Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society Inc

PRESERVE THE PAST, POWER THE FUTURE!

OUR FOCUS

We have embarked on the restoration of "Chessie 29," a railcar that served as the mobile office for the president of the C&O Railway and played a little-known role in the Cold War. We have begun fundraising to restore this mid-century car and reintroduce it to the American rail network as a rolling museum and teaching tool. Come, help us bring this car back to its full glory.

For 56 years, The Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society has served to interpret the American Railroad Experience, and how that experience contributed to the building and growth of the nation, utilizing the history of the C&O Railway.  That history includes a vast collection of images and artifacts in the Freight House Museum and Archive's Building, passenger cars, freight cars, and locomotives from both the heavy weight and streamline era.

CELEBRATING THE RAILROADERS 

THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO RAILWAY

Many people think that a railroad is powerful locomotives pulling fast trains, colorful freight and passenger cars, large and small stations and yards.  But it is the people of the railroad that make it go and keep it rolling.  People such as car inspectors, accountants, sales agents, geologists, track workers, signal maintainers; people that work in public relations and advertising, research and development, information technology, safety, real estate, and industrial development; machinists, mechanics, electricians, carpenters, and yes, locomotive engineers, conductors, and brakemen.

We hope you will join us in this fundraising campaign as we salute and honor all of the men and women of the C&O and their contributions, both large and small that kept the freight trains moving and the passenger trains rolling and made the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway the great railroad it was.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION

Your generous donation will allow the C&O Historical Society to move forward with restoration efforts to preserve and maintain our collection of locomotives, freight and passenger cars, and our facilities at the Heritage Center along with maintaining and enhancing our collection of images and artifacts within our Archives. 

And if you have not visited the C&O Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, or have not visited for a while, we invite you to come and share the wonderful experience of American Railroading as seen through the history of the Chesapeake and Ohio. 

All contributors to the C&O Historical Society through this program will receive special certificate of appreciation for this campaign, and a copy of the “Greenbrier Express: Cass and C&O's Greenbrier Branch” booklet.   For those contributing $500.00 or more, you will receive a copy of the book, "Chesapeake & Ohio Data Book No. 1: E7 and E8 Diesels in Color."