TCA Amnesty Letters

Hi Everyone and if I may add my comments:

Well the dues is not what bothers me, it is the fact i learn nothing leaving York every April and October.

I feel that once a year is enough for me. This past November I joined the NMRA, one of the exciting things are the clinics that they have at every regional and convention meeting. They have a great website with clinic videos that were recorded at conventions and much more. I have only been in the train hobby for about 5 years now and I like to learn new things, scenery, electronics, bench work Etc. Besides friends that I have in this hobby, I also get a lot of this info from the NMRA.  TCA is a great organization however;  for me anyway, walking around for a day and a half looking at tables again this past October, hit me that I needed something more from this hobby to get better with my home layout and that I needed to learn more to improve myself. The vendors are superb people and it is great meeting people there. I wish the TCA would change parts of it's venue and incorporate some of the items that the NMRA is doing.

Al , Simple solution . Don't go !

Both NMRA and TCA are almost entirely volunteer organizations with relatively small budgets and modest numbers of members.  If you want TCA (a toy train collectors organization, in the main) to do more of what NMRA (a scale model railroading organization) is doing, you're going to have to do it yourself,  or find some TCA member who is interested in doing it. There is no budget for paying people to do such things in either NMRA or TCA.  These are volunteer offerings of members, nothing more, nothing less.  The reason TCA doesn't do scenery clinics, prototype clinics, etc. is that few members know or care about such things is my guess.  That's why people belong to the NMRA and various historical societies.  That's their strength.  The NMRA and the historical societies don't toy train layout visits, demos, toy train history, collecting research, etc.  That's what the TCA's strength is.  Expecting the TCA to do such things is a bit like expecting the Aardvark Fancier's Society to have activities related to tree sloths .

Landsteiner-

You are correct. Great reply thanks.

Landsteiner made my response redundant, except, that I, and I see on here, at shows, etc..many, many people in "tinplate" also are "model railroaders", often to a great extent.  There are so many facets to the "train hobby", that you CAN concentrate in one area....collecting, running trains, building layouts or rolling stock or structures....the list goes on.  If you have all the trains and "stuff" you need, and are interested in the building side of the hobby...NMRA may be your greatest source.  If you are into collecting or running the latest and greatest in "tinplate", TCA is it.  I have interests across both areas and intermingle them, BUT, I feel NMRA is tunnel-visioned on HO, and I have been there and done that, so have never joined, although I bet I have more scratchbuilt and kitbashed rolling stock and structures than many of its members.

Landsteiner is correct.  That's why I belong to three organizations - each with their own strengths - TCA, NMRA, and the Pennsylvania Railroad Technical & Historical Society. 

George

I have been a TCA member for 12 years, but have only managed to attend York once.  York is wonderful, but is not the reason I joined TCA.  I just like supporting an organisation that exists for the benefit of me, and others like me.  I look forward to TCQ arriving, and read every word.  TCQ, and the back issues on the TCA web site justify the subscription for me.

Oh, and you pay 50 dollars.  I pay 70.  I also pay more than you for my subscriptions to OGR and CTT.  Such is life.  I pay these additional costs because I enjoy reading a few pages of a toy train related magazine in bed every evening.  There is always a pile.  TCQ, HQN, OGR, CTT, HRCA, BLS, GOG etc.  You pays your money and you takes your choice.

Thanks for the likes, guys.  Funnily enough, after posting, the mail arrived including OGR (Run 285), the Gauge 0 Guild Gazette and the Morris Minor Owners Club magazine.  Plenty of bedtime reading :-)

I rejoined after an extended absence about a year ago,  and managed to get my very old number back.  I willingly made a donation to help that happen! Great decision...I reconected with a bunch of great like-minded friends.

This year's "amnesty deal" was a fantastic decision. My original number meant a lot to me. I'm sure I'm not alone in that opinion. 

Hooray for TCA's efforts! I'm glad to be back as a  TCA  member!

Congratulations John! I'm sure I can speak for the TCA when I say we are all glad to have you aboard.