Spring Announcements
National Toy Train Museum Better Than Ever!
Although the Museum, like most public facilities, was on limited or closed status during the past year, we’re now operating on our usual Spring schedule. Currently open on weekends, 7-day operation begins on May 29.
And it’s better than ever! Aside from routine maintenance of our busy operating layouts, there have been lots of other improvements. Seen above are just a few, which are even more impressive when seen in person.
Special thanks to the Museum Committee and staff for their hard work.
From The Library
A new addition to the library’s collection is Model Railroading in American OO 1930-68 by John Ericson. Full of color photographs and comprehensive information on manufacturers and models, this book on American OO “examines every product commercially offered in this scale and gauge.” The author includes a postlude on the lives of a select group of “OOldtimers,” appendices on freelanced road names and mystery items, as well as an index of models produced in American OO.
Ericson is the author/co-author of a number of articles about American OO which appeared in The Train Collectors Quarterly. TCA members can access back issues of The Train Collectors Quarterly Archive on the TCA website here. His articles appeared in the following issues: October 1986 (volume 32, no. 5), April 1987 (vol. 33, no. 2), April 2012 (vol. 58, no. 2), April 2014 (vol. 60, no. 2), and October 2015 (vol. 61, no.4).
Getting Ready for California
Convention registration opens May 17th. Doing it online at https://tcaconvention.org is highly recommended, but on that date, you will also be able to print the form online and mail it in.
Convention headquarters will be the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel, which is conveniently located near Universal Studios Hollywood, Warner Bros. Studios, the North Hollywood Arts District, and other attractions. You can register for the hotel online right now by visiting this page.
Full details as of publication date are also available in your copy of the May National Headquarters News.
Now on the Web
TCA’s Rules and Regulations document has been updated, along with its Bylaws, reflecting the latest official policies. Both may be accessed here.
Information on page 32 of the printed May Headquarters News reflected a production problem caused by a late-developing revision. This has been corrected in the online version found here.
This print error reminds us to thank the hardworking members who have given so much time and energy by serving TCA as officers on both the national and local levels. The circumstances of this past year have ratcheted up the degree of difficulty for roles that were already demanding, and we truly appreciate their dedicated service!
TCA Member Exclusive Cars
A special reminder that the ordering deadline for our California Fruit Express cars is June 15, two weeks earlier than for the 6464 car offerings.
These 3-rail Atlas O “Rebuilt” 40′ Woodside Reefers are available in 2 road numbers. Road Number 28508 is inside a red diamond and Road Number 28512 is inside a green diamond. California Fruit Express was a 19th-century private car operator. This rarely seen, but prototypical, road name is a perfect companion to our 2021 Convention Cars celebrating our upcoming California convention, or is equally capable of fitting in with any woodside reefer era consist.
Recommended: Purchase online: either one or get both at a savings. Prefer to mail your order in? Get the order form (must be received by June 15). Delivery is scheduled for the second quarter of 2022.
Other TCA Cars News:
We still have 7 of the 2020 Disney Christmas cars available at $99.95.
To order, call Stacy Leigh at the National Business Office at 717 687-8623, extension 104. Ready for immediate delivery, with lots of time to plan for getting one into your Christmas layout!
We are no longer taking orders for the “As Catalogued” Western Pacific Endowment 6464-100 boxcar. All cars have been sold. Check out other “As Cataloged” cars still available for ordering here.
All Strasburg GP7 Engines have been shipped.
Summer Edition of e*Train Underway
We are starting work on the Summer edition, and its content relies on YOU! Authors new and old are welcome. If you have a special project or some expertise that other members could benefit from learning about, here’s your chance! We have had an amazing range of experiences and expertise that make this an important resource for our hobby.
We can polish off the grammar, but we need YOUR ideas and experience. Articles are being accepted NOW, but to appear in this edition we must receive them no later than June 8. For information, contact editor Carol McGinnis.
Once again, we are pleased to share several paid Division Ads from the National Headquarters News.
