Master model railroader donates personal collection to C&O Historical Society

CLIFTON FORGE, VA (LOOTPRESS) – The C&O Historical Society has received a significant donation from Master Model Railroader Don Eastman, whose personal collection of scratch-built model railroad structures and rail cars now forms part of the Society’s exhibits.

C&O Historical Society President Mark Totten traveled nearly 1,000 miles to Sarnia, Ontario, where Eastman lives, to pick up his models, which meticulously recreate scenes from the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, a line that played a central role in the history of Virginia and West Virginia.

Eastman’s models, constructed over decades, feature historical accuracy and attention to detail, bringing to life coalfields, rail yards, and structures from Appalachia.

This donation, comprising around 50 buildings and 15 custom-built rail cars, will be displayed at the C&O Railway Heritage Center in Clifton Forge, Virginia, and the Society’s satellite museum in St. Albans, West Virginia.

Eastman has been a member of the C&O Historical Society for over 40 years and decided to donate his models after learning about the organization’s new museum in St. Albans.

He felt his work would find a fitting home there and in Clifton Forge, where it could be shared with the public.

“Seeing my models have a new life at these museums is very fulfilling,” Eastman said. “I can always build more.”

C&O Historical Society President Mark Totten made the journey to Canada to collect the donation, praising Eastman’s kindness and craftsmanship.

The models will be a centerpiece in the Society’s exhibits, providing visitors with a detailed view of the C&O Railway’s legacy.

The donation is part of the Society’s ongoing effort to preserve and celebrate railroad history.

Both museums are open to the public, with the St. Albans location welcoming visitors on the first Saturday of each month and the Clifton Forge location open six days a week.

For more information, visit the C&O Historical Society’s website or follow them on social media.