Charles Robert Vlk

It's hard to believe two years have gone by since Charlie passed away. For many years Charlie and I drove up to TrainFest together. I'd stay at their house the night before then we'd drive up together. It made the whole trip from New Jersey much more enjoyable to share the show experience with him.

I'm so sad to learn of Charlie's passing. I worked with him at Illinois Bell and reported to him at Ameritech. Charlie was smart, sharp, quick witted and kind hearted. A great guy!
My sincerest heartfelt condolences to his dear family.

Charlie will be known as a dreamer who made the dreams of the rest of the Model Railroad community come true. Charlie always had a twinkle in his eye and was a great positive influence on all who knew him. My condolences to the family. He was a loveable curmudgeon.

From all the members of Northwest Ntrak please accept our deepest condolences. Charlie was the catalyst the started our club in the early 90's. He will be missed.

Paul Sinars

So sorry! Deepest sympathy to the family.
Know Charlie from Lake Arlington.

Charlie was giant in model railroading especially in N scale. We only met once, last summer at the NSE convention in Nashville, but I felt I had known him for a long time through his reputation and on online forums. My sincere condolences to his wife and family. My he rest in peace.

I am very saddened by this news. My condolences to his wife and family. I met Charlie around 1970 in the All-Nation Hobby Shop. What luck! I became interested in N scale in 1963 and received my first model in 1967. Charlie was the first knowledgeable and enthusiastic N scale person I had ever talked to.

I remember Charlie from his time spent in the Chicago area and his connection with the Illinois Tech Model Railroaders. He was a wonderful, knowledgeable guy and I enjoyed all the times we got together.

Charlie and I started connecting in the late-1970s and continued by e-mail until shortly before his death. We had so many overlapping interests in the hobby, train places (Chicago!), and creating passenger car products for modelers. He was generous with his time and knowledge, and demonstrated a critical but unspiteful understanding of the history of multiple manufacturers. He will be greatly missed.

It is gratifying to see the outpouring of love towards Charlie among the model train world. There have been numerous messages on the Steam Era Freight Car, Passenger Car, and CB&Q email lists. And no doubt others as well. Charlie was well-loved by all.

I sent Charlie a picture a couple of weeks ago of his old homeplace in Brookfield. He said he bought his first N scale in a little shop across the street from the depot. He will be missed!

I've never met a more knowledgeable person when it comes to the history of N Scale than Charlie. He was the greatest guy to know and call a friend!

Charlie was a unique and fascinating person. He was a blessing to Barb and his friends.

Our Sincerest Condolences to the Vlk Family & Friends. May the ointment of fond memories, sooth the pain in your Heart.

Oh Charlie, We will miss you, your depth of History on model railroading, and your kind willingness to share your knowledge and experiences, not just of MRR, but of Life. YOUR project is nearing completion at JTC, and we are saddened that you will not be here to see its´ announcement. However, your fingerprints are all over it, and in your honor it will be.

Rest Our Friend,
Steve & Stan - JTC Model Trains

Charlie was a dear friend and will be sorely missed by so many people whose life he touched. My wife Linda and I send our deepest sympathies to Barb and his entire family.

I met Charlie several years ago and discovered that we had many model train things in common. Just over a short year ago, Charlie co-founded Tennessee T-Trak Associates, Inc., a regional model train association for which he constructed modular displays and provided invaluable guidance. We´ll miss Charlie, his wit, his expertise, and his contributions to not only TNT-Trak but to the model railroad industry as a whole, and his memory will always be in our hearts.
Ed Minnich, Co-founder
Tennessee T-Trak Associates, Inc.

Charlie was good people. He was very generous with his smile and with his knowledge. I always looked forward to our talks and his unique perspective on many many things. He was a resource to the hobby community and a good friend. He will be missed.

I enjoyed working with Charlie as we resurrected the Cumberland Division, NMRA. He created the banner we use at events, and he helped me with my project to model a freight car that is a family memory. Also, he was great company when we traveled together to Cocoa Beach in January 2022 for the RPM event there. He'll be missed by many in Middle Tennessee, and not just by N scalers, but also by those in HO.