There were many notable TCA legends, not the least of which was the late Lou Redman, one of the founding members as Charter Member 3. Two legendary shop owners were the late Bill Vagell and Chester Holley. Vagell was formerly a professional magician known as the "Mystic Craig", who later had a famous store called the Treasure House in Garfield, NJ. He was one of the first to manufacture prewar parts for Ives and Lionel tinplate. He also published two hardback volumes he called "encyclopedias" of collecting which among other things had many pages with photos of selected notable collectors of the day with a portion of their acquisitions. There were also ads for repro parts and wiring diagrams for select items. One of the other famous people in one photo was the late Chester Holley, who famously once had a must-visit shop in Tampa, FL. He was a very affable gentleman by all accounts and had an enviable collection to boot. Another TCA legend was Oscar winner animator and Disney employee/confidante, Ward Kimball. Ward was an immensely talented man, and was famous for his 1:1 narrow gauge Grizzly Flats Railroad, as well as an awesome operating collection of rare vintage trains from the prewar period. He was also a musician in a Dixieland Band called the Firehouse Five Plus Two, which frequently performed at the original Disneyland. There are many TCA legends and these are a few of my special favorites!
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