TTOS Southern Pacific Division Hosts Anaheim Model Train Show March 22

The Toy Train Operating Society's Southern Pacific Division rolled into Brookhurst Community Center at 2271 W. Crescent Ave. in Anaheim on Sunday, March 22 for its monthly Model Train Show & Sale, drawing toy train collectors and families to three hours of buying, bidding, and running trains under one roof.

The meet ran from 10 AM to 2 PM, with $5 admitting the entire family and plenty of free parking on site. Members offered trains and accessories of all scales, toys, railroad memorabilia, and books, while the auction floor welcomed all visitors to bid, with credit cards accepted. A raffle gave attendees a shot at taking home train prizes, and the Kids Corner kept younger visitors busy: "Bring the kids - they'll have fun building BRIO layouts in Les' Kids Corner."

The SP Division has been the backbone of toy train culture in Southern California for more than five decades. The division was founded in 1974 by Norwood Doland and other members of the Southwestern Division of TTOS, who were looking to establish a TTOS Division in Orange County southward. It describes itself as "a dynamic and active voice for the hobby of operating and collecting toy trains, sometimes called Lionel trains," with a stated commitment to American Flyer as the other identifiable name in the hobby's history.

The Southern Pacific Division has hosted four TTOS National Conventions, with events in San Diego in 1981, Long Beach in 1991, Long Beach in 2000, Costa Mesa in 2006, and most recently the 2016 50th Anniversary National Convention in Long Beach, California. That track record is part of why the OGR Forum community knows the SP Division's reputation: the group earned the Lionel 2017 Ambassador Club of the Year designation, a recognition that reflects its consistent community outreach, including its work with portable layouts at public events and its ongoing support of the La Habra Children's Museum.

Members attend monthly meets free of charge at the Brookhurst Community Center, where visitors can always find good buys on trains from different makes and eras. The fourth Sunday of each month is the standing slot for the Southern Pacific Division of TTOS at the Anaheim venue, making March 22 part of a regular calendar that gives the Southern California toy train community a reliable gathering point throughout the year.

For information on upcoming meets, the Activities Hotline is 909-851-9846.