There’s Only One Remaining Scenic Train In All Of South Carolina And You Need To Visit
Most people probably don’t realize the first steam powered, scheduled passenger train to run in America was in South Carolina. In the mid 1830s, a rail line from Charleston ran to Hamburg (near Augusta), Columbia and Camden. The new form of transportation was so popular that trains and railroads sprang up all over the state, some of them with tracks as short as 10 miles.
Today, with the exception of Amtrak, there's only one historic passenger train in the Palmetto State, at the South Carolina Railroad Museum in Winnsboro.
The train runs on five miles of historic track, pulled by a diesel locomotive through the countryside of this small town, ending up at the old Anderson Quarry.
The Museum has some special events you'll love, like their Valentine's Dinner Train and their BBQ Train. The most popular train rides are the ones with Santa, the rides to the pumpkin patch and the Easter train.
On rare occasions, the museum will feature "guest locomotives," providing opportunities for steam trains to run for a weekend.
Have you ridden the Rockton, Rion & Western at the South Carolina Railroad Museum? We’d love to hear about your experience in our comments. For more information on the train, upcoming events and to purchase tickets see their official website.
Robin Jarvis is a travel writer and editor for OnlyInYourState.com with a bachelor's degree in Journalism. Her love for travel has taken her to many parts of the world. She's lived in the Carolinas for nearly three decades and currently resides in Charleston. When she's not working, she loves to cook with friends and check out new adventures. General questions and FAM tours: rjarvis@onlyinyourstate.com.
