Good Article, Great Lessons

“Oh the pain and sadness of tearing down”!  Your article touched on the delima a lot of us have faced.  “Do we put up with layout issues or start over and do it right”

Just went through a teardown recently when putting the house on the market.  Getting ready to lay benchwork at the new house and taking lessons learned to make the next layout even better!

Great article and fantastic layout!  Hope to see more from you in the near future.

Joe

Video release date?

I thought the video was going to be released end of this month. I now see it's going to be September? Anyone know why it was pushed back? Thank you!

Video pushed back reason

Thank you for the update Joe

Thank you for the update Joe! Yes I plan on keeping my preorder as I'm really looking forward to seeing the video! Was just curious as to the delay is all. Keep up the good work!

Andy