Winter 2025 TCA e*Train

e*Train Issue: Jan 2025 | Posted in: Past e*Train Issues

As Winter sets in and now that the new year is underway, let’s keep the TCA spirit alive! There’s no better time to celebrate the connections and camaraderie that make the TCA community special. Regardless of whether you are new to collecting or a veteran seasoned collector, the winter season is full of opportunities to learn, share, and grow. From cherished traditions to exciting new events, there’s always something to look forward to in the world of toy trains.

One event to mark on your calendar is the Amherst Railway Society’s 2025 Railroad Hobby Show on January 25–26 at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts. While this is not a TCA-run event, it remains one of the country’s largest and most exciting gatherings of train enthusiasts. With spectacular layouts, historical exhibits, and countless opportunities to connect with fellow hobbyists, it’s an experience you won’t want to miss!

The winter season is a perfect time to reflect on our shared passion and look ahead to new possibilities. Whether attending a show like Amherst’s, diving into a personal train project, or sharing the hobby with others, there’s always a way to bring the spirit of trains to life.

As always, if you have ideas, questions, or suggestions about how we can enhance e*Train, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to contact me at [email protected], and let’s keep our shared love of trains rolling into an exciting year ahead!

Before checking out the Winter e*Train (below), please see the following important note regarding one of our other TCA publications and a message from TCA National President Kevin J. Quinn:

e*Train Articles

Just When You Think You’ve Found Them All! Jan 2025

The Ives Trolley Line Jan 2025

A Message from Your Editor – Winter 2025 Jan 2025

A Hidden Gem: Ives 1616 / 1694 Set Jan 2025

Lights, Camera, Lionel Trains! Jan 2025

Doodlebugs Jan 2025

National Lionel Train Day “Carry on the Joy” (Updated Winter 2025) Jan 2025

That’s all for now, folks!

Thank you for looking at the Winter 2025 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.

Until then, thanks for riding with us and All Aboard!

—

Ever Upward,

Michael S. Oher TCA #18-73531

Editor, TCA e*Train

Shop Amazon and Help TCA

TCA members who shop at Amazon.com can have each of their normal purchases generate a modest payment to TCA! And it won’t cost you anything!

The Train Collectors Association is now a participant with AmazonSmile, which is a special website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.

The difference is that when customers shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.

The process is simple. Just search for and select Train Collectors Association when you sign up and shop at smile.amazon.com.

You use your regular Amazon.com username and password, but when you log in to smile.amazon.com, you’ll see that you are supporting TCA with your purchases:

Note that if you just log in to the regular amazon.com, this benefit does not operate.

There are no costs to either you or TCA, but TCA benefits!

This is a great way for TCA to earn extra cash to offset costs, so sign up today to help support TCA.

* Note: TCA is not a party to any of your Amazon transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors.

Helping TCA with your ebay purchases when you use PayPal

If you’re an ebay user and have a PayPal account you use to make payments, you can designate a donation for TCA when you’re checking out — any amount, small or large.
If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can pre-designate a percentage of your sales to be donated automatically in your name to TCA as long as the purchaser pays with their PayPal account.

In both cases, you will receive a donation receipt from the PayPal Giving Fund, and enjoy applicable tax advantages.

How to do it:

Click on the image above, or use this link. This will take you to ebay, where you will see the following page (log in to ebay if you are not already):

This offers TCA as an option. Click on the “Add to My Charities” button where indicated with the red arrow. Thereafter, when you make a purchase, at checkout you will be offered the option to make a donation to TCA in any amount of your choosing. Small amounts add up, larger ones are great! It’s always up to you!

The option will appear at the lower part of your checkout page, something like this:

If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can allocate a portion of your sales proceeds to be donated to TCA. Look at the green arrow marked “Optional” above to see how to do it. Details on how ebay calculates the donation may be read here. This is a wonderful way to share the financial benefits of your hobby with the organization that promotes it!

An added benefit to TCA is that these donations are not subject to normal processing fees, so that makes your donation work harder!

* Note. TCA is not a party to any of your eBay transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors. PayPal issues the receipts to you for your donation, not TCA.

Winter 2025 TCA e*Train

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