Reasons to join the TCA?

TCA - Train Collectors Association

Its a national organization based in Pennsyvania that started out being for Train Collectors, although as far as I know Operators have always been welcome. Over the years the mission statement was revised to reflect the organization's support of both collectors and operators.

The TCA publishes a magazine and newsletter. It holds an annual convention. For many of the people particpating here, the major benefit of the TCA is being able to attend the Eastern Division's York, PA train show. The show is held twice a year, and one must be a member to attend more than once. 

Here is the TCA web site, with their take on reasons to join. .

Spring York & Fall York.

DITTO

ATTEND YORK

Doesn't the TCA have a pretty good buy, sell, trade forum on par with the OGR Buy, Sell Forum?

You Betcha! The print edition is better than the website. That will be changing when the new TCA website changes come on line. Right now, it's a wait and see.

Just joined the TCA myself.  In fact my membership packet just arrived in the mail yesterday.  I joined mainly for the York meets and the friendship with other model train enthusiasts aspect.  I went to York for the first time last fall (you can go once as a guest) and definitely recommend it.

The magazine, "Train Collectors Quarterly", is the main reason I joined.  After reading a few old issues that were part of an auction lot, I found that it presented fascinating, obscure information that you would really have to dig to find elsewhere.

I also joined to attend the York meets. 

Don

Like TNHokie I joined to be able to go to York and to make some friends who also have an interest in both toy and prototype trains. Yeah, I wasn't crazy about the dues increase when they first announced it but in reading what the TCA has done since then I really believe that the TCA is trying very hard to be more efficient and to keep the dues stable for a long time.

I'm looking forward to York next month and I'm really glad I decided to stay a member.

Even though I am more of a scale guy I enjoy the TCA Quarterly. TrainsRMe is correct in that some of the articles you read in the Quarterly are about really obscure things but quite often they are very interesting. Definitely the kind of stuff that one would not find anywhere else.

YORK and that's worth joining the TCA

York also

YORK!!!!!!

Rick

YORK!!!  Of course!!!   Also to be a true dyed in the blue, TRAIN NERD.

I thought I'd mention that the TCA has defined "divisions" and "chapters" across the country. Many of these entities put on train shows or other events too. For example, the New England Division runs two or three shows a year, as does the New York City Metropolitan Division.
The recently formed western NY division has already put on a show or two.

These shows are much smaller than the Eastern Division's York show, but I've never regretted attending one.

If you are still unsure about joining take the Charter bus out of Woodbridge, NJ to the York train meet and after one York trip you will join the TCA. I've been a member since 1988 and enjoy the magazines and other TCA benefits but I am addicted to York!!      Lenny J

Well Pappy, I don't want to disappoint you about not having a negative thing to say about York.  And I can sum up the negativity in just 1 word:

SCRAPPLE !

I tried Scrapple once, on my first trip to the show. Once was more than enough for me.

York is what it is and nothing can replace it. East coast scrapple is downright NASTY.

Out West we have, Cal-Stewart twice each year. Granted it will never compete with York. It's still pretty darn good. They don't sell scrapple.

I found a place in N. CA that does sell fantastic Scrapple. Yes, in the same sentence "Fantastic Scrapple".

LOL, no way that I am eating that stuff. My stomach would not be able to take it.

I do like the crab cake sandwich from that vendor in the parking lot.

Being in TCA is a great way to support and be part of an organization dedicated to our wonderful hobby!

Of course being able to go to York is a HUGE perk!! 

This wouldn't be the place that was on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives that had scrapple that was made from pork butts and none of the offal would it? I'd eat that kind but the real stuff has liver in it and me and liver aren't friends!

Another benefit of joining the TCA that in addition to being able to attend York you also get to attend the OGR Grandstand Meeting and see how many of us really should update our avatar!

Jerry

I view the Train Collectors Association as an organization who's time has passed. There are good people in it and many of my friends are past and current members. IMO, their insistence on a focus on a shrinking aging audience that collects antiques is just not where the hobby is at in 2015.  As member for 35 years, we saw many good things over the years but when the dues rose to an exorbitant $50 a year, there was no longer value in it for me, and like many others, I cancelled my membership. 

E.Div. York is a terrific event run by a great group of folks and the privilege of attendance is a benefit. Its still the best show, very enjoyable but if you must first pay the $50 vig to TCA, then the admission, lodging, food, transportation etc, its a rather expensive proposition.

If want current up-to-date news on what the hobby is up to, a subscription to OGR is the better value. These guys take a more modern approach far different than the TCA. IMO, their magazine and forum have become and are still the core of the O gauge hobby. It is a good value and I intend on supporting them for years to come.

Honestly if it wasn't for York I probably wouldn't have joined. The Quarterly is OK, but not an OGR or even as good as the other magazine. As for buying I  stick with eBay or the OGR board. Maybe when the TCA ads go online it will be better and seem less risky to buy sight unseen

But if you plan to go to York, it's worth a year or two to try out. (I just renewed for my 13th year)

And I love scrapple, it's a once year treat

quote:

E.Div. York is a terrific event run by a great group of folks and the privilege of attendance is a benefit. Its still the best show, very enjoyable but if you must first pay the $50 vig to TCA, then the admission, lodging, food, transportation etc, its a rather expensive proposition.

The fifty dollars is not a vig. It's membership dues that support the organization, which unfortunately has a lot of overhead due to its physical library and museum. Members get four magazines and four newsletters a year. And there are other member services such as arbitration of a dispute between members (hopefully never needed).

Is it a lot of money? I guess it is for some.
I cannot take my wife to diner for fifty dollars any longer.

What can you buy from Lionel for fifty dollars?
One Fastrack switch seems to be almost eighty dollars, so you cannot buy a switch.
One Fastrack 10" straight seems to be four dollars, so I guess you could buy a dozen.

Even if you only look at the York show, 50 dollars dues, plus two three day shows at $12 each, averages out to $32 per three day show, or less than about ten dollars per day.

Is belonging to the TCA to attend York worth while? Obviously it is for some, and not for others.

I joined so I could go to York.  I dropped out after attending York 3 times.  I live close enough that I can visit most of the dealers in the Orange Hall at their place of business.

I also joined to attend York but reconsidered about going because of the crowds and my limited mobility.  I renewed once to get the "Train Collectors Quarterly" but never found it wasn't worth the $.  Like jmiller I live close to many of the vendors and there's always the net.  Seeing the latest offerings from the major players doesn't interest me at all.  So at the end of the day I'm a FORMER TCA MEMBER.

Me too.

Richie

just to attend York for me.

No one else is lobbying Congress to preserve your investment in toy trains.  

As for Scrapple, it can be offal good or awful bad.  

It's another fraternal organization...like Moose, Elks, or any of those...this one based on a common interest in collecting toy trains.  If you like to gather with other folks who are interested in toy trains and do all those things fraternal that guys do when they are together...perhaps you should join up.

Otherwise...you can probably get along without it.

I have never attended York and I don't know when I will get there.

I just had a fabulous weekend at the TCA northern California Cal-Stewart train meet.  The event started on Saturday with layout and collection tours.  I was really impressed to see some awesome collections of trains from all eras.  Several guys had wonderful post war layouts with all the accessories running.

One fellow has an awesome modern layout that has to be seen to be believed.  Photos were posted of the layout on this forum earlier today.  I would rate this layout equal to the Tony Lash layouts that have been shown on this forum although it is not as big.  (I never saw Tony's layout in person.)

I got to meet some of the most famous train collectors in the nation at the Saturday banquet.  Everyone had a great meal and a wonderful time.

Sunday's train show was well attended.  Many bargains were available.  The bottom line is that it was a fun weekend with a great group of men and women.  

I really value my TCA membership because I get to meet and have fun with a wonderful group of people.  As for the dues being over priced, I spent more than $50 to buy a box car and so did many other people.  It is all relative.  

Joe

In addition to ways to acquire stuff (York, interchange ads), TCA...

- maintains an excellent museum where you can see the history of toy trains on display

- maintains an archive of old books, paper, etc. in a centralized, accessible location

- codifies and enforces a set of standards for judging the condition of toy trains

- provides a mechanism for handling membership complaints

- provides the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals

All for about the cost of an oval of track.

And if that's not enough, there's always the opportunity to be entertained by hearing a few folks complain (actually, I had a shorter word in mind) about what a lousy deal it is.

It's much more fun to read the comments from the old timers that are resistant to any suggested change to their little club.  The word you can call them is "Dinosaurs."

I was a member of the TCA thirty years ago. It lost it's luster and I moved on.

I joined the tca about 4 years ago.  I have to admit, I didn't get much from the meets or the printed literature.  I am no longer a member but my enjoyment in the hobby has not changed.  There are many other excellent resources with technology these days to meet and converse with other enthusiasts.  I understand how some feel that the dues are relatively cheap compared to other things but for me, I budget my hobby spending so it didn't make sense to spend money that gave me no return.  

Why can't people leave an organization without throwing bricks at those that stay?  The name-calling should have stopped around age 7...what miserable lives they must live...lives without fulfillment and pleasure of any type!!!  It's like Wima locking Fred out of their bedroom!!!  Who cares if you left?  Who cares why?  The question WAS what is TCA and its benefits...not why you are miserable!!!

I've been a member since 1986 and York is a long way from Texas, although I have been and attended several conventions.  For years I have watched the membership slowly decline so I am actually interested in why people are leaving the organization

They have been online for several years, although most people do not post pictures and you are limited to 3 picture.  You are not limited to 12 ads, you can post up to 100.

Five reasons!

The TCA Museum and Library

Spring York

Fall York

Great Magazine,the TCA Quarterly.

Actual train meets all over the US!

It's worth every penny,if you only join one club,join the TCA.