Once upon an occasion, a trip to the Springs Recreation Park would allow for a ride on the only miniature steam driven railway in the world. On any given weekend, the Lancaster and Chester crew could be found operating the Lilliputian Branch of the railroad. In those days, the branch consisted of three locomotives, four passenger cars, two flat cars, and a caboose. There was more than one mile of rail with a turntable, a round house, a station, two sidetracks, a water tank and a tunnel. Thousands of children visited the park annually to ride the train. A portion of this train is already on display at the L&C Museum with the remaining portion undergoing renovations.

The highlight of the museum is a scale model replica of the original 29-mile route of the L&C. The railroad enthusiasts have taken on the responsibility of making exact replicas of every building and facility on the route, plus shrubs, trees and bodies of water.

Due to the diligence and hard work of several railroad buffs, including several L&C employees, the museum was established in the summer of 1995. Countless hours were spent preparing the site for the exhibition of hundreds of photographs depicting the railroad from the beginning to the present, railroad memorabilia, with information on the shortlines of the Palmetto state that have disappeared, and other relative artifacts. The museum opened for visitation in the fall of 1996.

The museum’s current hours of operation are: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Open on the first and third Saturdays of the month with some exceptions for holidays. Please call for details at 803-286-2102 when planning a visit.

The museum is located on the second floor of the station at 512 South Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29721

Admission is free with all donations appreciated.