2018 Kennywood Holiday Lights Train Display (Pittsburgh)

Thank you, so much, Andy Hummell, for sharing those photos of your group's Kennywood layout. Anything positive that has to do with Kennywood (or West Mifflin or Duquesne Place,) gives me joy. Let us know how the visitors enjoy visiting the layout. It looks like a real celebration, of Christmas, of life, of memories, and of Kennywood!

Are you in what used to be The Penny Arcade...

….or are you in the Cafeteria again?

FrankM (a former, long ago, Duquesne Duke.)

Moonson posted:

Thank you, so much, Andy Hummell, for sharing those photos of your group's Kennywood layout. Anything that has to do with Kennywood (or West Mifflin or Duquesne Place,) gives me joy. Let us know how the visitors enjoy visiting the layout. It looks like a real celebration, of Christmas, of life, of memories, and of Kennywood!

Are you in what used to be The Penny Arcade...

….or are you in the Cafeteria again?

FrankM (a Duquesne Duke.)

It still is an arcade, but doesn't have the facade it did. Yes, arcade this time. Much more space

Keith6700 posted:

Moonson posted:

…...Are you in what used to be The Penny Arcade...?

It still is an arcade, but doesn't have the facade it did. Yes, arcade this time. Much more space

I thought that's what I was seeing the interior of.

Thanks.

FrankM

Andy, Thank you for always posting!!  Looks like a great setup again this year.  As I have said every year; I hope I get to see it for the first time!!

Thanks for sharing, Andy - looks great and I wish I lived closer!

-Greg

A great display and effort!

Great job as always, Andy. Looks like you had a really great crowd. Thanks for sharing - with the public as well as us.

For the past couple of years I keep telling myself I'm going to go see this and every year something derails my plans, maybe if i keep my mouth shut I might actually be able to see it with my grandson before he starts college in 10 years or so.

Jerry

Here are some more pix from opening weekend:

Andy

Thanks, Andy.  I love seeing pictures of Pittsburgh and Kennywood.  Great layout as always .

Art

Looks great!  Thank you for the photographs, Andy!

Great pictures Andy, thanks for posting 

Alex

Couldn't miss that it was inside the Penny Arcade, even with it emptied out.

Moonson, what year did you graduate? My dad and uncle went to Duquesne and I knew a few people who went and/or taught there.

Greg Nagy posted:

Couldn't miss that it was inside the Penny Arcade, even with it emptied out.

Moonson, what year did you graduate? My dad and uncle went to Duquesne and I knew a few people who went and/or taught there.

Hi Greg, During the 60's .

I knew everybody there. Would you like to give me a name or two?

Andy Hummell posted:

Here are some more pix from opening weekend:

Andy

Andy;

Congratulations on another successful show - looks like you had a good crowd. I am always amazed and amused by your group’s sense of whimsy, but I think the wind turbine scene takes the prize   

Next time I go east on the Turnpike, I will have to check and see if Santa is up on one of the wind turbines you can see from the highway!  

Thanks Andy!! This is one of my most favorite threads each Christmas!! I'm looking forward to the videos too..(hint, hint!!)

Very cool!  Agree on that Santa Wind Turbine scene being the best!

I'm on the wrong side of the state to see this in person unfortunately.  Hard to make enough time this time of year for a field trip, but thanks very much for posting the pics!

(and congrats to the group on that MTH Blue Comet Award!)

-Dave

bigtruckpete posted:

Thanks Andy!! This is one of my most favorite threads each Christmas!! I'm looking forward to the videos too..(hint, hint!!)

Well, since you mention it , here is the first (short) video of some of the trains that were running opening weekend:

Andy

Lots of fun aspects to the layout. Maybe one year I can get out that way.  Thanks for posting. 

Andy,

Great pictures! Looks like you Hi-Railers have outdone yourselves this year! Keep 'Em on the Rails!

Andy Hummell posted:

bigtruckpete posted:

Thanks Andy!! This is one of my most favorite threads each Christmas!! I'm looking forward to the videos too..(hint, hint!!)

Well, since you mention it , here is the first (short) video of some of the trains that were running opening weekend:

Andy

I'm surprised that running a Thomas the Tank Engine wasn't a setup requirement by the park.

Greg Nagy posted:

 

I'm surprised that running a Thomas the Tank Engine wasn't a setup requirement by the park.

I don't think any of us has a Thomas.  But if Kennywood buys us one, we will run it.

Andy

Despite rain cancelling last Saturday's Holiday Lights, we still ran Friday night and had a very crowded Sunday due to really nice weather (temperature in the 60's).  Here are a few stills and a video showing some of what was running last weekend:

And the video:

Andy

Nice crowd indeed on Sunday.  Thank you for posting, Andy!

Here are some overview shots of this year's layout:

Some fun facts about this year's layout:

• Area enclosed by layout is about 2931 sq.ft.
• Layout is 60 feet wide by 67 feet deep (longest leg)
• Outside track runs 291 feet, which would equate to 2.65 scale miles, and with 4 mainlines, that means the layout has roughly 10.5 scale miles of track

And here are some pix from out in the park to help show just some of the great effort Kennywood puts into this event:

Andy

Andy and all,

Great event, layout, and trains.

Kudos on the Blue Comet Award!

We get lots of complements every year with regards to all the pop-culture Easter Eggs we have all around the layout.  Both kids and adults like finding all the little details and humorous scenes.  Here are some more pix of some of these details:

Andy

Merry Christmas everyone!  Kennywood Holiday Lights has again made a top 10 list of best theme park Holiday displays -- here is an article about this news.

And here are a couple of videos:

Andy

Impressive as always Andy!  Thank you for posting more videos and the article link!!

Andy.....great job and great pics/video!

Peter