TCA Product Idea

What did he say????

eddie g posted:

What did he say????

I think Mike is referring to the customized cars Lionel has been offering for a little while now.  (See here on Lionel site)  Generally intended for birthdays, anniversaries, etc.  They also offer them themed for fireman, police, and the branches of the armed services (see link here for actual products)

A customized car with some sort of TCA graphic, but the customization could include both your name and TCA number is I think what he means.

It doesn't seem like too much of a stretch, could probably easily include some other textual info as well.  The key is coordination with TCA so a TCA graphic can be included.  I wouldn't be surprised if they offered it for LCCA first though.

I think it's an interesting idea.  I'd probably go for one.

-Dave

Dave understands my suggestion 100%.  It would be a fairly easy one to offer.  TCA would just need to come up with some creative graphic that we then customize membership info onto.  Could be like the modern day membership certificate.  

I'm thinking something like a sketch/painting of the museum, maybe with a cartoon-ish plane in the sky pulling a banner that could have blank space for name and TCA # on it. 

The graphic for the museum could be similar to the one used on the car they had Angela Trotta Thomas do years back when the museum expansion happened.

Or a flat boxcar door that would reasonably show the custom text would be good too.  Still need some sort of good TCA related graphics for the sides of the car to go with that.

-Dave

I almost never buy those kind of boxcars but I like this idea and probably would buy one. I hope the TCA comes out with it. I would prefer the circular TCA herald on the right side of the boxcar (on the right side of the door) and the members name and number on the left side. 

Made this for the 30th Anniversary of the Fort Pitt Division.

Nice car Thom.  All good ideas.  I too would prefer a more traditional graphic of TCA.  Maybe one current and one from the founding days.  I hope Stu Ranking is reading this thread.  

Mike W. posted:

Nice car Thom.  All good ideas.  I too would prefer a more traditional graphic of TCA.  Maybe one current and one from the founding days.  I hope Stu Rankin is reading this thread.  

I am Mike.  I am.  I've actually had a concept sketched up for a while; just waiting for the right time.  Also, just because Lionel offers personalization on their website, don't assume that it's available to clubs.

Stu

Didn't McCoy do that back in the 70's with the 4-4-4 orange electric loco with the TCA number of the member printed on a car with the convention place and date. I purchased this a year or two ago, yes it is standard gauge, not my number..

I admit, I'm intrigued by the idea! But what I would like to see is a car in a real railroad paint scheme, with the member's TCA number as the car number. Other TCA markings would be present, but inconspicuous, similar to how many of the L.C.C.A. cars are done.

And by real railroad paint scheme, I mean something that could actually be applied to that sort of car. No warbonnet boxcars.

I would definitely not buy a car with the sort of artwork DOC posted above  - nothing against the artwork, which is really nice, but I don't find such cars credible in a train.

So, basically, I would buy a realistic-ish, but still toy, train car with a sly joke in the form of my membership number as the car number. But not a self-conscious TCA commemorative.

Anyone else feel the same way?