The original Rockton and Rion Railway was constructed between 1883 and 1900 from Rockton to the granite quarry at Rion and then onto the quarry at Anderson, twelve and a half miles west of Rockton. From its inception until it stopped operating in the mid-1970s, the Rockton and Rion’s primary purpose was to haul granite from the two quarries operated by the Winnsboro Granite Company to Rockton, where the loaded train cars were delivered to the Southern Railroad (now Norfolk Southern) at the siding across Highway 34 from the museum. During the late 1960s the Rockton and Rion was one of the last railroads in the country still operating steam engines on a regular basis.

The South Carolina Railroad Museum, Inc. was established in 1973 by a group of dedicated railroad enthusiasts from the Columbia and Charleston, South Carolina areas. In October 1983, the Museum received by way of donation the former Rockton and Rion Railway from Martin Marietta Aggregates. After receiving the Rockton and Rion Railway the long and difficult process of reconstruction began. The Museum named the line the Rockton, Rion, and Western Railroad (RR & W).