Lancaster & Chester Railway

The Lancaster & Chester Railway operates approximately 60 miles of trackage in northern South Carolina. The railroad is just one company owned & controlled by the huge Springs textile family.

At over 100 years old, the L&C is South Carolina's oldest active short haul carrier, hauling over 12,000 cars each year. What began on a short 30-mile stretch of railroad between it's namesake towns, has become grown to double it's size since 2002, serving some of the the world's most reknowned industries.

In 2002, the company leased an NS branch from the Catawba River, southeast of Rock Hill, to Kershaw. The main customer was Archer Daniels Midland, who appears to have increased their business significantly since L&C took over operations. So clear is the fact that L&C's business has grown in recent years, that in order to handle the extra business, they've modified their locomotive roster by leasing larger power. Two of those locomotives have been purchased outright, while nearly a dozen others have cycled in & out from leasor GATX.