he C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, Virginia, is a small museum and educational hub operated by the Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society. Founded in 2004 and located on the grounds of the former Smith Creek Yard, the center highlights the legacy of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in the region and interprets American railroading generally. A highlight of the collection is the fully restored 1895 Clifton Forge C&O Freight Depot, which houses numerous indoor exhibits and a large model railroad. Outside, the grounds include two restored diesel-electric locomotives, many passenger and freight railcars, a restored switch tower, and a replica of a circa 1900 local passenger station. A scale riding railroad also operates on the grounds. The Center sits adjacent to the CSX Transportation mainline into the railroad's Clifton Forge yard, and is 1/4 mile from the Clifton Forge Amtrak station and the Cardinal passenger service. The town was a major junction on the Chesapeake & Ohio east-west route, where the mainlines that split at Richmond, Virginia, came back together to cross West Virginia.