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Tidewater O Gauge Association (TOGA)

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Toga Train Club

The Tidewater “O” Gauge Association is an O-Gauge model railroad group located in the Hampton Roads area. We publicly display our layout at a variety of venues including community events, fairs, libraries, and train shows. These public displays give us a chance to enjoy each other's camaraderie while sharing our hobby with others. TOGA boasts two layouts available to club members. The permanent layout is located in the TOGA Clubhouse near Indian River Road. The traveling layout is 31 ft x 22 ft.

WHAT IS “O” GAUGE?

Toy trains have been built to a variety of gauges since the 19th century. The largest have been abandoned because those trains took up so much room and hobbyists preferred creating realistic layouts with structures and scenery in the space at their disposal. The most popular gauge for toy trains is O (pronounced "oh"), with 1 1/4 inches between the rails. The rugged O and O-27 gauge (circles of track have diameters of 31 and 27 inches, respectively) trains produced by Lionel in the 1940s and '50s helped introduce millions of children to this hobby. Many of those youngsters, now grown up, still enjoy trains of this size. Hobbyists realize that the toys of their youth weren't scale models. Most of today's O gauge trains feature greater realism and can be described as scale, having been built to a ratio of 1:48. That means a 50-foot boxcar would be 12 1/2 inches long in O.

WHY MODULAR RAILROADING? Members of a modular group each build their own layout module following a common set of specifications. The tracks are permanently attached to the module and wired to a standard set of electrical connectors. The modules can then be easily hooked together to form a large model train layout. The resulting layout is generally much larger than the average home layout.

Model railroad enthusiasts of all scales join modular clubs for a variety of reasons. Many members of modular clubs do not have the room or the time to build a large home layout. Belonging to a club gives the members a chance to share knowledge and learn from one another. The public displays give the members the chance to make new acquaintances and showcase their collections and modeling skills while promoting a family friendly hobby.

MembershipActive involvement by its members is fundamental to the club's continued success. Membership is primarily participation in the club. Candidate members are welcome to take part in one of the club’s public layouts. If the decision is made to go forward with membership, the candidate will pay a $10 initiation fee, a monthly $5 membership dues and a $25 monthly fee to cover the rent for the clubhouse.

MeetingsMeetings are rather informal.  Meetings can range from work sessions on the modular or permanent layout to visits to other layouts and collections. Meetings are held weekly on Wednesday nights at 6 PM at either the Clubhouse or Piccadilly’s Cafeteria on Military Highway. Call (757) 450-9500 for dates and meeting location.

TOGA clubhouse directions click here for Google Maps !
Picadilly Cafeteria directions click here for Google Maps.
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