What is "TCA"?

The TCA is the Train Collectors Association--the largest organized group of toy train hobbyists in the world.  Headquarters and museum is in Strasburg, PA.  The world's largest toy train meet--the bi-annual York Meet--is sponsored by the Eastern Division of the TCA and it is held in York, PA, in April and October each year.  The meet is for members of the TCA and their families.

Nowadays, anyone who cares to can join the TCA.  Up until a couple of years ago, a prospective member needed the signatures of two "sponsors."  That is no longer a requirement.

Learn all about it at http://traincollectors.org

Thanks Allan - I'll check it out. Being down here in Middle Georgia makes it difficult to just make a day trip to come to PA - wish I was much closer!

There's more to the TCA--for many of us, at least--than just the York Meet.  There's the good feeling that one who participate's in the hobby receives from just supporting the hobby in more general terms and sharing it with others through the various programs and publications the TCA sponsors.

Yes, it is a bit of a drive for some/many to attend the York Meet--the only event of its type in terms of its broad scale--but it's definitely well worth the effort.  Once you do it, you'll see what I mean, and you really should try to make the trip at least once.  Some 12,000 TCA members and their families attend that meet, and many of them come from all over this nation and well beyond (Australia, England, Europe, etc.) in order to participate.

Don't forget, your membership also makes you eligible to purchase the various TCA club cars.

FWIW, the York meet is a three-day event.  It's a 10-hour drive for me, and I wouldn't do it if it was just for a day.  The three days makes the trip worthwhile.

York and the surrounding area are also known for several other attractions - Gettysburg is practically next door - so making a week's family vacation out of it is also a possibility.

There really is nothing like the York meet.  If you are into trains, you owe it to yourself to at least do it once.

The TCA has local Divisions with local meetings and events. When you live far from York & Strasburg PA this becomes the main attraction. Divisions allow meeting new friends, sharing and trading. Depending on where you are in Georgia determines your division but I would start here with the southern division.

http://tcasoutherndivision.org/

The main reason I joined was to receive the official TCA publication, "The Train Collectors Quarterly".  It is an entertaining full color magazine printed on slick paper, containing articles on a variety of topics, including many old brands of trains and accessories I've never heard about anywhere else. 

Hi,

I live in the SF Bay Area.  I have never been to York or the TCA convention.

The best part of TCA for me is meeting and sharing experience with other local members.  TCA is the only group that I have found where I can meet and interact with other O scale and hi-rail modelers.

I have found that TCA membership is extremely satisfying and a fun way to enjoy this hobby.

Joe

i'd like to see a map of the US showing the distribution of TCA membership.  i'm willing to bet the vast majority of members are from the northeast.  i do like the TCA publication and have PDF copies of almost all of them, but with the major yearly show ALWAYS being in York, i really don't see the point in ever joining.  if they ever start to move the semi-yearly conventions around the country or at least have a similar west coast show, i'll just stick to forums for garnering or exchanging information.

Okay, here's how it is and likely always will be:

There's really no need for a map because, as you surmised, it would show the largest distribution of hobbyists residing in the Midwest, East, and Atlantic Coast states.  The hobby--all scales--has always showed that same distribution.

The TCA National Conventions do move around to different areas each year, as do the national conventions for most all other large train groups (NMRA for example).

The York Meet can/will never move because it is a function of the Eastern Division of the TCA, not the TCA National.  Members of the Eastern Division may, at some future point, wish to move it to another venue convenient to the membership, but you can be 100% certain it will be in the same geographical region, and probably very close to where it is now because the meet is 100% organized and staffed by Eastern Division volunteers.

Now, if some other Division of the TCA wished to organize a similar event--in California, for example--I'm absolutely certain they would have no problem doing so, aside from finding a group of dedicated volunteers, as the Eastern Division has done for years, who are willing to devote the tremendous amount of time and effort needed to organize and conduct the event.  THAT is the only obstacle.

It's the usual situation in our society today:  People come up with grand ideas, but they want someone else to execute those ideas.  Go figure!

quote:

It's the usual situation in our society today:  People come up with grand ideas, but they want someone else to execute those ideas.  Go figure!

There is nothing new about this attitude. Didn't you read "The Little Red Hen" when you were little?

I have been under the impression that the Cal-Stewart meet is the west coast show that is the most similar to the Eastern Division meet at York. I just took a peak at the Cal-Stewart web site. Apparently the show is open to the public. (I thought one had to belong to the TTOS or TCA to attend.) All tableholders must have a California vendors permit. The show was started in 1973.

http://www.ttos-sw.org/cal-stewart.htm

quote:

i'd like to see a map of the US showing the distribution of TCA membership.  i'm willing to bet the vast majority of members are from the northeast. 

At one time, this information was included in printed membership book. I saved the last one I received, which was issued in Spring 2008. I don't see the information in it.  As Allan wrote, most of the members were from the Eastern part of the US. From what I remember, Pennsylvania had the most members.

That is really no surprise, based on other materials I've seen, Pensylvania also has a large concentration of antique shows and doll collectors and shows.

By the way, the PDF's of the TCA Quarterly were intended to be for members only. If you enjoy them, I hope you will consider joining the TCA.

It's been a few years since I've been to Cal-Stewart.  It's a fine event and certainly the largest event of its type in the western half of the country, but in no way compares to the York Meet in size, scope, or by any other measure.

My advice before joining any dues collecting organization would be to find out more about the organization to see if you perceive value in what the dues bring to you.  TCA has a very good website and it is easy to find out what the organization offers to dues paying members.

Remember that the "C" in TCA is for "Collectors" and this is why the TCA operates a museum. 

There are a lot of fine folks on this forum for whom their dues bring much more in return than the yearly dues.  Others may join just for the opportunity to go to the York meet.

Ultimately, the decision to join TCA, or any other organization, is an individual choice and shouldn't be swayed by what other folks do or don't do.

Jim