Thank you for considering a donation to the National Toy Train Library! Please fill out our web form below to get started with your in-kind gift of materials to the Library collection.
Would you rather make a financial contribution to help support our work or volunteer with us? You can find more information on our main Library Donation page.
Discover more about the wide range of services we offer at the National Toy Train Library.
View our current inventory of duplicate materials available for purchase. All proceeds support developing the Library’s collection.
Some of our library holdings—mainly images and advertising collections—can be viewed online at home. Learn more here.
Learn more about the wealth of research services we offer to general researchers, collectors, and other toy train enthusiasts.
Visiting the Library is always free, though we charge some small fees for our research and library special services. Learn more.
Find any and all forms you may need to submit with requests related to research and library special services on this page.
The Library can accept certain material donations in addition to cash gifts for collections development. Learn how to make a gift.
The National Toy Train Library is overseen by a committee of volunteers, who specialize in toy trains from various manufacturers and time periods. The Library is always happy to assist researchers and TCA members both in the physical library and with questions submitted online.
Call (717) 687-8623 ext. 108 or email with questions.
Wondering if we have a particular resource you’re looking for? Our online catalog—which is regularly updated with new records—provides a glimpse into a significant part of our library holdings.
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.
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.