I was quite saddened and
surprised to hear of the passing of Larry Kline just now. Larry was a wonderful person and the definition of a gentleman
and scholar. All those in the hobby who had the privilege to know him will miss
him. I always looked forward to talking with him at various local and national
RPM and NMRA meets and no matter what the topic, I always came away learning
something new and interesting. I first met him back when I was in grad school
in Pittsburgh and always learned a great deal from him whenever we chatted. The Postwar Freight Car Fleet: North
American Freight Car Designs from 1898 to 1947, which Larry co-authored
with Ted Culotta is a terrific book and a main stay of any RPM freight car
library. I always keep my copy handy! Larry was a truly good person, a
wonderful modeler, and he was always willing to share his encyclopedic
knowledge of railroad history and freight car design with others. He was also
just a nice guy who made the hobby a better place. My condolences go to his family and
friends.