Pittsburgh Independent Hi-Railers' Layout at Kennywood Holiday Lights 2021

Nice!  Kennywood's Open.  LOL!

You guys always do a nice job of promoting our hobby to the locals.

Look out,Kennywood's Open,hahaha

Norm

The amount of scenes you have that capture the public's interest is more than I've seen on any other club's layout.  Wow.  Something for everyone.  This has to got be very enjoyable to participate in.

@Andy Hummell, please post the set-up photo you posted previously; the bird's eye view.  It captures the immense size of your club's undertaking in a way the individual photos of various scenes can't.

@Pingman posted:

@Andy Hummell, please post the set-up photo you posted previously; the bird's eye view.  It captures the immense size of your club's undertaking in a way the individual photos of various scenes can't.

Here are several.  The first is after the second day of work, and the last are from the last full day of set up:

Andy

Thank you, for finding a place for Jim's Train Shop on your layout. Its a honor to be included in your display. 

@jim sutter posted:

Thank you, for finding a place for Jim's Train Shop on your layout. Its a honor to be included in your display.

Considering that you sold us a lot of the stuff on the layout, and many of the trains that will be running there, we just had to include Jim's Train Shop.

Andy

Thanks, @Andy Hummell; truly stunning in scope.

And for those who didn't scroll slowly enough to catch the significance of photo 37 (myself included), here's Jim's store:

Spectacular, Andy!

Peter

Wow very impressive and I hope Santa is okay 👍

Really spectacular, Andy and gang!

Very impressive.  Really enjoy the many humorous scenes.

Are your modules built to a published standard, or does the club use it's own?  Can you provide a copy of the specs?  Thanks.

@Mallard4468 posted:

Are your modules built to a published standard, or does the club use it's own?  Can you provide a copy of the specs?  Thanks.

While I am not certain as to the origins of the standard we use (I wasn't in the club when it started 23 years ago), I do know that it evolved a little over time.  Here is what we use now, from our handbook:

Module Specifications
1. The basic module size is 24" wide and 48” long. Widths may vary from a minimum of 24” up to whatever a member can carry.  Lengths may vary in 24” increments from a minimum of 48”, up to whatever a member can carry.  Any other size length module requires that two modules of the same length be constructed in order to balance the overall layout.  NOTE: At certain events, extra wide or extra long modules may not be used because they will not fit within the imposed layout size limitations.
2.  Each module must have a 1” x 4” frame around the perimeter.  Cross pieces of 1” x 4” are to be set 10” from each end with centerpieces divided evenly.
3.  Height from floor to railhead is 36" with legs adjustable plus or minus one inch.
4.  Sliding leg clamp is to be installed inboard of the first crosspiece on each end.
5.  A 1” x 6” front fascia board stained with Provincial must be used.  The rear fascia board is optional.
6.  Track must be Gargraves O-Gauge tinplate tubular in new condition.  The rail sides are to be painted to simulate rust.
7.  Each module has to have four main lines.  The first main line has the center rail 3 ¼” from the inside of the fascia board.  Each other main line has 4 ¼” center rail to adjacent center rail.  Track ballast for the four main lines is to be the same for all modules.
8.  Mainline tracks must have adjustable track 6" from the end of the module.
9.  Each module is to have a road located 1 ¼” from the inside edge of the 4th mainline track tie.  The road is to be 5” inch wide and can simulate any type of road surface from asphalt, concrete to dirt.  From the edge of the module, the road can go anywhere on the module as long as it returns to the 1 ¼” location at the other end of the module.
10. Each module must have an electrical bus running its length consisting of four paired wires no smaller than 12-gauge. It is recommended that the wire be soldered as follows: 1 = red for the front main center rail, 2 = white for the second main center rail, 3 = blue for the third main center rail, 4= black for the fourth main center rail.  Green wire for common is to be soldered to each of the outside rails of each of the 4 main lines.  Each main line on the module should be connected to the bus around the middle of the module.  A 12/2 with ground electrical line is also required for fixed 110 voltage.
11. Modules electrically connect to each other by a duplex outlet at the right end of the front of the module, with a separate bridge cable having a polarized plug. The bridge cable should be a minimum of 36" from the left end of the front of the module.  The fixed 110-volt connection is the opposite with the duplex outlet at the left end of the front of the module and a 36” bridge cable from the right end of the front of the module.  All bridge connectors are to be secured in such a manner as to not hang down from the module during transport.
12. Modules are structurally connected to other modules by C-clamps. Each module owner should supply two 3" C-clamps for each module.
13. All modules must be complete with scenery of the owners choosing.  No bare wood should be showing on the module.
14. Members are free to do anything they want on their modules so long it doesn’t interfere with the 4 track mainline operations.  Items such as grades, tunnels, bridges, curves, turnouts, etc. should be discussed at the business meeting for approval of the membership.
15. Modules should be fully operational before bringing to events.  Rusty, bent, damaged track, non-movable track ends, humps, dips; etc can be corrected during the work sessions between events.
16. Each module must have Velcro strips attached to it for hanging curtains.

Here is a shot of the under side of my module (before the 110v line was installed) showing our floating leg clamps and wiring:

Andy

WOW!! What a marvelous effort.  THANK YOU for displaying our hobby to so many folks.  Great job.  I love the mix of realism and humor (Santa in the windmill, Ghost Busters, etc) .  Super!!

Don

well, I was planning on visiting but I guess I don't have to now that you've shown us everything.

you guys always impress.

- walt

@walt rapp posted:

well, I was planning on visiting but I guess I don't have to now that you've shown us everything.

you guys always impress.

- walt

Beleive me when I say that these photos show a lot, but definitely not everything.  We are constantly adding details as the event progresses, so that there is always something new.  Some of Kennywood's employees on their breaks and some season pass holders make multiple passes trying find details they missed on previous passes, and we don't disappoint them...

Andy

Here is a passenger-view train ride around the layout -- two trips, one in each direction in order to capture as much as possible.  The second trip around is pulled by a conventional engine without sounds (other than the engine's motor and wheels on the track).

Andy

Andy and all,

Great layout and scenery, you made my day!

Thanks,

Lot's of great scenes, trains and die-cast.   I love the Ghostbusters Fire House and Jim has gone fishing.  A lot of great Corgi vehicles sprinkled through out.  Lot's of great work definitely appreciated by those that visit.

I especially liked Santa and the reindeer in the windmill.  I guess that puts me on the naughty list.

That will have to do since I will be heading back ahta tahn before they reopen on Friday.

Does anyone know the source of UnionRR C-1023?

@Greg Nagy posted:

Does anyone know the source of UnionRR C-1023?

If  memory serves, it was a custom scratch build done by forum member Brother Love for one of our members.

Andy

Another sign that Christmas is near... great job as always Andy. So glad you’re group is back - missed your Christmas contribution last year. Clearly, the group’s sense of whimsy hasn’t suffered from the layoff - love the dinosaur skeleton in the Sasquatch section and the fire breathing dragon. The circus scene reminds me of when the circus used to come to Manhattan... the train parked over in Jersey and the elephants were paraded through the Lincoln tunnel to Madison Square Garden - made the news every year.

One question... does the model of the Duquesne Incline work or is it stationary???

@Apples55 posted:

One question... does the model of the Duquesne Incline work or is it stationary???

Stationary... at least for now.

Andy

@Andy Hummell, thanks for taking the time to take, edit, and post photos and videos; answer questions; and share your layout with us.  Incredible.

@Andy Hummell posted:

Stationary... at least for now.

Andy

Andy, the owner of that module needs one of these - no, not the crappy version of the incline on my layout :   It's an animated Miller sign

Thanks for all the kind words everyone.  Here is some trivia about the layout:

• The layout covers a space roughly 60' x 58'
• The layout is comprised of 53 modules with scenery plus 2 filler modules to adjust for the odd geometry for the mainlines, plus 12 modules making up the two yards
• There are roughly 326' of modules on the mainlines, and roughly 58' of yard modules
• We have 25 @Menards buildings, 18 Menards lighted vehicles, and countless other Menards vehicles on the layout
• The layout was hauled in and assembled over the course of 12 days by 10 of our 12 members

We also share the building with this display from the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, PA (his home town):

Every year they bring different artifacts from their collection -- mostly associated with It's A Wonderful Life, but sometimes includes personal items.

In the upper display area at the back of the Arcade, they have this roughly-O-scale model of the Steel Curtain, the newest roller coaster in the park:

The first year in the building, we asked if we could incorporate it into the layout, but they declined as the model is too large and fragile to be moved for a short event.

And here is a group photo of our Kennywood crew, plus our junior member who helped us unload the first load after the Monroeville Greenberg show:

Andy

Love it! Thanks for sharing. Great variation in the many scenes!

@Andy Hummell posted:

If  memory serves, it was a custom scratch build done by forum member Brother Love for one of our members.

Andy

Thank you.

Andy, I'm glad to see some young men there in the photograph along with you and the others I have gotten to know over the last 10 years since I first met all of you!

@walt rapp posted:

Andy, the owner of that module needs one of these - no, not the crappy version of the incline on my layout :   It's an animated Miller sign

Walt, I have one of those Miller signs that I had forgotten.  Thanks for reminding me.  It is now on the module :

Another new addition to the layout this weekend is this billboard:

We have a tradition in which we honor active members who have passed with a memorial billboard at Kennywood.  Kathy passed earlier this year, and we all miss her very much.  She was a talented modeler and scenery builder; she was responsible for a great deal of the incline module shown above, while her husband, Dale, handled the construction and mechanics.

Andy

Here are some more pix.  Many are from vantage points only available inside the layout:

Andy

We will be there this weekend. I can’t wait to see it. I am excited to see my daughters reaction to a layout this big.

Wow, Andy... good to know FedEx is Santa’s backup Great shots… thanks for sharing the “insider’s view”!!!

Thank you for all the great photographs, Andy!

Bravo, guys!

Peter

@Putnam Division posted:

Bravo, guys!

Peter

From one who knows about modular layouts!!

Here are some more "insider" pix, along with some close-ups and others:

Our layout is not the only point of interest in the park for train fans:

Andy

That’s quite a collection of interesting vehicles among other things, Andy!