The Shadow
CLIFTON FORGE, Va. (VR) – On Saturday, May 13, the C&O Historical Society will be celebrating National Train Day at the Heritage Center in Clifton Forge from 11 a.m-2 p.m.
They will be offering discounted admission to the exhibits at the Heritage Center which includes rides on Little C&O, their miniature railroad, giveaways for all visitors and activities for children in the Freight House Museum. Operation Lifesaver will be on-site with information about railroad safety.
The C&O Historical Society will also be opening its newest exhibit at the Heritage Center showcasing the railroad photographs of industrial photographer William Rittase, many of which were taken in Clifton Forge.
National Train Day is observed every year on the Saturday closest to May 10. May 10 is the date in 1869 when the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in the United States with the driving of a Golden Spike into a Laurel wood tie at Promontory Point, Utah.
From one end of the country to the other, America is connected by the best railroad system in the world. The seven large “Class 1” railroads working with hundreds of smaller railroads and tens of thousands of rail customers, deliver economic growth, support job creation and provide crucial environmental benefits today while preparing to meet the transportation challenges of tomorrow.
Railroads are the most fuel-efficient way to move people and freight. They are well ahead of other modes of transportation for limiting greenhouse gas emissions, increasing fuel efficiency and reducing their carbon footprint.
For further information on America’s railroads, visit the following websites: Association of American Railroads at www.aar.org, CSX Transportation at www.csx.com and Amtrak at www.amtrak.com. For more information on railroad safety, visit the Operation Lifesaver website at www.oli.org.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society is non-profit corporation organized in 1969 and dedicated to interpreting the American Railway experience using the C&O Railway’s history through drawings, documents, and artifacts which the Society collects, preserves, and makes available to as broad an audience as possible.
