Lancaster & Chester Boxcars

The Lancaster & Chester Railway, a 60-mile shortline, owned two fleets of boxcars - forty 50-footers built in 1979, numbered 200-239 and twenty 60-footers built in 1996, numbered 600-619. The latter were used primarily by GAF to haul uncut/rolled roofing material for GAF, one of the L&C's main customers at the time. The cars were routed from GAF’s facility in Nashville, TN to East Chester, SC, where GAF would cut the material into shingles for home and industrial use. Unfortunately, for the L&C, GAF underwent a management change in the late 90s-early 2000s, resulting in more and more trucking shipments. L&C 600-619 was then leased to CSX before being sold off.

On September 1, 2010 Gulf & Ohio Railways purchased South Carolina's 62-mile Lancaster & Chester Railway. The railroad continued to use its name, powder blue paint scheme and slogan 'The Springmaid Line'. However, 2005 and later photos show the railway name and logo being painted out on the fleet, whose blue paint continues to fade. A 2012 photo shows at least one car repainted, with grey dip paint and WRWK reporting marks.

These cars were standouts on passing freights on CN's Kingston Sub.

My observations of L&C boxcars. Date, car number, CN train number on, remarks:

Feb 28/98 LC 604 on CN No 320 (top photo - note placards)

Sep 1/98 LC 607

Sep 4/98 LC 616 CN No 368

Nov 11/98 LC 604 CN No 320

Jun 5/99 LC 613 CN No 367 Dest Toledo, OH empty

Jun 12/99 LC 608-616 CN No 320 Dest Delson, QC loaded

Aug 12/99 LC 606 on CN No 366

Mar 18/00 LC 605 on CN No 306 Dest Chemin de Fer Baie Chaleur

Jim Parker posted this interesting photo - note two-tone blue paint and reversed '8' in reporting marks - of Lancaster & Chester 40-footer 1008 taken at Wishram, OR in 1968:

Thanks to Tonya Watkins for additional information in this post.

Running extra...

A previous post in my Classic Canadian Freight Cars (see sidebar) series featured DuPont's SCLAIR covered hoppers. One of these rolling rarities (looks to be NCLX 46548) made its way up CN's Kingston Sub today on CN No 369. Trackside Treasure reader Logan Cadue caught the train at Kingston station, sharing this capture - thanks, Logan! Same car photographed in Belleville without the mill gon and right behind the power. Likely a Belleville set-out for Kimco back in Kingston, which it has just passed in this photo!

Speaking of sidebars, check in for updates on my latest book on VIA Rail, which is now in the works - hence the red background. Not green for a little while yet. And yes, there will be a colour section. Thank you for your votes and comments.

Speaking of votes, an unnamed country directly to our south held an election recently. I watched a lot of coverage. I mean a lot. Probably too much. I did appreciate the eclectically elucidative comments offered by five CNN reporters who covered the unnamed successful candidate's campaign. Here at Trackside Treasure, we are MakingTrainsGreatAgain. Not that they were not great in the first place. Like that same unnamed country. Not perfect, but still great.