Train collecting can sometimes seem like a solitary hobby—but our TCA members know better! The Train Collectors Association puts on or otherwise supports scores of train meets and activities throughout the year. If you’re looking for fun experiences related to toy trains, there is always something coming down the track! Of course, TCA members have the best access to our events, so be sure to join.
From our yearly National Convention to regional and local train meets taking place all over the country, the TCA event calendar is always chock full of exciting toy train-centric events. Discover some of our most popular events.
If you have questions, please contact the TCA National Business Office at (717) 687-8623.
The divisions and chapters of the Train Collectors Association sponsor local Train Meets throughout the year where TCA members may buy, sell, or trade trains—or just enjoy the fellowship of collecting and operating trains. Public presentations are also often part of these events.
A great deal of expertise is on hand at these meets. They range in size and frequency and represent an excellent way to compare notes, buy and sell trains, and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow hobby members.
TCA members should check the quarterly listings of meets included in the National Headquarters News. Divisions are requested to submit schedules to the National Business Office in a timely fashion for inclusion.
Our twice-yearly Open House days (April and October) offer opportunities to mingle with toy train manufacturers and discover the latest trends. Admission to the Museum is free for these all-day events, and attendees should plan to be delighted!
Each year a different division hosts the TCA National Convention, typically held in June. Hundreds of members from across the country and abroad attend to share ideas, renew acquaintances, and learn about what’s new (and old) with toy trains.
Each convention provides access to tours of local attractions—many train-related—plus a well-designed formal program.
TCA periodically conducts special events on-site at the National Toy Train Museum in Strasburg, PA. These include holiday celebrations, book signings, and educational presentations that you won’t want to miss! We have even hosted bus trips and cruises in the past. Find more information on the Museum Events page.
Are you ready to make new friends who enjoy the toy train collecting hobby as much as you do? Camaraderie and insider access to fun toy train-related events are just some of the many benefits of membership in TCA. Learn more and get involved today!
TCA members who shop at Amazon.com can have each of their normal purchases generate a modest payment to TCA! And it won’t cost you anything!
The Train Collectors Association is now a participant with AmazonSmile, which is a special website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.
The difference is that when customers shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.
The process is simple. Just search for and select Train Collectors Association when you sign up and shop at smile.amazon.com.
You use your regular Amazon.com username and password, but when you log in to smile.amazon.com, you’ll see that you are supporting TCA with your purchases:
Note that if you just log in to the regular amazon.com, this benefit does not operate.
There are no costs to either you or TCA, but TCA benefits!
This is a great way for TCA to earn extra cash to offset costs, so sign up today to help support TCA.
* Note: TCA is not a party to any of your Amazon transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors.
In both cases, you will receive a donation receipt from the PayPal Giving Fund, and enjoy applicable tax advantages.
How to do it:
Click on the image above, or use this link. This will take you to ebay, where you will see the following page (log in to ebay if you are not already):
This offers TCA as an option. Click on the “Add to My Charities” button where indicated with the red arrow. Thereafter, when you make a purchase, at checkout you will be offered the option to make a donation to TCA in any amount of your choosing. Small amounts add up, larger ones are great! It’s always up to you!
The option will appear at the lower part of your checkout page, something like this:
If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can allocate a portion of your sales proceeds to be donated to TCA. Look at the green arrow marked “Optional” above to see how to do it. Details on how ebay calculates the donation may be read here. This is a wonderful way to share the financial benefits of your hobby with the organization that promotes it!
An added benefit to TCA is that these donations are not subject to normal processing fees, so that makes your donation work harder!
* Note. TCA is not a party to any of your eBay transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors. PayPal issues the receipts to you for your donation, not TCA.