model train set on track

TCA Teens Club Members: It’s Time to Engineer Your Future

Building useful technical skills is one of the biggest benefits of working with toy trains as you grow up. Modern toy trains involve both traditional electrical and new computer methodologies in their design, and building your own layouts now means knowing some coding and understanding circuitry, among other skills.

A Few Big Ways to Advance Your Toy Train Knowledge and Skills

Set Up WiFi Controls for Your Trains

This video shows a train at the National Toy Train Museum, being operated from a smartphone over the local WiFi network. Increasingly, toy trains can be operated in this manner, allowing different users to control different trains and features on a layout.

Want to know more? Read all about it here on TCA’s online magazine, TCA e*Train. Oh, and be sure to search through all of our articles! You’ll discover that e*Train has hundreds of carefully researched articles about all sorts of toy trains!

Build Your Own Layouts

Have you been building layouts with trackside scenery and buildings? Get inspired by some of your fellow TCA Teens members’ creations! Especially this “frightful” scenery we covered in a recent e*Train article!

Dig Into Some Advanced Train Resources

We have assembled a number of links to major toy train organizations and information sources from around the world. Check out our links and learn something new!

Collect, Repair, and Restore Vintage Toy Trains

Many train collectors enjoy shopping flea markets, yard sales, auctions, and more as an affordable way to get “new” trains at affordable prices. The only problem? They often need some TLC like cleaning, touch-up painting, or mechanical repairs. Your fellow TCA Teens can be an excellent resource for helping you build, restore, and maintain your trains!

Into LEGO® Trains?

Traditional model and toy train manufacturers have nothing on LEGO®, which offers layout design enthusiasts an alternative way to build train layouts from the ground up! And TCA is here to support your interest.

Learn More

Learn How to Get the Most From Your Kids Club Membership!

Connect With Your Club Coordinator

The Train Collectors Association is divided into local Divisions for different regions of the United States and beyond. Within those Divisions, dedicated Kids and Teens Club Coordinators are responsible for programming and are happy to provide information about membership benefits and more.

Getting in touch with your local Club Coordinator is the best way to get involved with in-person activities and meetups near you. Find contact listings on the page linked below.

Catch Up on Your Club Newsletters

Missed an issue of “Keeping Track”? You can check out current and recent past editions of our Teens Club newsletters online now.

Visit the National Toy Train Museum for Free!

Did you know that all members of our TCA Youth Clubs receive free admission whenever they visit the National Toy Train Museum in Strasburg, PA?

Make a plan to come out and see our massive collection of trains—and run them, too! The NTTM is located in “Train City USA,” which has many other train-themed attractions nearby. It’s the perfect destination for railfans of all ages!


Not Yet a Kids Club Member? Join Today!
Teens ages 13-18 can join TCA Teens for free to gain valuable experience with the toy train collecting hobby and meet new friends!

When you join, you will receive a membership certificate, member card, and more. Once you turn 18, you can convert your TCA Teens Club membership into a Junior TCA membership, paying only half the regular member TCA dues until age 24.

Join TCA Teens