TCA Grading Standards

Condition/Grading Standards

The following Condition and Grading Standards apply to all toy train and related accessory items. The items that are being evaluated may or may not include the original box. Boxes and other paper are subject to a separate set of grading and condition standards. Standards for all toy train and related accessory items apply to the visual appearance of the item and do not consider the operating functionality of the equipment.

The Standards have been expanded with the introduction of a separate designation for restored/refinished items. Restored/
refinished items must continue to be marked as such using the pressure sensitive labels (Identags) available from the TCA. The Association provides these labels through members of the Standards Committee or the National Business Office.

Condition and Grading Standards are subjective, at best, and are intended to act as a guide. It is important and logical that wishful thinking not be allowed to influence the choice of grade.

  • C-10 Mint—Brand New: all original; unused and unblemished.
  • C-9 Factory New—Brand New: all original; unused; may
    evidence factory rubs and the slightest evidence of handling,
    shipping and having been test run at the factory.
  • C-8 Like New—Complete all original: no rust, no missing parts; may show effects of being on display and/or age; may have been run.
  • C-7 Excellent—all original: minute scratches and paint
    nicks; no rust and no missing parts; no distortion of component
    parts.
  • C-6 Very Good: Minor scratches and paint nicks, minor
    spots of surface rust, free of dents. May have minor parts replaced.
  • C-5 Good—Signs of play wear: scratches and minor paint
    loss. Small dents, minor surface rust. Evidence of heavy use.
  • C-4 Fair: Scratched, moderate paint loss, dented missing
    parts, surface rust. Evidence of heavy use.
  • C-3 Poor—Requires major body repair: Heavily
    scratched, major rust and missing parts. Restoration candidate.
  • C-2 Restoration required.
  • C-1 Junk—parts value only.

Restored / Refinished Items Standards

Restored/refinished toy train and related accessory items must continue to be marked as such using pressure-sensitive labels available from TCA. All replacement parts considered “major component parts” such as an engine frame, boiler or cab that have been used in the restoration of an item must include the required identification marks of the manufacturer.

  • R-5 Professional Grade—Restored in all aspects of finish and detail as when manufactured: Finished in correct type of paint, color, texture and gloss. All wiring exactly matches the original. All trim in correct finish or plating. Virtually identical to the original. No surface imperfections in the metal work. No wear or evidence of use present. Authentic in all aspects.
  • R-4 Very Good—Restored to a general high standard: However, noticeable differences exist particularly with respect to the color, finish, and texture of paint when compared to an original piece.
  • R-3 Good—A restored piece that has signs of play wear
    with minor dents and scratches.
  • R-2 Fair—A non-professional restoration: Color, texture
    and finish clearly different from the original. Other items, such
    as non-authentic wiring are also evident.
  • R-1 Poor—A poorly constructed restoration in all respects: May be a candidate for restoration. Includes dents or rust pitting under the finish.

Paper/Box Grading Standards

  • P-10 MINT-BRAND NEW Complete and all original as
    manufactured and unused.
  • P-9 STORE NEW Complete and all original and unused.
    May have merchant additions such as store stamps, price tags
    et al. Boxes must have inner liner/s, if appropriate.
  • P-8 LIKE NEW Complete and all original. Evidence of light
    use and aging, additional notations since leaving publisher or
    manufacturer. Contents of box may be missing.
  • P-7 EXCELLENT Complete and all original. Handling
    indentations, minute edge wear, small creases.
  • P-6 VERY GOOD Complete and all original. Minor abrasions, creases and/or folds. Small tears, slight color changes,
    minor soiling. Box may have inner liner/s missing.
NOTE: Any paper or box that has been repaired can be graded no higher than P-5.
  • P-5 GOOD Items show substantial wear. Moderate abrasions, creases and/or folds; moderate tears and losses. Moderate color changes, staples may be rusty or replaced. May have been repaired with archival tissue and adhesive.
  • P-4 FAIR Heavy damage but generally legible. May or may
    not have been repaired. Paper may be brittle. Boxes may have
    inner flaps missing.
  • P-3 POOR Incomplete, may be very brittle, significant
    deterioration. Extensive amateur repairs. (Scotch Tape ® or equivalent).
Based on 481 reviews
94%
(451)
3%
(16)
1%
(7)
1%
(3)
1%
(5)
EMD SD40-2

I purchased 2 Kato SD40-2 to be used with my slug shells I recently made on my 3D printer. Squeaky’s shipping was perfect. Well packaged and fast shipping. Thank you Squeaky for everything.

Good service

Decoder arrived quickly and qwas a good value.

Squeaky's is a GREAT place to get Model railroad supplies

They tend to keep their inventory / computer in synch, so you don't have to worry about getting "not in stock" message or whatever. Saves Time! They communicate very well, keep you informed and are a treasure among small businesses run by the close-knit family. Items are always packed securely and arrive in perfect shape.

Small stations

Nice model; easily built

Nice Train

Really love the detail of this locomotive. Very smooth running. Excellent price too.

Woodland Scenics 5770 | Just Plug Lighting System | Power Supply

Excellent for breaking out decoder terminals

Great for accessing decoder IO's.
The only issue was the motor on board only works if I push in on the flywheel. Other than that it works good.

He loves it!

"It's a wonderful thing I can see what's going on all around my platform now"

I rolled a 300 game at Walthers Vintage bowling alley!

Looks like it'll be a fun kit to put others. Arrived in perfect shape.

Shaper Sheets

Easy to use, very versital, but user must remember to spray the fabric with a little water before applying the shaper sheet plaster. You can also mix it with latex paint, but I found that too be a waste of time.

Ordered a back ordered item

The item was back ordered and the staff constantly kept me informed of the status of the product. I was very impressed with the service and the communication they provided. The product came as promised and works as expected. I will definitely do business with squeaky’s in the future

NixTrainz | Decoder Buddy Mini (1k Ohm Resistors Onboard)

A very nice quality item making decoder installations a bit easier. Best prices at Squeaky's Trains.

Great product came fast as described. Great seller!

Gentili e molto seri

Ottimo negozio. Consigliato

EMD SW-1. Circa 1951. 15 years on the shelf

This model is so old it has brass wheels for the engine. It was never built to run DCC in fact DCC did not exist when I purchased this model. I took it off the shelf after 15 years gutted the insides and added the Soundtraxx products that I bought from you. it was a tight fit. the only problem I have is I only bought one of the tiny mini speakers I should’ve bought two. The sound would’ve been much better and I would’ve had the eight ohms that I needed for the speaker system. I’ll be back to get another one and find a place to put it inside the Engine🤣. Your service was so quick I had a notification that the product shipping label had been created hours after I ordered the parts. The only problem is USPS. Thank you guys I will be back

Get service, great price! Everyone else is higher and charges shipping. Squeaky’s is the best price around and shipping is free!

Programmer is easy to use

This works fine. I use it in combination with the decoder tester, which makes programming and test running the decoder very easy from my PC laptop. Expensive, yes, but worthwhile if several decoder installations are planned, especially if you want to customise the sounds for your existing and future train collection.

The item had a shipping label almost 4 hours after I ordered it amazing

Everything that I ordered arrived in perfect condition. If I had a complaint it would be that the USPS is getting extremely slow.

Woodland Scenics 5760 | Just Plug Lighting System | Connecting Cables

Correction

*withOUT overpowering!

JT’s Mega Steam

Good product. Definitely carries the essence of Cedar Smoke with overpowering.

Accurail Cars

Immediate confirmation of purchase, very fast shipment, arrived in perfect condition. Could not ask for more!

It is 9x16 mm, not 9 x 13 mm as advertised

I haven't had the chance to install this speaker yet, but the size quoted on the website does not match the size stated on the Loksound packet for the 50342, which says 9 x 16 x 3 mm. I've measured it to confirm the length is 16mm, not 13 mm as advertised.

No big deal, I suppose, but I had hoped I could fit it in an n-gauge body cross-wise instead of length-wise. Hence the 3-star rating.

Dear Graham,

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review for the ESU 50342 Rectangular Speaker with Enclosure. We sincerely apologize for the discrepancy between the advertised dimensions and the actual measurements.

We strive to provide accurate product descriptions, and it seems this detail was incorrect. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. We will update the product listing to reflect the accurate dimensions of 9 x 16 x 3 mm to ensure future customers have the correct information.

If this discrepancy impacts your intended use of the speaker, please let us know. We’d be happy to work with you to find a suitable solution, such as a return, exchange, or alternative product recommendation.

Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve, and we appreciate your understanding. Please feel free to reach out if there’s anything else we can assist you with.

Kind regards,
Clayton
Squeaky’s Trains Customer Support

© 2025 Squeaky's Trains & Things, Powered by Shopify

    • Amazon
    • American Express
    • Apple Pay
    • Diners Club
    • Discover
    • Google Pay
    • Mastercard
    • PayPal
    • Shop Pay
    • Venmo
    • Visa

    Login

    Forgot your password?

    Don't have an account yet?
    Create account