The Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society is pleased to announce an initiative in the Commonwealth of Virginia to formally establish a special interest license plate with the Department of Motor Vehicles for our non-profit historical society. Our proposed plate represents the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway’s contribution to Virginia’s railway heritage and was designed by Ken Miller, the artist who designed the Virginia license plate with the Norfolk & Western Railway’s iconic Class J steam locomotive No. 611. Our proposed special interest license plate for the C&OHS features two of the C&O Railway’s most recognizable brands—an E8 diesel locomotive pulling a tricolor passenger train and Chessie, the railroad kitten and mascot of the C&O, featured in the center background. Both are beautifully represented in historically-accurate detail.
In order for the C&O Historical Society’s Virginia license plate to become a reality, we must secure 450 paid preorders from Virginia motorists. To process your preorder, please complete and return our pre-filled VSA 10D form (download link below) and payment of $25 to:
Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society
Attn: VA license plate
312 E. Ridgeway St.
Clifton Forge, VA 24422
Payments can be made by check or money order (made payable to C&O Historical Society) and included with your mailed VSA 10D, or online by checking out with this item in your cart. If payment is made online through ChessieShop.com, the C&OHS must still receive your completed VSA 10D to keep on file until the required number of preorders have been received.
Required to preorder: VSA 10D + PAYMENT
When 1,000 Virginia motorists have proudly ordered the C&O Railway license plate, a portion of each subsequent plate sold will directly benefit the Chesapeake & Ohio Historical Society in Clifton Forge. This support from Virginians will help the C&OHS continue its mission of historical preservation and interpretation by funding progress such as restoration initiatives at our Heritage Center museum and future publications memorializing the history of the C&O Railway.
Our special thanks goes to Virginia Delegate Terry Austin, who will introduce legislation to the Virginia General Assembly authorizing the formal establishment of this special interest license plate for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway and benefiting the C&O Historical Society.
Pending state and legislative review, the final design for the C&OHS license plate may vary from the submitted proposal pictured. However, it is the goal of the C&OHS to keep the final design approved by all state agencies as true to the concept pictured as possible.
Updates in the goal to receive 450 preorders will be provided through email and social media. Please help us continue our mission that began in 1969 and fill the roads throughout the Commonwealth with this beautiful image promoting the C&O Railway and Virginia’s rail heritage.
Download the VSA 10D form here.
If you are unable to view the VSA 10D in PDF format, you may need to download and install Adobe Reader DC here.
If the applicant wants to personalize their plate, there is an additional fee of $10 on top of the standard $25. Please select the appropriate option – “personalized” or “do not personalize” – in the drop down selection below. Be sure to select and complete Section 3 in the above form appropriately.
Until we accumulate the required 450 orders, we will be holding your money in an account prior to transfer to the DMV. If we fail to reach the required number of plate preorders, all money will be returned to customers.
