Welcome to the C&O Heritage Center
Monday−Friday Noon−4PM
Saturday 10AM−4PM
Sunday Closed
Phone 540−862−8653
The Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society is proud to offer The C&O Railway
Heritage Center | Clifton Forge. This Center is a railway heritage museum,
interpretive, educational, and visitor's center that tells the story of the C&O
Railway: the people, the places, and the technology. The story is the essential
American story of how our nation grew, how we lived and worked, and
how we were all connected together by twin rails of steel. The purpose of
this center is also to honor the memory and contribution of those who
worked every day to make this possible. Although not as dramatic as a story
of war, it is every bit as heroic.
Clifton Forge, the Heart of the C&O
Clifton Forge, though a small town, was an important place on the C&O. It was where locomotives were serviced and readied for the trip West over the Alleghany Mountains and East over the Blue Ridge Mountains and down the James River. There was a large shop facility for the overhaul and repair of locomotives. There was a large rail yard for classifying coal and other freight, a yard for less than car load freight, an icing facility, the main laundry facility for the railroad, a passenger coach yard, and the division headquarters for the region. It was all the things that comprised a railroad, crowded into a small crescent of land next to the Jackson River, and an archetypal example of the American Railroad. The Center is also dedicated to preserving and telling the story of Clifton Forge.The C&O Historical Society
The Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society was founded in 1969 by Thomas W. Dixon, Jr., who created a newsletter which was sent to 16 people who were interested in the C&O. Over time, and with much effort, the Society grew to over 2000 members. The Society publishes a monthly magazine, numerous books and other publications, holds educational classes and annual conferences, operates The ChessieShop retail and catalog store, and provides research services. Our archives, established in Clifton Forge in 1987, is one of the most extensive collections of railroad historical and technical materials for a single railroad.Our Goals
The Goal of the Center is to be an inspiring, stimulating place that delights all who visit and leaves them with an understanding of the heritage of the C&O. It is also designed to attract visitors and stimulate the economy of our community. Finally, it is to be a "center" of the Alleghany Highlands community, of the Society, and of all the centers along the Chessie Corridor.A String of Pearls
The C&O Railway Heritage Center is more than a place: it is a concept that will link numerous historic rail sites together under a single banner to create a heritage trail. The Chessie Corridor stretches from Newport News, Virginia to the Great Lakes. The core of this corridor is from Newport News to Huntington, West Virginia − from the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River. It is our intention to work with and develop a number of historic sites along this route. The Center here will be a reference point to send visitors to these other sitesRestored 1895 C&O Freight Depot
This structure houses the primary museum displays and retail shop of the C&O Heritage Center. Erected in 1895, it served as a transfer and local freight office handling "Less Than Carload" (or LCL) package freight in the days before motor freight and UPS took over the package and small lot freight business. The area between our railroad cars and the freight station was filled with tracks on which sat scores of box cars that were loaded and unloaded for stations on three mainlines radiating from Clifton Forge and to and from several distant cities. Originally there was another similar building on the eastern end of this one, connected by a covered platform. The LCL freight business died in the early 1960’s.
Smith Creek Yard, Clifton Forge, ca. 1954