Moving History

About Our Museum

The South Carolina Railroad Museum’s mission is the preservation and interpretation of railroading in South Carolina. To that end, we welcome visitors to our Winnsboro museum site where guests can experience seasonal train rides, special railway events, self-guided tours, and more.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES:

Kelvin Woods, Chair

Damon Bryson

Shannon Edwards

Ron Jarosz

David Lewis

Henry Nechemias

Joseph Palma

Pat Walker

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

David Lewis

Henry Nechemias

Rodger Stroup

Charles Weber

Kelvin Woods

RAIL OPERATIONS:

Rodger Stroup, Superintendent

John Parker, Assistant Superintendent

Charles Weber, Assistant Superintendent

MUSEUM OPERATIONS:

Heidi Lewis, Tickets Sales

Tiffanie Kozusko/Brian Jolly, Charters

Richard Chandler, Membership

Damon Bryson, Gift Shop

Our Story

A National Treasure

The South Carolina Railroad Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a member of Fairfield County Chamber of Commerce, S.C. Federation of Museums, Confederation of S.C. Local Historical Societies, Heritage Rail Alliance, National Railway Historical Society, and the Rail Heritage Alliance.

The museum has accumulated many pieces of rolling stock by way of gifts from the Charleston chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. The equipment includes various types of freight and passenger cars as well as a steam locomotive #44, which once belonged to the Hampton and Branchville Railroad. More equipment has been acquired including cabooses, freight cars, and diesel engines from CSX, Norfolk Southern, the Lancaster and Chester, and other railroads.

The museum exhibits a wide variety of equipment, displays, running scale model trains, and related items while visitors can purchase rail and museum-themed gifts and souvenirs in the gift shop.

PASSENGER CAR PICTURES

  • Lake Rion Diner

    Ride with style in our 1924 dining car. The car has large picture windows, table seating for four, with a drink and snack provided. Limited tickets based on a first-come/ first-serve basis. Small parties of 2 or 3 can expect other people to be assigned to their table. Parties larger than 4 will be seated at multiple tables as close together as possible. The Lake Rion is used in cooler weather and is not available on all trains.

  • Coach

    Ride in our historic 1954 passenger cars which includes bench seating along open windows and a narrated tour. These coaches were used in interurban service in Montreal, Canada. They were originally self-propelled electric cars with power coming from overhead electric lines providing power to traction motors located in the axles.

  • Caboose

    Enjoy a relaxing trip in a 1940 Nickel Plate Road caboose or a 1975 B&O/Chessie caboose. Each caboose seats 10 to 11 passengers. Cabooses may not be available during some special events.

  • Open-Air Car

    Have the best view of the line and the countryside. Please note: this car will run rain or shine and is open to the sun and other elements, please dress accordingly.

  • Double Decker Cars

    Coach cars were used as commuter cars until the Army purchased them to use to transport troops. These will be climate-controlled in the future. Currently, we use them in cooler weather.

  • Transfer Caboose

    We have 2 transfer cabooses that are utilized from time to time. The XC5 is used as an auxiliary open-air car and the XC6 is used primarily as a part of our Fire train when running steam. The Fire Train runs behind the Steam train spraying the track, preventing and putting out any embers that fall from the locomotive.

  • Circus Dormitory Cars

    We have three types of circus dormitory cars!

    Our first has 11 private compartments with shared bathrooms and showers. Lower-ranked performers, such as clowns, lived on this car while traveling between performances.

    Our second circus car was for mid-level performers. It contains 5 compartments of various sizes that can sleep 4 to 6 people. Each compartment has its own shower and bathroom as well as a kitchenette. It has shared laundry facilities in the center of the car.

    Our third circus car has 3 compartments. One large one for the main act and two smaller ones that would have been used by upper-level acts or staff such as the Ring Master/ Road Manager.

Railyard Tours
& Equipment

Take a closer look at SCRM’s collection of rolling & stationary living displays.

The core of the historic rolling stock at the museum came from the Charleston Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society in the 1990s.  They include the Hampton & Branchville #44 Baldwin locomotive and tender, the 1924 Southern Railway dining car, the Seaboard Air Line business car “Norfolk,” Southern Railway Pullman sleeping car “Bizet,” the Southern Railway post office car, 2 Southern Railway baggage cars, 2 Southern Railway transfer cabooses, a 45-ton Porter center cab locomotive and a 6,000-gallon tank car.

Create unforgettable memories.