This branch off of the Southern Railway main line between Columbia and Spartanburg was built some time around 1894 when a textile mill was built on the Broad River. A small hydro-electric power plant was built along the river to serve the textile and the mill town of Lockhart sprang to life. The textile mill was shut down in the late 1980s, however rail service ended long before that. The Lockhart Branch was officially abandoned by the Southern Railway in the early 1970s. The hydro-electric plant remains in service, forming the basis of the local electric co-op.

The right-of-way is evident along SC Route 9 between Lockhart Junction (east of Jonesville) on the Norfolk-Southern line between Columbia and Spartanburg and Lockhart. The ROW follows the road most of the way to Lockhart, only leaving the highway for short stretches.