Join
Benefits of joining the Train Collectors Association (TCA) are many and diverse. Highlights include:
Train Meets
The Ft. Pitt Division along with the other various Divisions and Chapters of the TCA sponsor train meets where members may buy, sell, or trade trains, or just enjoy the fellowship of other train collectors. Over 150 of these are held each year. A schedule of the Ft. Pitt Division meets appear on our web site under Shows & Activities or you can find the schedule for the rest of the TCA at their web site by following this link: News & Events, or in the periodical TCA National Headquarters News. Each June one of the Divisions hosts the Train Collectors Association's National Convention, which is one of the highlights of the year and provides an opportunity for fun-filled family vacations in various parts of the United States.
The Train Collectors Quarterly
Members receive four times a year, the Train Collectors Quarterly, a magazine dedicated to tinplate trains. Articles on the history of toy trains, and the firms who manufactured them make this one of the finest magazines in the collecting field. Members are urged to contribute articles for the magazine. Members may also consult over fifty years of archived copies online. (Membership login required.)
National Headquarters News
This periodical is also mailed to the members five times a year, and contains listings of the various Chapter and Division meets, names of new members, and other important information. The "Interchange Point" is part of the National Headquarters News and is the place where members list items they have for sale, trade, or want to buy.
Collection Insurance
The Association, through an independent insurance agent, has available for members' consideration a plan through which they may insure their collection.
Toy Train Reference Library
The Association is continuously updating the Library that is housed in the Museum and Headquarters Building. This Library is the most extensive resource center for researching tinplate toy train history. On file are catalogs, magazines and books devoted to toy trains from 1900 to the present. The Library also maintains copies of commercial price guides for a number of popular manufacturers, but does not provide appraisals or evaluations.
For more information about the Library, its hours, and how to visit it, go here.
Gift Shop
The National Toy Train Museum Gift Shop is stocked with toy train and railroad related items and has most of the current books on toy trains. Online purchases are available here.
National Toy Train Museum
The National Toy Train Museum, located in Strasburg, Pennsylvania, houses one of the finest collections of toy trains in the world. There are five operating layouts and a continuously running video. Displays are changed periodically. Members are admitted free to the museum and are encouraged to visit the museum. If a person desires to loan or donate a unique article to the Museum, they can do that as well.
The Benefits of joining the Ft. Pitt Division
The Ft. Pitt Division represents TCA members residing in Pennsylvania counties west of and including Warren, Elk, Clearfield, Centre, Blair and Bedford and all of West Virginia.. We invite you to join us and participate in the fun, excitement and growth of our division, to buy and sell train and to make new friends.
Here are a few of the events and items we offer our members:
- great networking with great people who are close by and share your love of model & real trains.
- Local train meets that include:
- An average of nearly a thousand train enthusiasts!
- Over 200 tables of trains for sale!
- Educational display tables
- Confidence that what you are buying follows strict TCA Standards for grading and authenticity
- One hour early admission gives our members the first chance to make that special find
- Ft. Pitt Hi-Railers giant operating O gauge layout
- Kid's Club multiple train displays and hands on activities for children
- Door prizes
- Raffle prizes
- Parts dealers – for new and old trains
- Train appraisals and evaluations
- Operators, collectors, and dealers available to share their wealth of information to assist you with your train collecting and operating
- Layout experts to give you ideas, opinions, or to assist you in building your layout
- Make new friends that are close to home and share your interests
- An informative local newsletter 'Lockon' published and optionally mailed to every member. The Lockon contains events, articles, minutes of our meetings, treasurer's report, local happenings, and articles of interest to all.
- Access to the members only section of our fantastic web site hobbytraincollestors.org.
- Annual Summer Outing
- Free annual Christmas Holiday Party
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A chance to get involved in planning and working with us to make the Fort-Pitt Division even greater!
Qualifications for Membership
Any person who is a member of the Train Collectors Association may join the Fort Pitt Division.
