My random thoughts re the museum, in no particular order:
I really like the museum - it provides a well-organized, clean, and well-lit display of a little bit of everything related to toy trains without being overwhelming. It has a good balance of static and moving displays. I try to visit whenever I'm in the area. If I wanted to provide someone with an introduction to toy trains, I would gladly pay for their admission; unfortunately, I live 500+ miles away and nobody in their right mind would spend the necessary travel time in a car with me.
It's a Taj Mahal for toy trains, and I'm not sure how it can be made financially viable in today's world. Not being a creative marketing type, and since I'm already a train nut, I don't know how to make it more appealing to a wider audience. Maybe a train play area and more programs for kids would generate some interest. Didn't TCA have some kind of overnight event a couple of years ago? Perhaps the cross-marketing with other area attractions could be pursued more aggressively - for example, anyone visiting the Choo Choo Barn really should visit the museum, and vice versa.
Changing the displays more frequently might generate some interest, but doing so presents some challenges. Finding enough volunteers to do the work is one challenge, not to mention that cycling some of the items on display might mean that important items won't be seen.
The museum also serves an important function by providing a physical location for the archives and library, which along with the availability of research assistance are services that are unique to TCA among the toy train clubs. It's easy to complain about the increase in dues relative to other toy train clubs, but TCA is providing expensive benefits that the other clubs don't. (NMRA provides similar library and archive services for scale modelers, and it faces similar challenges. Oh, and NMRA dues are 32% higher than TCA.)
I consider the museum to be one of the most important benefits of TCA, as it serves as a repository of information and a way to share toy trains with a wider audience, so I'm happy to support it with my dues. It's disheartening to read so many comments that focus only on how their membership benefits themselves.
