Larry Denton at Warren Calloway's appreciation event in Raleigh, July 22, 2023. Paul Faulk photo
Long-time ACL & SAL HS board member Larry Denton passed away on November 29, 2023. A resident of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., he was born November 22, 1946, and had just turned 77. Surviving is his wife of 51 years, Martha B. Denton. He graduated from Roanoke Rapids High School and received an accounting degree from Hardbarger’s School of Business. He worked in the construction industry, owned a construction business, worked in a law firm, and most recently was a tax preparer.
Larry had a love of music and played several instruments. If you ever visited him, he always had classical music playing. He loved sports and was an official with the North Carolina Athletic Association for over 25 years, calling many games.
Larry was born into a railroad family. His father was station agent for the Seaboard Air Line in Weldon, N.C., a joint station with the ACL. One of Larry’s favorite stories was that Weldon was not listed in the ACL timetable as a stop for the streamliners, but if there were passengers to board, his father would have the Champion stop there.
Larry did work for the SAL for a short time. He told stories of growing up and hanging around the railroad, and various things he did in and around it. He was an avid railfan and shot video and slides in many parts of the country. He was a prototype modeler and scratch-built many southeastern models, mostly SAL, including several SAL trains that operated on the railroad’s north end.
Larry was a board member of the ACL & SAL Historical Society since 2002. He had many custom models and decal sets produced for the Society. He wrote articles for Lines South, and contributed to many more. He helped with the company store for several years. He worked many weekends at shows to promote the Society and sell items. He was always at the Raleigh show in November each year.
Larry was a very generous man. He had a tough exterior but would help anyone with anything, especially with trains in all areas. He loved sharing his vast knowledge of railroading or modeling. He loved setting up with the Sipping & Switching Society modular modeling group, running one of his long Seaboard trains there and hanging out with everyone.
The Seaboard was in Larry’s blood. Having been born and raised Seaboard was something he was very proud of. If you look up in the night sky and see a shooting star, that is Larry on the Silver Meteor with a smile.
– Thomas Hall