Kline Is A 'Man Of All Trains'
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
Kline, 73, Warsaw, used his construction background to build a building east of his home on CR 200S to display the Lionel Lines train and start a train collection of his own.
The building now displays hundreds of small replica trains from the Old Railroad he has collected for the past 12 years.
Kline retired from the residential home construction business in 1997.
He constructed the building in 1995 that houses his train collection and it was completed in 1996 when he began collecting replica trains.
"I always liked trains and after I retired from the construction business, collecting trains and making a track gave me a chance to continue to be creative and keep my mind busy," Kline said.
His collection consists of items he has purchased over the years from auctions, estate sales and train meets in Nappanee, Fort Wayne, South Bend and Kokomo.
"I've always been fascinated by trains and remember riding on a train in high school when we took trips to New York and Washington D.C.," Kline said.
He graduated from Silver Lake High School in 1952.
The most recent train ride he took was in 2001 with his wife Joyce when they went from Orlando to San Diego to visit friends.
Kline shares his love of trains with the public and has had school and church groups visit and people who are in Warsaw from foreign countries.
There are two rooms in the building where replica trains from the Old Railroad are displayed.
A sign-in book sits by the train track for people to sign their names when they visit.
A sign hangs on the outside of the building that greets people that states "L.B. and W.C. Rail Lines" and stands for "Laid Back and Who Cares Rail Lines."
"Some people take their train collection so seriously, but I try to have fun with it," Kline said.
A real railroad crossing sits outside the building from the original Conrail track in Warsaw that was given to him.
As visitors enter the building a room greets them with railroad signs and wrenches used to repair trains.
Each item has a tag with the year and place it was purchased written on it.
A map of the Union Pacific System from 1952 hangs on a wall in a glass display case.
The first item for his collection Kline purchased was a paper holder from the Pennsylvania Railroad that went through Warsaw in the 1800s. He purchased the holder from an estate sale in Pierceton.
A workshop space was created in the building for Kline to make repairs and build train engines.
The second room displays a 93-foot track that runs around the room displaying diesel engines, steam engines and railroad cars.
The train models depict trains including Santa Fe, Baltimore & Ohio and Union Pacific.
"The railroad is an important part of U.S. history and is coming back into importance because it is less expensive to ship materials and goods by train than using the trucking industry," Kline said.
A clock hangs on the wall that makes a train whistle sound every hour and lights also have been installed in the small buildings along the track.
Kline's friend has assisted him over the years in building and painting small buildings around the train track to depict hospitals, churches and train stops.
Kline created the layout plans for the train track and added buildings, trees, hills and mountains along the track.
There are four areas when a person pushes a button that make barnyard, thunder, whistle and ocean sounds.
Kline said he always is looking for new replica trains and said if he would have the chance he would like to construct a Wild West scene on the track.
For more information or to schedule a visit to see the trains call Kline at 574-527-3649.
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Kline, 73, Warsaw, used his construction background to build a building east of his home on CR 200S to display the Lionel Lines train and start a train collection of his own.
The building now displays hundreds of small replica trains from the Old Railroad he has collected for the past 12 years.
Kline retired from the residential home construction business in 1997.
He constructed the building in 1995 that houses his train collection and it was completed in 1996 when he began collecting replica trains.
"I always liked trains and after I retired from the construction business, collecting trains and making a track gave me a chance to continue to be creative and keep my mind busy," Kline said.
His collection consists of items he has purchased over the years from auctions, estate sales and train meets in Nappanee, Fort Wayne, South Bend and Kokomo.
"I've always been fascinated by trains and remember riding on a train in high school when we took trips to New York and Washington D.C.," Kline said.
He graduated from Silver Lake High School in 1952.
The most recent train ride he took was in 2001 with his wife Joyce when they went from Orlando to San Diego to visit friends.
Kline shares his love of trains with the public and has had school and church groups visit and people who are in Warsaw from foreign countries.
There are two rooms in the building where replica trains from the Old Railroad are displayed.
A sign-in book sits by the train track for people to sign their names when they visit.
A sign hangs on the outside of the building that greets people that states "L.B. and W.C. Rail Lines" and stands for "Laid Back and Who Cares Rail Lines."
"Some people take their train collection so seriously, but I try to have fun with it," Kline said.
A real railroad crossing sits outside the building from the original Conrail track in Warsaw that was given to him.
As visitors enter the building a room greets them with railroad signs and wrenches used to repair trains.
Each item has a tag with the year and place it was purchased written on it.
A map of the Union Pacific System from 1952 hangs on a wall in a glass display case.
The first item for his collection Kline purchased was a paper holder from the Pennsylvania Railroad that went through Warsaw in the 1800s. He purchased the holder from an estate sale in Pierceton.
A workshop space was created in the building for Kline to make repairs and build train engines.
The second room displays a 93-foot track that runs around the room displaying diesel engines, steam engines and railroad cars.
The train models depict trains including Santa Fe, Baltimore & Ohio and Union Pacific.
"The railroad is an important part of U.S. history and is coming back into importance because it is less expensive to ship materials and goods by train than using the trucking industry," Kline said.
A clock hangs on the wall that makes a train whistle sound every hour and lights also have been installed in the small buildings along the track.
Kline's friend has assisted him over the years in building and painting small buildings around the train track to depict hospitals, churches and train stops.
Kline created the layout plans for the train track and added buildings, trees, hills and mountains along the track.
There are four areas when a person pushes a button that make barnyard, thunder, whistle and ocean sounds.
Kline said he always is looking for new replica trains and said if he would have the chance he would like to construct a Wild West scene on the track.
For more information or to schedule a visit to see the trains call Kline at 574-527-3649.
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