If you could join one collector club, which one would it be?

TCA. Why? The Quarterly mag with lots of informative & interesting info, a level of comfort when buying from other members, TCA museum and library, active local divisions, good website and, of course, YORK.

I also belong to  LOTS, a friendly group and The Switcher mag is good too.

Lastly I belong to LCCA. Pros: Lionel Catalogs, lots of access to old catalogs, etc. on their website too. Cons: Not friendly at meets, unresponsive to emails. Their mag, The Lion Roars, has, IMHO, become not too much more than a Lionel advertisement since the club merged with The Lionel Collectors Club.

This is not the best answer but it is a response.

It depends what you want.  I was in LOTS(about ten years) and the men in the local area met each Monday evening to work on one of their layouts.  Anything from building a layout from scratch, to rewiring a layout, to weathering buildings.

I currently(about 25 years) am in LCCA and have met local modelers through the various open houses held at their homes.  While all manufacturer's items are covered, the club is pointed toward Lionel and O gauge.  If you have a question about a specific era or item, one of the officers will let you know which members specialize in that item or time frame. Contact them and you ought to get a valid answer.

Long and short of it - it depends what you want and if that may be filled by the members in your local area.

John

If you're into Postwar (by definition that means Lionel), I'd suggest the LCCA. Good strong organization, some excellent publications and a national conference. But, here's the bonus. LCCA recently added all sorts of Lionel documents that are free to members. This vital library contains catalogs, manuals, Model Builder mags, and other Lionel historical documents.

There's no right or wrong answer. I'm a PW guy like you and would vote LCCA (I'm following your stated intention in the post title of choosing one).

@Lionelski posted:

Lastly I belong to LCCA. Pros: Lionel Catalogs, lots of access to old catalogs, etc. on their website too. Cons: Not friendly at meets, unresponsive to emails. Their mag, The Lion Roars, has, IMHO, become not too much more than a Lionel advertisement since the club merged with The Lionel Collectors Club.

John,  Could you please share the meets you attended where the LCCA members weren't friendly and which department or officer didn't respond to your emails?    Thank you, John in Lansing, ILL

@rattler21 posted:

John,  Could you please share the meets you attended where the LCCA members weren't friendly and which department or officer didn't respond to your emails?    Thank you, John in Lansing, ILL

Sure John, I just sent a private email to you. You can feel free to share it here if you like.

The NJ HiRailers

@Lionelski posted:

TCA. Why? The Quarterly mag with lots of informative & interesting info, a level of comfort when buying from other members, TCA museum and library, active local divisions, good website and, of course, YORK.

I also belong to  LOTS, a friendly group and The Switcher mag is good too.

Lastly I belong to LCCA. Pros: Lionel Catalogs, lots of access to old catalogs, etc. on their website too. Cons: Not friendly at meets, unresponsive to emails. Their mag, The Lion Roars, has, IMHO, become not too much more than a Lionel advertisement since the club merged with The Lionel Collectors Club.

John,  I'm on the leadership team for the LCCA. I too would like to hear about your concerns.? Bob

@cabinet Bob posted:

John,  I'm on the leadership team for the LCCA. I too would like to hear about your concerns.? Bob

Thanks for your interest too, Bob.

If your email is in your profile I'll forward what I sent to John earlier to you

I have been a member of TCA for over 50 years.  It made a lot of sense when I lived in Michigan and there were meets and members in the area.  In south Texas there are no meets south of San Antonio (250 miles) and few members. Prior to ebay searching for trains in the Quarterly was helpful even though by the time it got here things you wanted were gone.

I have been in LCCA since 1993 and have no opinion one way or the other.  I basically remain members of both as a way of supporting the hobby.  Can't say that I have contributed much but continue to learn and enjoy my trains.

TCA Quarterly probably has more postwar articles than any of the other clubs.  LCCA is more focused on activities and current products, although their historical library is terrific for those who want access to postwar and prewar documentation.  LOTS and TTOS are smaller and focused on local and national shows, but periodicals have varied content.  I'm a member of all four, but I'd say TCA and LCCA are my favorites for content of periodicals.  TCA and LCCA have more comprehensive websites. All have special run rolling stock and occasionally locos/buildings.

Further to the LCCA, I gotta mention that 6 years ago I participated in their fun "Switching Tracks From our Rails to Your Rails" campaign. They sent a custom Switching Tracks boxcar to those who requested it to run on their railroads. It ran in Warrenville for a week or so and I sent it back with pictures as promised.

Guess what? A while later it was returned to me to keep, along with a certificate. Fantastic. One of my favorite modern era cars

Well, I am only in one, so I guess TCA it is.

I don't think you can go wrong  with any of the major clubs. As was mentioned before it depends on what you're looking for.  I think my favorite would be LOTS.  The Business Manager, Paula tries to keep the expenses down and really does a great job in organizing the conventions. Never been to a bad convention.  The first year my wife and I joined we were both impressed with the friendliness of the group. We've been in about 20 years and have made some lasting friendships. Always took the grand kids along on the conventions and they had a ball. Some of them have been to 43 states just traveling to and traveling at the conventions.  At my age it makes for good memories.

I also like TCA. we live in Pa. so I go to York all the time. When the grand kids were small they used to love to go to the Toy Train Museum.  They are all teenagers and up now so it doesn't interest them like it once did.

No matter what club you join, consider volunteering to help out in some capacity. You'll enjoy it and any club is only as good as we want to make it.  No matter what your choice it's worth the price.

The LCCA's publications are superior, content & design-wise.  The TCA's publications look like they did the day I joined 30 years ago.  All special run items offered by both TCA & LCCA are quite expensive.  For instance, the price of the annual Christmas boxcar Lionel offered members of its "Railroader Club" started to skyrocket once the LCCA took over LRRC.  For instance, the 2020 LCCA Christmas boxcar was $95 or so, including shipping.  That is absurd.

LCCA.   IMO, best club out there.    Since I’m a loyal  Lionel operator (with a few LionChief) it fits my needs perfectly.

The only model/train related organization I belong to is the TCA.  I've been a member for nineteen years and I have nothing but good things to say about it.  I have always liked their quarterly magazine and have found it entertaining and informative and their quarterly listings of trains for sale by members according to era and manufacturer has been extremely helpful.  I've purchased several items off of these listings.  In conjunction with these purchases I have always been treated fairly and honestly by fellow TCA members and never had any concerns regarding the quality of the  products they were offering for sale.  Lastly, there is the York experience.  If you like trains and lots of them and enjoy the camaraderie of  other train enthusiasts then the TCA is for you.  I have found my membership with TCA to be fulfilling enough that I never found it necessary to join other clubs.

I agree with RudyT, Paula, the LOTS Business Manager, does a wonderful job.  I too enjoyed a LOTS convention or two wherein she was involved with the planning

Last year I inquired about some LOTS merchandise. She promptly emailed me that she was going to shortly place an order for this merchandise and would get back to me when she received it. She did, I paid for my order, and received it quickly along with a note from her.

I also submitted an article for publication, she communicated with me and she made sure it got to where it had to go, and it got published.

I don't know how she does it, she wears many hats at LOTS! She had a way of making me feel like a long time friend even though we never met.

Well, there is certainly a lot of good info here, and I appreciate it. I am going to have to think about this for a while. It looks like the groups mentioned all have good points. Trying to narrow this down to one club, may be impossible. I may need to buy a bigger mailbox.

Jeff

I have been a member of both TCA and LCCA.  I find the LCCA publications better than the TCA ones.  Living in the Western US there is not really a show presence for either group like there is back east. I did see a LCCA group from Denver once in a show in SLC. The TCA does have a show in SoCal (Cal Stewart) but that is pretty much it.

If I go to York again I will rejoin the TCA, but I don't feel like I am missing much right now just sticking with LCCA.

I guess the best thing would be talk to other model railroaders in your area and join up with the group most of them are happy with, since these will be the folks you interact with the most.

I belong to LCCA, LOTS, and TCA.  If you don't plan to go to York, the excellent TCA publication caters to more interests than Lionel.  By contrast, LCCA and LOTS are more specific to Lionel.  

You may wish to consider which are the most important benefits that you are looking for from the club: The periodic club magazines, annual conventions, train meets, club merchandise, the club online library, free catalogs, local meets, hobby support, the buy/sell periodicals, etc.

Personally, I've thoroughly enjoyed several of the annual conventions offered by LCCA and LOTS, and they were wonderful.  I also enjoy the periodicals, and some of the club merchandise.

Bottom line, if you can afford more than one club, the annual cost is quite minimal, and the benefits quite extensive.

LOTS.

My wife and myself are TCA members. Neither of us drive so we don't get to many functions but we still want to do our part to support the hobby.

My suggestion is why don't you try going to some of the local meets in your area as a guest and see which one you like better.  Talk to the local people and get some examples of the group's publications and see what best meets your needs.  You may find that you like one group in your local area over others. 

There are several good organizations out there, all with good people, but one of them may fit your needs better. 

NWL

  My membership in the Brotherhood of Crappy Basement Layouts has been very rewarding !

If this Forum was considered a club, then I would say this OGR On-Line Forum. Although I consider it to be a Club, most would not.

If this Forum is not a club, then my vote would be for TCA. Benefits include belief, for good reason that its members are honest and have integrity in buying and selling trains, early admission to York meets, quarterly publication, etc.

I'd never join an organization that would have someone like me as a member.

Jon

I first would join a local club if one was available

@rtraincollector posted:

I first would join a local club if one was available

Here in Texas, we don't have much in the way of local clubs, or club get togethers. I am a longtime member of our club here in town, but it is HO and N. I do agree about this forum as being a sort of "Club".

Jeff

@KOOLjock1 posted:

I'd never join an organization that would have someone like me as a member.

Jon

Jon, IMO, you already belong to one: This Forum. LOL, Arnold

PS: I always enjoy your posts.

Isn't it fair to say that this Forum is a virtual model train club?

As many have mentioned the big three, TCA LCCA and Lots, may I suggest you look to the local level (yes I saw your post about none close) for the TCA Division that is near you and talk with them and see if you can attend a meeting or function. There are divisions all across this great country and I am sure you would get a ton of information. Only catch for joining a division is you also have to join the TCA (Parent and NATIONAL Organization). I think you will be surprised. I belong to all four clubs with my local division being Atlantic. Am I impressed with Atlantic? Sorta, but that is my fault. As stated here over and over "GET INVOLVED". Sit on the siding and the train knows you are there but not a priority. I am a derelict boxcar sitting on a siding. TCA has excellent benefits as do the others. LOTS and LCCA are PRIMARILY Lionel. I belong but feel like a coach car that doesn't have the coupler to hook up with the train. I have Lionel but am mainly a MTH Guy. My Choice. I just kinda feel like you are noticed but not a high priority. Kinda like being a kidney bean in white bean soup. You stand out and they see you but you aren't popular. Of course as I said you have to get involved. I am the guy who goes out of his way for trying to push, drag or simply PULL people like me to get  involved knowing if they don't they will fade away. Again look for the TCS Division in our area and reach out to them on the phone and explain what you are looking for, you just may be surprised.

Regardless ALWAYS RUN YOUR TRAINS and enjoy them with others.

Curtis

If you like to meet folks and work on layouts, I suggest you pick a club with a division located in your area where you can access events.  The division events present an opportunity where you can meet folks.  Otherwise, you get magazines and access to yearly conventions/club cars and a chance to volunteer.

I joined LCCA in the 90's; TCA in 2000 and TTOS around the same time. Dropped TTOS fairly quickly (nothing going on in Chicago). Joined TCA to attend York, which I did in 2001 and 2002. If circumstances require me to whittle down my memberships again, LCCA will be the last man standing, for many of the reasons stated, and because I am basically a PW Lionel guy at heart.

I'm a long-time member of TCA and LCCA, also was in LOTS for a brief time.

If I had to choose only one, it would be TCA due to the publications, museum, archives, and York.  But York is only a 550 mile drive (each way) for me; not an option for the OP.  I really appreciate (and support) TCA's important role as a repository for documents and trains, but the physical footprint of TCA will become a liability if membership dwindles to a certain level.

LCCA promotes a modular standard, and it is also big on activities for kids.  But I also feel like it's a bit too much of a marketing arm of Lionel now - can't really articulate why that bothers me, but it does.

I think it boils down to which club is more active locally.  Please join at least one of them as a way of supporting the hobby that we share and enjoy.

Both TCA, LCCA are great clubs to belong to, both offer great train meets in the Nashville Tennessee area, the Atlanta area, and yes YORK after the pandemic. The publications are worth the investment. I joined the LCCA in the early 70’s #1460. I joined the TCA In 2003 October. These clubs simply make model railroading a bunch of fun. Great Question.  LCCA first, TCA second. Clarksville Tennessee is a 14 hour drive to YORK Pa. Happy Railroading Everyone

@CurtisH posted:

As many have mentioned the big three, TCA LCCA and Lots, may I suggest you look to the local level (yes I saw your post about none close) for the TCA Division that is near you and talk with them and see if you can attend a meeting or function. There are divisions all across this great country and I am sure you would get a ton of information. Only catch for joining a division is you also have to join the TCA (Parent and NATIONAL Organization). I think you will be surprised. I belong to all four clubs with my local division being Atlantic. Am I impressed with Atlantic? Sorta, but that is my fault. As stated here over and over "GET INVOLVED". Sit on the siding and the train knows you are there but not a priority. I am a derelict boxcar sitting on a siding. TCA has excellent benefits as do the others. LOTS and LCCA are PRIMARILY Lionel. I belong but feel like a coach car that doesn't have the coupler to hook up with the train. I have Lionel but am mainly a MTH Guy. My Choice. I just kinda feel like you are noticed but not a high priority. Kinda like being a kidney bean in white bean soup. You stand out and they see you but you aren't popular. Of course as I said you have to get involved. I am the guy who goes out of his way for trying to push, drag or simply PULL people like me to get  involved knowing if they don't they will fade away. Again look for the TCS Division in our area and reach out to them on the phone and explain what you are looking for, you just may be surprised.

Regardless ALWAYS RUN YOUR TRAINS and enjoy them with others.

Curtis

Curtis, you have a gift for metaphor. Well stated. Arnold

@mowingman posted:

Here in Texas, we don't have much in the way of local clubs, or club get togethers. I am a longtime member of our club here in town, but it is HO and N. I do agree about this forum as being a sort of "Club".

Jeff

The closest one to me is about 2 hours away so I know what you're talking about. That's why I said if available.

@mowingman posted:

I have decided it might be time to join one of the train collectors clubs. There are many, so it seems, like LCCA, LOTS, TCA, etc. I think joining just one of these clubs is enough for me. I am a "Lionel Postwar guy", for the most part.

Which one would you join, and why? I am way out west, and will never get to York, so that is not a factor in selection. Where would I find the "most bang for the buck"? Thanks in advance for all suggestions/ideas.

Jeff

How about this one?

All mentioned are good suggestions. Hard to zero in on just one. You have to look at each club and see what it has to offer. I belong to 4. Years ago I use to belong to at least 12 clubs. But I narrowed it down to these four. The TCA, CTTA, LCCA and lots. I found that these 4 give me what I want. ................Paul 2

TCA......magazine, convention cars, and York

CTTA.......club cars and newsletter

LCCA......magazine and catalog

LOTS....convention cars, magazine