Thanks for your interest in the Tehachapi Loop Railroad Club (TLRC). The club has been in existence since April of 1993. The TLRC is open to all railroad enthusiasts, whether followers of prototype railroading or modelers of HO, G, N or Z, fans of Lionel and American Flyer, standard gauge travelers, historians, artists, photographers, collectors of memorabilia, dreamers: anyone wishing to share in the topic of railroading. We are NOT just a model railroad club, but so much more!
If you are interested in being a part of our club, please print and complete our membership application, enclose it and a check (made payable to the Tehachapi Loop Railroad Club) in the amount of the membership fee and mail it to:
Membership dues are paid annually.
Individual:
$45.00 per year
Family:
$70.00 per year
The town of Tehachapi celebrates various holidays with parades and you will find that the TLRC caboose is typically a feature of these parades, especially at Christmas time. In addition, the TLRC in conjunction with the Friends of the Tehachapi Depot (FOTD) display the caboose at various FOTD events throughout the year and especially at Christmas where you may be able to have a picture with Santa!
The club has several train displays (Train Shows) that are set up throughout the year for the public to view our club members' model trains via portable modular layouts. We have no club house with a permanent layout so our Train Shows are our way of interacting with the public and/or interested parties. Typically, there is a spring extravaganza in April, a show in mid-Summer, and our last show of the year is usually in late fall.
We operate a large HO scale modular layout (which is currently being renovated), plus G Gauge, N scale, Z scale, a Toy Train (American Flyer, Lionel, Marx, etc.) layout and sometimes a Lego train layout. When not operating our layouts, we try to schedule events/trips throughout the year that relate to real trains. Whether it is going to a train show, chasing real trains, or visiting a historic train site, these events are designed to be a social interaction amongst members of the club.
Our monthly business meeting is held in Tehachapi on the second Saturday of each month. The location is to be determined at this time (we're working on it!). The meetings start at 10 am. In July, the monthly meeting is called a Crew Change Dinner where newly elected club officers are installed; the location of this event varies. In addition, for the December meeting, the club hosts a Holiday Dinner. Last but not least, we have a monthly newsletter (The Loop) that is e-mailed to all members. This newsletter includes the minutes from our last meeting, any up-coming events, and railroad - related articles submitted by our members.
Model Train Shows
Our train shows generally occur three times per year, typically on the second weekend in January, April, and October. Operating hours are Saturdays from 10am to 5pm and Sundays from 10am to 3pm. The locations vary (but are in Tehachapi) and are to be determined (TBD), but will be advertised well in advance.
Here is the flyer from our last show.
Operation Lifesaver
We know that injuries and fatalities that occur at highway-rail crossings or on railroad property are a real, but often preventable problem. Few people realize that in America, a person or vehicle is hit by a train roughly every three hours, and that's a reality Operation Lifesaver Incorporated (OLI) is determined to change. The Tehachapi Loop Railroad Club (TLRC) is also committed to railroad safety. To that end, we have pursued the necessary training to have a TLRC member become an Operation Lifesaver Authorized Volunteer. Having such a person on our staff enables us to help carry out the Operation Lifesaver vision of being the recognized leader in providing the public with rail safety education and ending death and injuries due to trespassing and collisions on the tracks. TLRC joins with Operation Lifesaver's network of authorized volunteer speakers and trained instructors that offer free rail safety education programs. They speak to school groups, driver education classes, community audiences, professional drivers, law enforcement officers, and emergency responders. Together we promote the three E's – Education, Enforcement and Engineering – to keep people safe around the tracks and railway crossings within our communities. Call 1-800-537-6224 for more information or visit the Operation Lifesaver website at www.oli.org
