TCA Eastern Division train meet at York, Pa.

[Kelly Shaw]

What would you be most interested in attending at the York, Pa. train meet?

[Big_Boy_4005]

Here we go again, every six months, York, York, York. I am pleased to say that I quit TCA after more than 20 years, in part out of disgust for York. I guess I just voted.

[cnw1995]

If I went, which I won't because it's too far away and requires TCA membership, I think all I would be interested in would be visiting and browsing and buying

[Anonymous]

Hello All: What is the Advantage of being A TCA member ? Positive & constructive answers please. Regards Steve

[laz 57]

You get to go to the biggest train meet of the year. You even get some real good buys if you know what you're looking for.
laz57

[wrmcclellan]

Redhawk,

What I like are the meets, particularly York. What my TCA friends like are the massive buy and sell ads that come out in the TCA quarterly newsletter.

Regarding Shaw's poll:

I answered buying trains because York TCA Eastern is only 1 and 2/3's day now. The parking lot shows prior to and after York provide too much competition I suppose. If someone were to have some other seminars, etc., then maybe Sat evening after York or Sunday would be the time to try them.

However - the other problem is there is just too much to do up there. Some great restaurants. Great scenery. The PA RR Museum is high on my list. For this spring, we are also going to swing through the B&O museum in Baltimore before we leave.

Regards,
Roy

[Anonymous]

What's TCA?

[csxt30]

Skyray, That's the "Train Collecters Association". They have a webb site, just dial that in & you should get it, I think! Thanks, John

[nblum]

Actually there are two publications, the buy/sell Headquarters News which is bimonthly and is 90+ pages of trains wanted and for sale, and the TCA Quarterly which is the most information about historical aspects of toy trains available on a regular basis, plus some reviews and articles on current product. There are regional divisions, many of which hold meets, including the Eastern Division's huge biannual York meet with 15,000 + attendees and every vendor of significance in the hobby of three rail and toy trains. Many dealers selling as well, both commercial and private. Not bad for $25 a year plus admission to the meets. TCA also sponsors two on-line listservs (the Toy Train Mailing List is one and open to non-members), a website, a wonderful, large model railroad museum in Strasburg, Pennsylvania (don't miss this place), an annual meeting (this year's is in Seattle), and issue special run cars each year in every major gauge. Simply put, the TCA is the largest (about 31,000 members) and most important organization in toy train collecting and operating in the USA. It has a larger membership than NMRA, I believe, and it's membership fees are half those of the NMRA's. It doesn't get involved in standards like the NMRA, but is involved in standards for historic train collecting.

If you have even the slightest interest in the history of the hobby, or collecting, the TCA is a must.

More information and the ability to sign up for the listserv is at :

www.traincollectors.org

[artyoung]

Besides buying/selling/looking at new and unusual trains, York is for making new friends and renewing old friendships. There's people I only see at York, and they are the first ones I look for. If you are not so inclined socially, then go to meet (and growl at, if you prefer) factory reps and CEO's of all the major companies. Come to the TCA's museum at Strasburg on Thursday. Take a ride on the Strasburg RR, go to the Choo Choo Barn, drive down to Baltimore and tour the rebulit B&O museum. Or, just come, buy trains, and go home. Who knows, you might even manage to have fun in spite of yourself. I always do, and so does my family (and we've found some incredible buys, too: how about a 400E Blue Comet that someone cobbled together from an assortment of parts for $450? Some AristoCraft prototypes sold a few years back by AristoCraft for $100-200? "Factory seconds"from Williams ?) Come on out to York!

[Anonymous]

Roy: Your right about a lot of things to see & do, as I have mentioned before, we were down that way a few years ago, People were great, lots to see & do, take the tour of the Harley Davidson Museum & plant, that is worth it even if your not a bike fan. Kind Regards Steve

[brianel027]

YORK is a lot of things and it is accurately all of the things that have been mentioned above. From a consumer point of view, there is so much to see on just a dealer/vendor level, that it becomes difficult to find time to do more than that. Of course (as with any show where supposed collectibles are for sale) there are negative and positive aspects. Love and money don't always make for good companions: there are dealers at YORK who you can tell are just out for the money. And then there are others who are decent and fun to talk with and buy from. You'll see trains that are way-overpriced (where you know that dealer is still living in the late 1980's, early 1990's) and you'll see trains that are bargains or at least reasonably priced.

From the point of view of someone who has all the trains they'll ever want, it is a great time to run into old friends and train buddies. PLUS for everyone, there's the other plus of getting to possibly meet and talk with the various heads or reps from the various train companies. For a beginner or someone new to the hobby, it can be a big thrill to shake hands with the head of your favorite train company.

I realize this is only a poll. And as such, the questions by nature have limitations. I'm sure if the "Meet the Author" type discussion included attending a discussion with Jerry Calabrese on the future product from Lionel, or a question and answer session with Maury Klein or Mike Wolf, there would be a good sized crowd. We all know that the company reps are there in part to listen and take notes.

No doubt that folks go to YORK to in part buy trains (or sell if you are a vendor). But while walking around you will also run into the displays the various companies have. You'll get to see some pre-production models or some early production samples of new product that is forthcoming from the new catalog. I have no doubt that the Lionel display is every bit as popular at YORK as anything else. Nevermind the possibilty of running into Neil Young (provided you know who Neil Young is... some folks know the name, but wouldn't have a clue what songs were on "Trans," "Re-act-or" or "Ragged Glory" ... if they even were aware those are album titles.... read on).

Of course, the other thing you can't help but noticing when you go to YORK is that is unquestionably an older crowd. Lots of receding hairlines. lots of gray hair and expanding waist lines. To some degree, this is the nature of the hobby: it's part economics too. It's easier for an older man with more disposable income and no kids in tow to make the yearly trek to YORK (or twice a year trek... many go both times). It's harder to do as frequently when there's a mortgage, car payment, utility bill, a wife and kids, and a yard that needs mowing. And the money spent on actually going to YORK could just as easily be spent on more trains from a magazine or internet ad. Or eBay for that matter.

The other I guess potentially negative aspect of the YORK attendance demographic is that the companies are listening to those who are at YORK. Which means they are listening to more established, more demanding, more well-to-do train buyers with more disposable income. This bodes well for today, but may not necessarily bode well for tomorrow.

I'm sure the class of modelers I've just described are not interested in starter sets, conventional operation, or budget train items like Lionel starter cars, K-Line Train-19, or the now defunct Industrial Rail products. Just as the family with a young son is not interested in $600 train engines or scale detailed rolling stock. Please don't misread this as an insult. It's not intended that way. High end products are as important to the hobby as anything else. But I also find it interesting that Lionel has stated having very strong sales in beginner and starter line products. Actually a double digit increase in sales in this area if I recall the article correctly. I believe MTH has said they've seen strong sales in train sets.

So obviously there are more train consumers than just the more established ones that are more likely to be in attendance at YORK. It's just the ones in attendance at YORK are the ones having their voices heard, which may not represent the train buying public as a whole.

That's not meant as condemnation, but rather just a side-effect of the way it currently is. Every train guy though, should at least have the chance to go to YORK at least just once for nothing more than the experience of it all. You are not going to see so many trains in one place, with so much variety, at one time as you will see at YORK.

[Anonymous]

If I am not a member, and know no one who is, how do I get two people to sign my applacation? Ora.

[wrmcclellan]

Ora,

1. If you go to a TCA or York meet and introduce yourself to people there, you can typically find two sponsors.

2. In process right now is a vote in TCA to eliminate the 2 sponsor requirement. The results should be known in a couple of months.

Regards,
Roy

[Anonymous]

Do I have to be a member of TCA to attend the York PA meet in April 2006?

[msacco]

No, you can, I believe go to York as a guest one time only. This means someone must go in with you.
I did that the first time.

Mike S.
TCA #01-52620

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by brianel027
[
Every train guy though, should at least have the chance to go to YORK at least just once for nothing more than the experience of it all. You are not going to see so many trains in one place, with so much variety, at one time as you will see at YORK.

I could not agree with you more on this. Go...and then decide if it's worth going again for YOU. Even if you don't spend a dime, it's fun, and very educational. Unfortunatly, for those living a great distance from York, motel rooms anywhere nearby are very hard to find. Joe