Just had a thought regarding the "I'm in TCA just for York" line of thinking (which I find tiresome and disappointing)...
How is it that LCCA seems to be doing OK, despite the fact that it doesn't have a signature event like York? And there's also LOTS and TTOS, but since I'm a member of LCCA, I'll focus on that.
I'll grant that LCCA's costs are lower, since it does not need to maintain a large physical location (TCA has the museum). However, they do have an office and storage space, and people continue to pay dues, even though it doesn't grant them entry to York. LCCA dues are a few bucks cheaper than TCA, but considering what most of us spend on trains, the difference in dues is pocket change. Although both organizations have fine publications, I think TCA's magazine is more informative than LCCA's.
Could it be that LCCA is more willing to innovate (electronic-only membership option, greater promotion of jointly-sponsored meets and meets that are open to the public, more public outreach)? Is LCCA less bound by a "good old boys" mentality than TCA? Something else?
I don't know what the reasons are, but LCCA seems to be hurting a lot less than TCA.
