TCA Membership

quote:

Those members who don't see a problem with this, realize that the organization you care some much about will be gone without new members, it will die, perhaps not today or next year, but without a constant inflow to replace those leaving it will happen.

There is an old saying: "why buy a cow when the milk is free?"

Maybe its time that access to the toy train mailing list and the TCA online magazine be restricted to TCA members only.

Did you ever consider volunteering to set up a TCA table at these shows to promote the organization?

I cannot agree more, all content should be limited to member only -- that is one of the TCA greatest assets and it is being given away.

I was curious about this topic because I have never been a member of TCA. I've always considered TCA to be an organization for "Collectors" and I think of myself more as "someone who plays with toy trains." I have not been to York (except for the ECLSTS) because I assumed it would be a lot of expensive old "collectible" trains. 

After reading 3 pages I still don't know why it could be beneficial to me (or other non-collectors) to join TCA.

The truth is that I've never looked into it perhaps because I made the wrong assumptions.

Jerry,

The only opinion that really counts is yours.  Do yourself a favor.  Find a friend who is a TCA member, you can attend York once as a guest of a member.  Go, you will have fun!!  Decide for yourself if York or other benefits  of membership are worth it.  What do you have to loose?

Paul Edgar

Past President

TCA

Well said Paul!

--Greg

As many here and elsewhere have said, TCA membership has remained artifically high because it is needed to attend that York show.

quote:

I've always considered TCA to be an organization for "Collectors" and I think of myself more as "someone who plays with toy trains."

There is plenty of stuff there for the operator crowd, in both the member and dealer halls. Many of the dealers in the orange hall cater to operators. Plus, most of the major "O" gauge train companies have display booths.

with comments like this,its no wonder membership is going down.if most members feel this way,which i am sure they dont, i dont want any part of tca.-jim

Oh, I don't know for sure but imagine lots of TCA folks in say California, Washington, Oregon have never gone York, and maybe lots of others in Arizona, Nevada, Texas and Indiana and Illinois and ... well I think you catch my drift.  York is "IT" for those of us within a few hundred miles. 

I can assure you, without qualification, that those comments made by Eddie G definitely represent the exception and not the rule.  Most members of the TCA openly welcome everyone in the toy train hobby, regardless of era they prefer, regardless of whether they are primarily collectors or operators, and regardless of the scale or gauge that interests them most.

At our TCA meet, myself and/or one or two others set up something to run almost every month. The members are quite disappointed should we not set something up.

You have to give to get.

Steve

Eddie is certainly entitled to his opinion, as we all are. I think he is in the minority. Operators have always been welcome as long as I have been a TCA member. (Many collectors are operators too) The York show has always had stuff that would be attractive to the operator.
The TCA has made an effort to be even more attractive to operators over the past several years.
Not sure?

I don't blame you. Find someone to sponsor you as a guest (one time only), and check out the York show yourself.

CW

For several years I got the impression that the majority of TCA members felt like Eddie. Maybe wrong on my side, but I did feel that way. I joined last year anyway. Why? simple I want to see York some day if I can. And support a train club while doing it. I have also noticed a few more lately that are a little more flexible with their attitude about TCA in general.

quote:

For several years I got the impression that the majority of TCA members felt like Eddie

On the other side of the coin, there has been plenty of hostile, anti-collector comments made here over the years I've been participating.
Those sort of comments are less common these days.

Very true. I never could understand that either.

Two guys join TCA (or any other group). They each pay $50 to join a shared hobby yet dislike each other because of how each chooses to enjoy the hobby or which brands each likes or dislikes.

I never have been able to understand this. I don't collect or build model railroads but I appreciate and enjoy the collections or layouts of those who do.

My memory is too poor to remember why I'm supposed to dislike something.

Jerry

Joe, I think you hit the nail on the head. Without York, the membership would fall like a rock. When I get the TCA Magazine in the mail, it takes about 5 min if that to look at it, then to the waste basket. Not many still alive that are interested in the old crude stuff in there.

Originally Posted by Joe Hohmann:

..., I think another reason membership is less attractive to non-York goers is the internet. Years ago, the TCA was one of the few links to other "train people". Now Forums like this one, plus sites for information, have taken over. I hate to say it...but if the York Meet stopped, the TCA would be in deep trouble.

Jerry,

The only opinion that really counts is yours.  Do yourself a favor.  Find a friend who is a TCA member, you can attend York once as a guest of a member.  Go, you will have fun!!  Decide for yourself if York or other benefits  of membership are worth it.  What do you have to loose?

Paul Edgar

Past President

TCA

Houston, we have a problem...

York is 1,080 miles away. When I was in the building stage of my layouts I did go to York for the ECLSTS but these days I am older (69) and my layouts are complete with little room for expansion. It is highly unlikely I will be driving anywhere beyond a 2 day round trip so I will probably never go to York again.

Still, I get a lot from the hobby so I am happy to give back but when I went to sign up for TCA I found that I had to download the application, fill out the application (including credit card information), find a check, envelope, stamp and mail it in. I don't like putting my credit card on written applications.

Compare that with my becoming a Premium Member of OGR. I don't remember the steps even though it was just a few days ago because it was quick and easy and done without any effort on my part.

Paper application, envelope and stamp? Kind of gives one an ancient impression of TCA doesn't it?

Yes, I will go ahead and join but I thought I would post my impression. Perhaps it is worth TCA looking into.

Jerry

"well, there it is... and by a past president.  join TCA for the ability to attend the York train shows."

I didn't read Paul Edgar's comments that way.  Certainly one of the attractions of TCA is the York show.  But I've been a member for 20 years and gone maybe twice, despite not being all that far away.  I am a member of the TCA because I like the Quarterly, I like the Interchange sales possibilities, I like their website, I like to support the Museum and I feel they are providing a signal service to those of us who like toy train collecting and operating in all gauges.  I occasionally buy their special run cars and some day hope to attend a national meeting in the summer.  Is that worth $50 a year?  It is to me, York or no York.

And there's another great generalization that assumes everyone has the same tastes.

While I'm no longer one of the youngest participants in the hobby, I'm still well below the average age (early 40's).  Barring any serious unforeseen medical issues, I'll probably be alive for quite a while yet.

While I may not actually collect any of the older items generally written about in the Quarterly, I do enjoy reading the articles when the magazine comes out (and the magazine is small and infrequent enough that I keep them).

-Dave

I enjoy attending the York Meet, and try to do so as often as possible.  That said, the York Meet is not the be-all and end-all of TCA membership for me, and hopefully for a good many others as well.

If/when the time comes when I am not able to attend York, or simply no longer wish to, I will still retain my TCA membership because it is the primary national organization devoted to preserving and perpetuating this toy train segment of the model railroading hobby--a segment with a long and important history.  That's also the reason I purchased a Life membership in the NMRA when that option was offered many years ago.

The views expressed on a forum like this one should never be considered truly representative of the hobby as a whole or the participants therein.  Individuals can be supportive and optimistic, or prone to predicting doom and gloom, but all those are, even viewed in some number, are solely individual perspectives that may or may not have any real validity on the far broader stage that makes up the hobby.

Whether one chooses to support the TCA or not support the organization is simply an individual decision one makes based on his or her own level of commitment and devotion to the hobby's past and future.  There is no "one size fits all" in this or any other hobby.

Personally, I am among those who think the TCA provides some great benefits.  I enjoy reading the Quarterly; in fact that's the main reason I joined.  To me, the library and its archives seem like a great resource.  But I have never been to the museum or York.

Some of the comments here remind me of Tommy Smothers' old line, "Bicker, bicker, bicker".    

One thing you can always count on when you assemble a large group of random people.  "Always with the negative waves" .

On reflection I found two questions in the TCA application interesting:

The answer to both is "I don't know" because:

1. I've heard of TCA going back as far as I have been in this hobby but in fact I don't recall ever meeting anyone who happened to mention they were a member of TCA - but then there are very few model railroaders of any gauges that I know of anywhere in the State of Arkansas.

2. I don't know why I would want to join perhaps because no one I know ever mentioned or discussed it with me.

The more I thought about it the more I realized it was important for me to join TCA because (as has been mentioned many times) the hobby is in trouble. Lets face it - if WE don't pay to support TCA and OGR and Garden Railroading etc. and buy something occasionally from their sponsors and the hobby continues to decline who the heck will be left and will we not be at least partially to blame?

Years ago I thought the forums were the answer but "Bicker, bicker, bicker" pretty much defines many forums. 

Whether we have a large or small layout (or no layout at all) I figure it is in our own personal best interests to support those organizations that support the hobby we enjoy. 

I guess the best reason why I sent my application to TCA yesterday and got a Premium Membership was because I think it is important for TCA and OGR to survive and prosper. With or without TCA and OGR my layouts will continue to operate but without the connection with other fellow hobbyists my enthusiasm for the hobby would be a lot harder to maintain. 

After all, how many times can we watch our trains run around and around before we get a bit bored and need to say hello to a fellow train nut to keep our insanity going?

This week I received my final renewal notice from TCA and into the recycling bin it went. When and if they begin to work toward becoming a member driven club like LCCA I'll believe that their $50 membership fee is a value. I was a member for nearly 20 years, and it's not about the money.

So does that mean the yahoo group for TCA members is soon to go from your forum signature?

It's odd for someone so vocally declaring he is fed up to still promote a group for the same organization in his signature line on the forum.

"When and if they begin to work toward becoming a member driven club like LCCA I'll believe that their $50 membership fee is a value."

I'm sincerely without a clue as to what you mean by this. Both are non-profit, largely volunteer driven organizations with minimal paid staff.  The TCA is about 3-4 times as large as LCCA, so I'd guess there's less opportunity for interaction between members and officers in the TCA, strictly mathematically speaking.  But both organizations have elected officials who make decisions for the membership without polling the membership every month. 

Do you really intend to suggest that TCA officers are less responsive to members' concerns than LCCA officers?  If so, what evidence exists for that contention?

I raise these questions as a member of both organizations for a couple of decades, and feeling great satisfaction with both.

The rock band Cinderella once recorded a song entitled "You don't know what you've got till it's gone".  There's a good bit of meaning in those words.  

In reading the various recent posts concerning TCA Membership I have come to the following conclusions. First, there is no right or wrong answer for determining whether or not a person decides to join the TCA or renew their membership in the TCA. What I am seeing is every ones personal reasons for joining, not joining or dropping out of the TCA. 

This forum allows us the opportunity to express our opinions and defend our positions. The bickering comes when someone disagrees with someone's position. You either believe that the TCA is worth your financial and personal support or you don't. For those fortunate enough to be able to attend the York train shows the TCA is obviously a tangible perk of membership. Personally I applaud those who do not live close enough to York but still maintain membership in the organization. Bottom line for all organizations is their perceived value to their members. And that my friends is a totally personal decision that we each must make.

Steve Tapper

I received my continuing notice today.

I've already told TCA that I do not inted to renew again. This year I gave em the stinkin $50 but I promise that in 2015 I am out. This organization does nothing for the model railroading community. Want a train show? Greenbergs, Allentown and others can fill all of our needs. Want a magazine? OGR and CTT do it far better for far less. Want a museum? Private collections, railroad clubs and museum layouts more than fill the needs.

What you are seeing folks with the exorbitant dues increase is the beginning of the end of the TCA. The dues are a terrible value and I'll take bets that the membership plunges this year. Who just TCA think that they are? They are going to find out the hard way that we can live fine without them? Good riddence to them.

I don't know if "promote" is the right word..... I was there in the beginning. IMO a different word or phrase would be more appropriate

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference."

First time ever and new member no. 14-69909

I guess this buys me the right to have an opinion. Perhaps this time next year I will have one. 

It only took me 69 years to decide to try it. 

Jerry

The Nor-Cal (Northern California) division of TCA is very active with monthly meetings and it also puts on the Cal-Stewart train show.  

Nor-Cal provides an opportunity to meet and run trains with other 3 rail hobbyists.  We discuss collecting trains and we also discuss running new command control systems.  Many Nor-Cal members are starting to purchase modern command control equipment and to run it.  Running modern trains is my primary O 3-rail interest.    

I have never been to York and I don't see that I will be able to attend anytime in the near future.  I do value the TCA Quarterly and attendance at the Nor-Cal division's meetings.  Perhaps the value of membership is directly related to the local divisions programs or lack of programs.  Then again, the division may have good programs but members choose not participate for various reasons.  

Another benefit of TCA membership is the ability to meet collectors and O gauge people throughout the USA and the world.  I just returned from a trip to Australia.  I was able to meet members of the Australian Hornby Collectors Club because of my TCA membership.  I was invited to Hornby Collector Club members homes to see their layouts.  This was one of the best parts of my trip.   This wouldn't have happened but for my TCA membership.

Joe 

I sent in my membership renewal just a couple of days ago.  I know it may be hard to believe, but it didn't drain my bank account and the sun did rise the following morning.  Marks 22 years for me, I believe (a short time compared to some here).

I'm sending mine this week Allan, as I like to go to the Conventions.  It will be 42 years for me, and I really don't wanna break the string.  It's kind of stupid I guess, but it is important to me.  Most people join clubs and hobbies like others change clothes. I get your sarcasm about the paltry $50, and I can understand your point.  But sometimes I get steamed how they dole it out to settle lawsuits, etc.  I just received a Newsletter in which the President was critical of them having a BOD comprising 30 people compared to private corps having only 6.  So it is not perfect, but TCA is worth the money and time for me.