model train set on track

LEGO® Bricks and Lionel® Trains, Part 3, TCA Kids Club and TCA Teens Contests: Trainscaping with Construction Blocks 2020

e*Train Issue: Apr 2020   |   Posted in: ,

By John S. Halajko

The TCA Teens and TCA Kids Club Contests: Trainscaping with Construction Bricks 2020 is now over and the Grand Prize Winners along with Honorable Mention Photos are now on display for your viewing enjoyment. Hurry, Hurry, Hurry, Step right up for extra fun and excitement as we show the creativity and value of joining the two Iconic Hobbies: Toy Trains and LEGO® Bricks

To level the playing field, the author was not a part of the contest judgement panel. All entries were assigned a number and anything that could identify the contestant was removed from the photos. All judges are TCA members who played with LEGO® bricks as children. They were selected from across the continental USA.

My Memories of the Grand Prize

The Grand Prizes for TCA Kids Club and TCA Teens were a CDX Sidewinder with motor.

There is always a story behind every item in a collection. Here is one of mine. 

Many thanks to Jack Rimer of CDX Blocks for donating, on behalf of his company, two Sidewinder Kits with motors that we awarded as the Grand Prizes. When I approached Jack at York to ask if his company would like to support our contest, he said why don’t we save on shipping and take a couple of them with you right now. So, I could not resist buying one for my Newtown and West Wellington Line’s Amusement Park.

I took the opportunity to encourage entries by displaying the Grand Prize at the Atlantic and Keystone Division Local Meets. One of the attendees’ younger children wanted the displayed Grand Prize and could not understand why he could not have it.

TCA Kids Club Grand Prize Winner

Henry D of Ohio is the TCA Kids Club Grand Prize winner.
Here are his photos:

TCA Teens Grand Prize Winner

Rian de W of New York is the TCA Teens Grand Prize Winner.

Honorable Mention Photos 

Here are some of the other photos to add a dash of recognition to our contestants. Our judges’ panel were presented with some interesting ideas for layouts or train gardens. The creativity shown by our contestants combining the two hobbies is almost endless. 

Encourage combining the two iconic hobbies by inviting kids over to play with your trains and their LEGO® items.

LEGO® is a Registered Trademark of the LEGO Group.
Lionel® is a Registered Trademark of Lionel Trademark LLC
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