Fall 2026 TCA e*Train

e*Train Issue: Oct 2026   |   Posted in: Past e*Train Issues

It’s Fall Y’all!

Train show season is here, York is just around the corner, and plenty is happening throughout the hobby.

This edition of TCA e*Train brings together another collection of stories from across the hobby—from the trains we collect and the history behind them to the people, projects, and experiences that make this hobby so much fun.

Whether you’re reading from home, catching up while traveling to a show, or counting down the days until York, we hope you’ll find something in this issue that sends you down another rabbit hole.

That’s part of the fun of collecting, after all.

One article leads to another question. One photograph reminds you of something tucked away in a box. One train at a show leads to a conversation, and suddenly you’ve discovered an entire piece of history you knew nothing about before.

That’s exactly what TCA e*Train is here to encourage.

Something for Every Collector

One of the great things about the TCA is the enormous variety of interests represented within our membership.

Some of us collect prewar trains. Others concentrate on postwar. Some collect modern production, build enormous operating layouts, restore trains, research obscure variations, preserve railroad history—or happily do a little bit of everything.

You’ll see that variety reflected throughout this edition.

And that is intentional.

e*Train isn’t intended to represent one scale, manufacturer, era, or type of collector. This is a publication for the entire TCA membership, and every issue gives us another opportunity to explore a different corner of the hobby.

You never know what might appear next.

Fall Means York

Of course, we can’t talk about fall without talking about York.

The Fall York Train Fair returns October 2o–24, with activities surrounding the event beginning early in the week.

For many collectors, operators, and hobbyists, those dates have been circled on the calendar for months.

With seven buildings, thousands of trains, old friends, new discoveries, more things to see than anyone can reasonably fit into a couple of days, and one tradition – since 1969—it is difficult to adequately explain York to someone who has never experienced it.

You simply have to go.

Help Us Build the Next e*Train

While you’re enjoying this edition, remember that the next one is never very far away.

And that’s where you come in.

Have an unusual train in your collection?

Did you discover something interesting while researching a recent purchase?

Have photographs from TCA history that deserve to be seen?

Finished a layout project?

Restored something you thought might never run again?

Or maybe you’ve simply got a train story you’ve wanted to tell.

Write about it.

You don’t have to consider yourself a professional writer. If you’ve got the story, we can work with you to help tell it.

Some of the best material in e*Train begins with a member simply saying, “You know, I have something you might be interested in…”

Send your ideas, articles, photographs, and questions to [email protected].

I’d love to hear from you!

e*Train Articles

That’s all for now, folks!

You’ve reached the end of the Fall 2026 edition of TCA e*Train.

We hope you enjoyed the ride and found plenty of valuable information on the rails with us. We’ll return with more great content soon, so stay tuned and join us next time.

Thank you to every author, photographer, contributor, and TCA member who helped make this edition possible.

_{^{EDITOR’S NOTE:}} Fall is one of the busiest—and best—times of year in the train hobby. As train show season gets into full swing, take the opportunity to get out, explore a show you’ve never attended, reconnect with old friends, and welcome someone new to the hobby. Whether it’s a major event like York or a small local meet, every show is another opportunity to keep our shared passion moving down the tracks.

Now close the computer, put down the phone, and go play trains!

There are layouts to run, collections to explore, projects waiting on the workbench, train shows filling the calendar—and, for many of us, a trip to York right around the corner.

We’ll be back with another edition of TCA e*Train before you know it.

Until then, enjoy the hobby, support your local train shows, travel safely, and keep those trains running.

And if you’re headed to Pennsylvania this October…

We’ll see you at York!

Thanks again for riding with us, and All Aboard!