| The Collis P. Huntington
Railroad Historical Society (CPH) is one of 178 National Railway
Historical Societies in the United States. Founded in 1959, CPH
did not become part of the NRHS until 1961. Our goals as a chapter
are: “Preserve documents and artifacts of railroad history, to promote
the use and improvement of the present railroad industry, to acquire
and restore rolling stock for display and operations, and to generally
encourage public interest in the ongoing story of the North American
railroads.”
Our 14th Street West Museum site. Our C&O 1308 was officially
listed on the National Register of Historic Places, January
31, 2003.
Written on the
WV State Historical Marker: Chesapeake & Ohio- 1308-----The
1308, built in 1949, was one of the last working steam locomotives
built by Baldwin Locomotive Works for a Class 1 railroad in
the U.S. It primarily hauled coal from Logan County. Retired
from C & O Railway service in 1956. Moved in September 1962
to its present location. The 1308 was placed on the National
Register of Historic Places January 31, 2003.
A non-profit organization ( 501(c)3 ) in West Virginia, it is
named for Collis Potter Huntington, who was one of the major investors
in the Central Pacific Railroad; it became part of the first transcontinental
railroad in the United States. He was active in many railroad
ventures. His second most important venture was in connecting
the Atlantic Seaboard with the Ohio River. He accomplished this
goal in 1873 with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in the newly planned
city bearing his last name.
Our chapter has been a part of the New River Train since the
1960’s. At that time we worked in conjunction with the Chesapeake
& Ohio Railroad. When the C&O was merged into the Chessie System
Railroads in 1984, we began sponsoring the trip on our own. This
is a traditional fall foliage trip from Huntington through the
New River Gorge to Hinton. These trips operate in October of each
year during the Peak of the Fall Season in Southern West Virginia.
It has hosted persons from all around the world. We have sponsored
many excursions on both CSX and NS and its predecessor railroads
to various locations in WV, KY and OH throughout the years and
look forward to many more to come. In 1991 the CPH chapter hosted
the NRHS annual convention in Huntington. We have hosted the Tourist
Railway Association Incorporated (TRAIN) Conference in 1990 and
it do again in November of 2003.
The chapter also sponsors a Model Railroad Club and is active
setting up for the Tri-State Model Railroad Show held at Greenbo
State Park in Argillite, KY each year. Other events that we participate
in are: Pogue Landing Days in Ashland, KY, Heritage Farm Festival,
Appalachian Model RR Club’s annual Model Railroad Show held Thanksgiving
Weekend each November, (over 20 years). O&LK Division of CPH sponsors
a Railroad Day held the first weekend in June at Belpre, OH. CPH
has been honored by CSX who asks us to help assist them with their
efforts in the annual “KickOff” for the Tri-State United Way.
CPH members can be seen working as security & car hosts on the
CSXT Loop trains.
 CPH
actively sponsors the preservation of rail passenger service throughout
the country; in particular we maintain one of the oldest narration
programs in existence. This is conducted onboard Amtrak’s “Cardinal”
(Named for the state birds of the states through which it passes)
from Ashland, KY-Huntington, WV through the New River Gorge and
on to White Sulphur Springs, WV.
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