During the so-called “modern era” of the toy and model train collecting and operating hobby, changes have come quite rapidly. New gauges were created, new controls were introduced, and shake-ups in ownership at some of the biggest manufacturers seemed to be constant. LEGO® also caught on as a toy train and layout building system, and many young hobbyists joined the hobby specifically to create from LEGO.
It’s true that three new gauges popped up right at the end of the 1960s and into the early 1970s, giving model railroaders a whole new world to explore and create as we chugged ahead into the modern era:
Layouts could now be built in each of these new scales. Plus, LEGO presented another new dimension to creating scale environments—complete with full-powered trains—from scratch. These innovations successfully engaged new toy and model train enthusiasts throughout the later years of the 20th century.
One of the hallmarks of building model railroading layouts in the 2000s has been the proliferation of high-tech features, such as smartphone control systems. In fact, the command system offered by the majority of model train manufacturers in 2020 was a variant of Digital Command Control (DCC) versus more traditional DC power.
Video has also become incredibly important to the model railroading hobby, including in creating layouts. Many enthusiasts make and post videos of their layouts and trains on YouTube and other social media sites.
What is your preferred era of toy trains? Find excellent examples in our database!
Ready to research?
Examples of model trains from every possible brand abound in our database. Search by manufacturer, gauge, and/or year to return results from our National Toy Train Museum collections and more.
Visitors to the National Toy Train Museum will experience one of the world’s most extensive toy train collections. This includes a variety of meticulously maintained model train layouts, which we refresh every winter. Can’t visit us in person in Strasburg, PA? You can explore our layouts from the past and present right here on our website!
Do you know all the differences between model trains and toy trains? Here at the Train Collectors Association, we support and celebrate both toy train collectors and model railroaders from all walks of life, and you can explore more right here on our website.
Toy trains (including model trains) come in different sizes, reflecting different rail gauges—the distance between the main rails on the track—and scales. We have information for you about some of the most popular toy and model train gauges.
TCA has adopted standards to help guide toy and model train collectors and encourage common terminology usage when describing things like item categories and conditions. Visit our Grading Standards section of the website for more information.
If you are not yet a member of the Train Collectors Association, you’re missing out. TCA Members receive a long list of tangible benefits that put them on the toy train collectors’ inside track! These include free admission to the National Toy Train Museum in Strasburg, PA, as well as access to special collections of material in the National Toy Train Library, among other great perks and benefits our TCA members enjoy.
Ready to get involved and join our excellent organization with thousands of other model and toy train enthusiasts around the world?
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.