# What are the benefits of TCA?



## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I am thinking of joining TCA. What are the benefits that I receive for the registration? I have a 7 and 9 year old I would get kids memberships for too. Finally does anyone know where in upstate NY they meet?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The big benefit I get from TCA is attendance of the Eastern Division York Meet twice a year. Wouldn't miss it!


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## rboatertoo (Aug 5, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> The big benefit I get from TCA is attendance of the Eastern Division York Meet twice a year. Wouldn't miss it!



I agree, once you go, you can never stop. Plus you can meet JOHN, Brian and a lot of other people.


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## Prewar Pappy (Jul 26, 2015)

*TCA Benefits*

TCA Hq is located in Northern PA. This is where you would join TCA National. After that you would receive address' of chapters in your area and email address' for same. Remember that you must join TCA National before you can join a local chapter.

The best benefit to me is a TCA Quarterly Magazine. This comes out four times each year. Plus, you receive the TCA Bulletin which has the For Sale and Trains Wanted Adds for the entire TCA Membership. Next would be the "TCA Q Archives". Here is where you can do toy train research all the way to TCA's inception at home on your computer.

Next, would be the TCA Toy Train Library where you can hire someone at a very low rate to do research for you. Lastly, this is where you can add those missing editions to your home library. this is because the library does sell all of their surplus and duplicate books at affordable prices.

If you're ever in the area you can visit the TCA National Toy Train Museum.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

Yep, what they said about the York Meet, plus this might help, 

http://www.traincollectors.org/?page=MemberBenefits

There is 1 meet scheduled in your area, so far, according to the Sept. 2015 Headquarters News. 

Jan. 10, Public 10 am - 3 pm, Ismailia Shriner's Temple, West Senica NY. That hall appears to be about 100' by 120' which would make it a nice preview for York. 

The York meet uses 7 halls, 4 are larger than the Shriner's hall, 1 is just a little smaller and 2 are about half the size, but one of those is reserved for a club to set up a modular layout for display. FYI the York meet is a "closed meet", You need to either be a member of TCA or be admitted, *one time*, as a guest of a member.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

Prewar Pappy said:


> *TCA Hq is located in Northern PA*. This is where you would join TCA National. After that you would receive address' of chapters in your area and email address' for same. Remember that you must join TCA National before you can join a local chapter.
> 
> The best benefit to me is a TCA Quarterly Magazine. This comes out four times each year. Plus, you receive the TCA Bulletin which has the For Sale and Trains Wanted Adds for the entire TCA Membership. Next would be the "TCA Q Archives". Here is where you can do toy train research all the way to TCA's inception at home on your computer.
> 
> ...


I think you mean South Central Pa., specifically Strasburg Pa 17579. 

While you are there you can also ride the Strasburg Rail Road, which features steam powered trains, and visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.


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## Prewar Pappy (Jul 26, 2015)

thedoc said:


> I think you mean South Central Pa., specifically Strasburg Pa 17579.
> 
> While you are there you can also ride the Strasburg Rail Road, which features steam powered trains, and visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.


Doc,
Please cut me a little slack! I'm in California, everything is North of here. I'm quite sure that the OP caught on by the handrails.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

Prewar Pappy said:


> Doc,
> Please cut me a little slack! *I'm in California*, everything is North of here.


I'm really sorry for you, but isn't slack all you get out there? 

One summer when I was between marriages, my one Aunt decided to set me up with one of her friends at work. This girl was very attractive and very self conscious that the guy she was with should be teller than she was, so she asked my Aunt, "Is he tall?" My Aunt answered "Yes", and later the girl and I decided that because my Aunt was a little over 5' tall herself, to her everyone was tall. The girl was just a little taller than I, so it didn't work out.


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## carinofranco (Aug 1, 2012)

I am a TCA member. In addition to the above mentioned benefits, I feel more confident when buying or selling trains when I deal with another TCA member. It just seems to me that someone going to the effort and (small) expense of joining would have a genuine interest in trains as a lifelong hobby and in maintaining ethical relationships and practices.


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## TJSmith (Nov 16, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> The big benefit I get from TCA is attendance of the Eastern Division York Meet twice a year. Wouldn't miss it!


Only reason I'm a member. 

Considering the cost of membership, dues went up last year to $50.00 from $35.00, the cost to attend York including the TCA membership is now $78 per year for those under 65 and $66 per year for seniors.

There was a movement a couple of years ago where the manufacturers who exhibit in the Orange Hall were going to set up their own show in either Baltimore or another major city along the Route 95 corridor so it could be open to the general public. The York meet is closed to members only.

Also the TCA National did have a proposal to take over all the TCA conventions from the individual chapters but I don't know where that stands. 

I do know that they would love to take over the York meet because it makes so much money that they desperately need. In fact the Eastern Division has more money than all of the national chapters put together including the TCA National.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

TJSmith said:


> Only reason I'm a member.
> I do know that they would love to take over the York meet because it makes so much money that they desperately need. In fact the Eastern Division has more money than all of the national chapters put together including the TCA National.


I remember that when the Keystone division was formed a few of the members thought that by incorporating York county they would automatically get the York meet. Eastern division shut that down real quick, so even though the meet is in York county it's not a Keystone meet, but an Eastern division meet.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I don't belong to the Eastern Division and I go to York.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> I don't belong to the Eastern Division and I go to York.


Any TCA member can go to any TCA meet, the Eastern division just hosts the meet, it isn't just for eastern division members.


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## TJSmith (Nov 16, 2015)

thedoc said:


> Any TCA member can go to any TCA meet, the Eastern division just hosts the meet, it isn't just for eastern division members.


That's right. Any TCA member can attend any TCA event. You do not need to belong to any chapter to attend.


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## TJSmith (Nov 16, 2015)

thedoc said:


> I remember that when the Keystone division was formed a few of the members thought that by incorporating York county they would automatically get the York meet. Eastern division shut that down real quick, so even though the meet is in York county it's not a Keystone meet, but an Eastern division meet.


It's interesting to note that the very first meets held at the York fairgrounds were organized by the original founders of the TCA. I wonder when the Eastern Division took it over.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

TJSmith said:


> It's interesting to note that the very first meets held at the York fairgrounds were organized by the original founders of the TCA. I wonder when the Eastern Division took it over.


TCA was formed in 1954 and my father joined in 1971 and by then York was an Eastern division meet. When did the Eastern division form? I would guess that it was at that time or shortly after.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

The magazine is good. You know you are supporting a good cause. A dollar discount getting into TCA events here in NC.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

We still have to get Lee to York, I'm sure he'd have a good time.


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## TJSmith (Nov 16, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> We still have to get Lee to York, I'm sure he'd have a good time.


Let's all chip in a buck to pay for the airfare and hotel. We did that a few years ago for a friend on the West Coast.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

TJSmith said:


> Let's all chip in a buck to pay for the airfare and hotel. We did that a few years ago for a friend on the West Coast.


You could see that he gets to the Greensboro meet, as a warm up and then get him to York.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

The TCA does a lot of good things for the hobby. It sets and enforces standards. I think the hobby would be worse off without TCA so I joined many years ago as a way to support the our mutual hobby.


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## TJSmith (Nov 16, 2015)

AmFlyer said:


> The TCA does a lot of good things for the hobby. It sets and enforces standards. I think the hobby would be worse off without TCA so I joined many years ago as a way to support the our mutual hobby.


I belong to the USGA for the very same reason even though I no longer play. For the good of the game.


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