Squeaky’s Trains & Things LLC will be closed from Friday, September 20th to Tuesday, October 1st, 2024. Guaranteed shipping will be available on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024.

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 423 reviews
93%
(395)
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(5)
Another Great Item to My Collection.

I want to thank the seller for this great item that was added to my growing collection. Thank you.

I am disabled, so I do not work very fast. I installed the 58828 in a PRR GG-1, and it works well. I have not gotten to the next18 decoder and harness yet.
Will you be stocking the ESU sugar cube speakers? They are small and reliable. I couldn't find them on your site. I ordered them from someone else, but I prefer to work with one hobby shop. You are fast in processing my orders, and I like getting a piece of candy.

Hello John,

Thank you for your support and feedback. It appears we don’t currently stock those specific speakers. The closest option we have is the ESU 50342. However, we are always open to suggestions and will consider adding more speaker options in our next restock.

Ring Engineering LM-3S | RailPro HO Scale Locomotive Module with Sound

DCC

Fast, accurate service and a free piece of candy.

Woodland Scenics Coarse Turf

They have good prices and love it when they have the free shipping for orders over $99. I usually order about a dozen jars of coarse turf at a time. Great stuff to work with and love the variety of colors they have. I get my order in a timely manor.

These decoders are awesome for converting older trains to newer sound and control.

Esu50345 speaker

Has good sound, but the railmaster speaker has more output.

Best decoder

Of the decoders i have tried, i like Tsunami 2 the best. I like how the chuff sounds get louder with increasing load, and there are several CVs to adjust the chuff just the way you like it. Also it is the only decoder i know of that has a water filling sound.

829100 Tsunami decoder

They work well in N scale , but requires some heavy modifications in some rolling stock. This item probably will be a lot easier in Ho scale. It produces good sound with the right speaker with an enclosure.

SoundTraxx 810163 | JST-N18 Adapter | N Scale

J
Bluford Shops 87310 | 86' Quad Door Boxcar - Southern - Gives A Green Light #42372 | N Scale
Jonathan R.
Great experience

Good stock, fair prices, speedy delivery. I will be a return customer.

J
Bluford Shops 87311 | 86' Quad Door Boxcar - Southern - Gives A Green Light #42353 | N Scale
Jonathan R.
Great Service

First time customer, and I’ll be a repeat customer. Excellent prices, outstanding service, rapid shipping and delivery!

Lubrication set

Set seems awesome but I have not used it as yet and may not for several weeks. Currently building a new layout so all other projects are put on hold.

Micro Trains SP "Supply Car" 3 pack

Great set that came with the jewel boxes. I have never heard of Squeaky's Trains & Things. I did a search for the MTL set and found it on their site. I was a bit skeptical at first. I then saw they had an Ebay store front. Upon seeing their 100% Positive Feedback, I felt comfortable placing the order. Glad I did. Great communication, reasonable and quick shipping and a GREAT price. Will keep them in mind for any future purchases.

I have not installed the battery jet. It seems ok. Thanks. Regards

Recommended!

Nice detailed train model with a nice translucent display case.
It is just the right size to display and doesn't take too much table/desk top space. Happy with it!

Lump Coal for locomotives

Just what was needed to fill a tender on my locomotive. Also used to fill coal cars on their way to coaling stations.

FCC Decoder Tester ESU 53900

Work's as expected, great product, fast delivery. Thank You

Exactly what I needed and was looking for for my 1920’s layout featuring the Southern andL&N railroads.

Perfect for testing different types of decoders! Glad I finally got one!

Intro to Soundtraxx & JMRI

Gradually learning to use JMRI, with help from the JMRI Group. TSU decoders are working, but this is different then Digitrax which I had been using for several years. May need to buy Keepalizes, as my current ones do not fit the TSU decoders.

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