In 1876 quarrying started just to the west of the railway, with short horse-worked tramways used to haul the ore to a fan of sidings beside the Midland.
To feed the newly installed blast furnaces, the tramways were extended to new ore fields to the south and west.
A new branch of the tramway was laid to reach these, requiring a substantial viaduct to cross the valley below the village.
In 1926 a unique double Sentinel locomotive was purchased for the Thorpe Malsor branch, though it was not a great success.
A final new set of ore fields were opened at Bunker Hill in 1933, again served by a new tramway branch.