Museum Celebrates Forty Years of Service

e*Train Issue: Jul 2017   |   Posted in: TCA Adventures

By Tammy Hersh, National Business Manager

The National Toy Train Museum is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2017.

Beginning with initial meetings to show their collections at Ed Alexander’s Barn in Yardley, PA in 1954, by 1977, TCA’s leaders wisely realized the need for a formal museum facility. To meet growing needs, it has since been expanded in its exterior footprint, and equally important, in its interior presentations and services.

It’s a museum that serves multiple purposes:

• Housing an invaluable collection of historic and contemporary toy trains and related materials.
• Providing an attractive venue for public visitation to learn about our hobby.
• Housing a toy train library that is unique in its holdings and provides a research resource for members and the public.
• Housing TCA’s national business office, where publications, records, electronic systems and management services operate.

In short, it’s the center of TCA, from which a nationwide array of divisions and events project the joys of toy trains.

To the visiting public, it’s a place to come for fun and learning, projecting TCA’s educational mission. Those visiting its website’s home page view a gallery of key features:

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While it is hard to capture the full story of the museum, it must be observed that it is the culmination of decades of volunteer service coupled with professional planning. Indeed, every step in the building takes you past a layout, train, book, or exhibit that was contributed, placed, maintained, built or envisioned by people who love toy trains.

In celebration of this milestone, TCA has arranged for a series of events:

April 26, 2017 – Open House
10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Free admission all day to the Museum, de-accession tent sale, toy train manufacturer presentations, door prizes, food vendor, free afternoon refreshments

June 3, 2017 – 40th National Toy Train Museum Anniversary Celebration
10:00 am – 5:00 pm – 40 cent admission to the Museum, live family entertainment, scavenger hunt, activity stations, photo booth, bouncy house, balloons, door prize drawing and a special 40th Anniversary Exhibit

June 17, 2017 – Movie on the Lawn at the National Toy Train Museum
7:00 pm – $4.00 admission for all guests, featuring a Thomas the Tank Engine™ movie, photo booth, popcorn, activity stations

July 22, 2017 – Movie on the Lawn at the National Toy Train Museum
7:00 pm – $4.00 admission for all guests, featuring a family friendly Disney movie, photo booth, popcorn, activity stations

August 25, 2017 – Movie on the Lawn at the National Toy Train Museum
7:00 pm – $4.00 admission for all guests, featuring a family friendly Disney movie, photo booth, popcorn, activity stations

September 16, 2017 – Movie on the Lawn at the National Toy Train Museum
7:00 pm – $4.00 admission for all guests, featuring a Thomas the Tank Engine™ movie, photo booth, popcorn, activity stations, bouncy house, mini golf

October 18, 2017 – Open House
10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Free admission all day to the Museum, toy train manufacturer presentations, door prizes, food vendor, free afternoon refreshments

November 18, 2017 – Holiday Train Event at the National Toy Train Museum featuring Polar Express™ trains
10:00 am – 5:00 pm – $5.00 admission for all guests, Polar Express™ movie playing all day, scavenger hunt with prizes for completion, activity stations, special prize drawings throughout the day, photo booth, guests enter to win a grand prize, Polar Express™ trains running on the layouts

November 25, 2017 – Santa at the National Toy Train Museum
10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Free admission with nonperishable food item donation per guest, activity stations, candy canes

December 2, 9, 16, 2017 – Santa at the National Toy Train Museum
10:00 am – 5:00 pm – Free admission with nonperishable food item donation per guest, activity stations, candy canes

NOTE: events and details subject to change.

Anyone associated with the National Toy Train Museum can only be proud of its accomplishments. On the next page, we’ll view scenes from the June 3 Anniversary celebration, as well as other typical views in the Museum.

Our 40th Celebration:

As seen above, June 3, 2017 was a special day for over 370 visitors at the Museum, with live family entertainment, a scavenger hunt, activity stations, a photo booth, a bouncy house, balloons, door prize drawing and a special 40th Anniversary Exhibit.

This special exhibit explains the Museum’s history.
(Picture may be clicked for larger viewing.)

   
Adjacent windows provide more history.

On the lawn, lots of excitement.

And inside, special handouts and activities.

Looking Forward

As TCA looks forward, we can envision a National Toy Train Museum that continues as the focal point of a national, even international, resource for a wonderful hobby, with exhibits and activities of a very special nature.

To be sure, there will be increased use of modern technology to display and operate our trains, but there will also be a solid foundation of member investment of time and resources to assure that the best of the old is preserved along with the presentation of what is new and exciting to future generatons.