By Jeff Stagl, Managing Editor
Today, Lancaster & Chester Railroad (L&C) executives will join federal, state and local officials to mark the completion of the Piedmont Freight-Rail Service Improvement Program in Chester, South Carolina.
The short line — which is owned by Gulf & Ohio Railways Inc. — is hosting a project completion ceremony Nov. 29 with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Based in Lancaster, South Carolina, the L&C operates 62 miles of track and interchanges with CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway.
The railroad last year obtained an $8.7 million federal grant through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program for the Piedmont freight-rail improvement project, which called for rehabilitating the Catawba River Rail Bridge, upgrading 49 miles of track from Chester to Kershaw and acquiring three new locomotives.
A through-truss bridge over the Catawba River between Lancaster and Chester needed to be strengthened in part by replacing old iron rivets with hardened steel bolts. Gulf & Ohio Railways Inc. Overall, the $13.5 million total project investment was made possible through the CRISI grant provided by the FRA along with matching funds from the L&C, said Gulf & Ohio Railways Vice President Peter “Doc” Claussen Jr. in an email.
“Originally envisioned as an 18-month process, the grant period had to be extended for an additional six months due to supply-chain issues,” he said.
L&C executives estimate the work accomplished through the Piedmont program supported jobs for more than 2,000 employees at 36 shippers served by the short line.
The track improvements will enable the line to accommodate a larger volume of 286,000-pound cars at increased operating speeds, L&C officials say. The project involved installing 33,750 new ties and 14,500 tons of ballast, and tamping and surfacing work to raise 49 miles of track from an FRA Class 1 to FRA Class 2 rating.
Shown: a close-up of gusset plates on the Catawba River Rail Bridge. Gulf & Ohio Railways Inc. The Piedmont program’s bridgework component involved replacing 1916-era iron rivets with hardened steel bolts and additional gusset plates to strengthen the Catawba River Rail Bridge. The structure now can handle 286,000-pound rail cars at Class 2 train speeds, said Claussen Jr.
The program also included a motive-power purchase: L&C bought three KLW NZE SE32C locomotives.
“Versus the existing fleet, these new locomotives reduce emissions by over 95% on a gallons-of-fuel-consumed basis,” said Claussen Jr.
