The Caldwell County Railroad (reporting mark CWCY) is a Class III shortline railroad operating over 17 miles (27 kilometers) between Hickory and Lenoir, North Carolina.

[1] The Caldwell County Railroad was formed in 1994 when Norfolk Southern sold the 22-mile (35 km) line from Hickory to Lenoir to the Caldwell County Economic Development Commission (CCEDC).

The CCEDC subsequently leased the line to the Caldwell County Railroad Company, a subsidiary of Southeast Shortlines Inc.[2] The line was originally constructed as 3 ft (914 mm) gauge in 1874, under the charter of the Chester & Lenoir.

[5] On March 21, 2007, the CWCY filed a request with the Surface Transportation Board to abandon 5 miles (8 km) of its line near Lenoir to near Valmead.

[7][8] The Caldwell County Railroad operates 2 locomotives, numbers 1747 and 1811.