By 1897 the works was close to exhausting its source of ironstone near Wrexham and sought an alternative quarry to feed its furnaces.
Ironstone fields near Hook Norton were bought and a works set up to calcine the ore. A second kiln was brought into service in June 1900.
Brymbo had little hope of obtaining skilled workers locally, stating: labour will have to be imported, as there has been no unemployment here for a long time past.
(Banbury Guardian, quoted in "The Ironstone Quarries of the Midlands")[2]The first section of the tramway was built, running south from the works, through a tunnel under the Hook Norton to Milcombe Road and past the cottages to a quarry of 152 acres at Park Farm.
[4] Trains of calcined ore ran from Hook Norton to Brymbo on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays every week.
[6] In 1909 there was a major expansion when Brymbo was able to purchase the land and property of the bankrupt Hook Norton Ironstone Partnership.
The outbreak of the First World War saw a significant increase in demand for iron and steel to feed the munitions factories.
After the Armistice in November 1918 there was a short-lived boom and plans were made to re-open the Partnership's Townsend Quarry.
The ministry arranged for the Welsh Highland Railway's 2-6-2T Russell to be transferred to Hook Norton and also supplied a diesel dragline.
Immediately after the end of the war, cheaper European ore and steel became available again and the fortunes of Brymbo's Hook Norton operation rapidly declined.