Then there are people like me that are on the younger end (mid 30's) that don't really have the bank to be in the hobby, but still penny pinch to get something here and there, and see no reason at all to be part of the TCA.
That is completely understandable. In our 20's and 30's most are tied up with starting careers or raising a family or other interests. But I joined because I love trains and at a time before the internet, shows and hobby shops were the only outlet to get trains.
I'm also a licensed amateur radio operator and haven't joined the ARRL. I have been to their wen sites, looked at what it costs to join, tried to see what I'd get out of it, but in the end decided that I see no real benefit to join, so I save the dues money and spend it on trains/radios.
Some people just don't like to join any organized group, and that's fine. But when you join an organization it should be to add to the organizations vision or purpose, not just what you can drain from it. For the cost of joining the TCA, you will not get many trains for that cost. A lot of the benefits of the TCA I did not see until I joined.
Sure, York sounds like it could be fun, but it's not worth enough to me to want to join some organization. And in general with others I know not just in trains but other hobbies, very few see any reason to join national organizations anymore, not with web based things like Facebook and the like around now.
The camaraderie and face to face interactions at functions like the York Meet, or any other TCA Meet in all parts of the country, is much more fulfilling than sitting in front of a computer screen hoping to get people to be friends or like me. Things like Facebook can be a wonderful thing for staying in touch, but there's nothing like getting out of the house.
Other thoughts are from what I've seen, the TCA seems more like an old man's group, not a young hip group, and that will keep the younger gen from joining.
The TCA age demographic may be of a certain age, but that's not the reason for joining. I was 26 when I joined the TCA. I didn't join thinking I was joining a swinging hip club, I joined because I love model trains and want to share thoughts and ideas with people who loved trains too. Younger people have to be interested in trains before even joining a train organization. If you're not interested in trains there's no reason to join. It's not the age factor that means anything, it's the interest in the subject.
And their requirement to collect or like tinplate trains, even expanding tinplate to mean mass produced plastic trains (but not nice detailed or scale models of today) still feels like it excluded most of today's train buyers.
The TCA has no requirement to collect or like tinplate trains. My interest is in modern trains and with all of the train dealers and manufacturers who attend the York Meet, I feel far from left out. Like anyone else, I can buy trains from my local shops or the internet, and I do at times. But for this trainaholic, there's no rush like the anticipation of a train show or meet. (Well maybe one or two other things.)
There's no rush to join. I would say to take a closer look. There may or may not be a lot of activity in your area. But maybe in the future, you can take a trip to the York Meet, hang out with us at the various TCA and OGR events during the Meet. I think you'd like it!