In 1888, the Cleveland Cotton Mill was built about eight miles north of Shelby, and the small community which sprang up around the mill became known as Lawndale. After ten years of hauling the mill's output via wagons to the nearest railhead (in Shelby), the owners decided it was time to build their own railroad.

Construction began on May 10, 1899 on a 3' narrow gauge line, and on November 11, 1899 the eight mile line was completed. The initial fleet of rolling stock came from the nearby Chester & Lenoir Narrow Gauge Railroad, which had been sold in 1897 and upgraded to standard gauge.

From 1902 to 1906, the railroad had a short boom in revenue thanks to the discovery of monazite in Cleveland County. However, by the 1940s, the trucking industry began eating into its profits, and the line was shut down in April of 1943. By 1945, the tracks were salvaged and little remains since then.

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Towns on Route:

Shelby

Lawndale