Since the formation of Asheville District Reproduction Signs, I have been given multiple opportunities to produce replacement signage for various railroads and museums. Below are some examples of these installations featuring picture galleries and information.
Lancaster & Chester Railroad
The Lancaster & Chester Railroad is a 62 mile long shortline in northern South Carolina consisting of their original LC-Line from Lancaster to Chester and the former Southern Railway SB-Line from Kershaw to Catawba. The L&C features a large number of customers, interchanges with CSX and Norfolk Southern, and even receives unit grain trains from NS for one of their customers on occasion.
They are one of the few remaining examples of a railroad in the United States that has yet to be absorbed by a class I. Due to this, their original cast iron signage is still in place on a majority of their line. A large majority of this signage has been damaged and stolen over the years, and it lacks the required reflectivity in accordance with FRA regulations. They also gained ownership of the SB-Line in 2001, which featured a large amount of original Southern signage that was in desperate need of replacement.
In December of 2024, I was contacted by the L&C about the production of new mileposts for both their mainline and their portion of the SB-Line. The SB-Line would use Southern Railway style replacements, but the LC-Line would feature a new unique milepost based on the cast iron originals. This was my biggest order by far, featuring over 50 replacement signs.
These unique mileposts were designed with the intention of honoring their original mileposts while bringing the benefit of reflectivity and longevity.
Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway
The Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway is a 140 mile long shortline in central North Carolina consisting of former original Norfolk & Southern (later Southern) Railway lines. They are the largest shortline in North Carolina, feature two connections with Norfolk Southern and a single connection with CSX. They service an impressive number of customers, even featuring occasional unit grain trains for two massive customers.
In May of 2024, I was contacted by the ACW about the production of new mileposts between Aberdeen and Pinehurst on one of their lines. They were planning the announcement of a temporary Amtrak special train that would run for the US Open in June of that year. Their signs on this portion of the line had become faded and unreadable over time, and they wanted to present a good image for the passengers that were planning to ride the special.
These signs were my first installation on an official railroad, and also my first to be passed by an active Amtrak train.
North Carolina Transportation Museum
The North Carolina Transportation Museum is a state owned and run museum in Spencer, NC that focuses on transportation history for the state of North Carolina. It is hosted on the grounds of the former Southern Railway Spencer Shops, and is considered one of the premiere Southern Railway museums.
I reached out to the NCTM in May of 2022 with the request to work with them on replacing the aging and inaccurate signage along the museum track. This featured the production of multiple whistleposts and spring switch signs throughout their campus.
