Senior TCA member Stories

Hugh,

Thanks for sharing the story of your introduction to TCA. I'm just a relatively new kid on the block, joining in 1985.

But, I was privileged to have been introduced to TCA by some notable early members. I was lucky enough to spend time with Joe Ranker at train shows. Following him around and listening to his descriptions of the more interesting pieces on the tables was an education in itself.

Frank Mazzarella was another friend who was always generous in sharing his amazing collection as well as stories of train hunting. Bert Race, Bob Griffin, Al LeVie, Ralph Aiken, Dan Briggs and many others in the upstate NY area (many of whom are fortunately still with us) were also sources of information as I was starting out.

I hope the fellowship of TCA members can keep alive at least a small portion of the historical information possessed by gentlemen such as these. 

Jim

Great story Hugh, I bought most of my Ross switches used and they needed a little TLC as well.

Hey Jim, your an old timer with the TCA I joined in 1992.

Great stories Hugh,  I have been in the hobby for many years but I am a relative a new comer to the TCA having joined a couple of years back.   The salvation army holding trains for you years back, I can not imagine that happening today.  My local store would have a hard time figuring out what I was talking about.

I'm a new kid, too, having joined in 1992, but I really do enjoy reading accounts of "how it was" from the much earlier members.  I hope more will chime in with their recollections.

Favorite stories???  How about Lou Redman holding auctions at his tables @ York?  Members leaving money on tables @ York for Members away from their tables?

back when, you didn't join, you were invited to join.

Still remember well my first YORK in 2000. They had an exdrill sergeant getting everyone in line outside the White Hall.

That day I lost my car in the parking lot, took me a half hour to find it

Is that even still and/or ever allowed? Sounds like it would have been fun.

Jerry

I joined tca at the end of 1976. A fellow by the name of Roy Sanders joined me. My first York was in 1977. One of the things that I liked was the Friday night auctions. They were run by Allan Rubin, Tim Johnson & Jeff Wilson & a couple of others. Tim is gone now, but Allan & Jeff & I are good friends now. We met at the York Valley Inn in east York back in 77 where we all stayed until it went broke. Now it has been torn down.

My number was 82-17215, but I quit about 8 years ago. I joined when I lived out in Denver, and was the pup of the group at age 21. I had some great times back then. We hosted the national convention, and had wonderful regional meets.

In 1987 I moved back to my native Minnesota and experienced a bit of culture shock. I started going to the local meets, but after a while grew tired of them. They never put on a regional meet, maybe because there are so few members outside the Twin Cities metro area. I was around for another national convention when it was held in St Paul. 1993 happened to be the year that I had enterTRAINment open at the mall. I missed most of the convention events, but many of the attendees visited the display.

In all those years I never went to York. I couldn't afford it. Now that I can, I have no desire.

I joined the TCA in January 1982 one of my sponcers was Chester Holley CM-25. I did want to join in the early 70s but being a newlywed and just getting started had to put it off. I was a member of the other clubs but now only to the TCA.