[3] Opening for general mineral traffic followed in January 1856; the safety of the steep descent to Mirehouse being again insisted upon in a contemporary report: "This incline was descended at the rate of six miles per hour without the appliance of any break except to the engine.
"[4] The Egremont branch was sufficiently complete by May 1856 that the directors were taken on an inspection tour of the entire line [5] but a Board of Trade inspection of the line in August 1856 insisted on better siding accommodation at the Whitehaven & Furness's Corkickle station and a more permanent arrangement with the W&FJR before passenger services could be authorised.
[9] In the last week of July 1858, about 6,400 tons of ore were transported by the WC&ER, three-quarters of this being shipped to Wales through Whitehaven harbour, despite its inadequate provision for the export of ore.[10] An embankment failed at Woodend in October 1858,[11] an adjoining viaduct was then condemned because of mining subsidence and (January–February 1859) services on the Egremont branch terminated at Woodend whilst the suspect section of viaduct was replaced by an embankment.
[31][c] An offer from the L&NWR to lease the WC&ER was rejected by the directors; the dividend having dropped to a mere 8% there were stormy scenes (and a motion for a committee of inquiry into the management of the railway) at the next half-yearly shareholders' meeting,[32] a year later the dividend had recovered to its traditional 10%, and the shareholders' meeting passed off smoothly.
[33] In February 1870, however, a shareholders'meeting voted for a committee of inquiry, passed a motion of no confidence in the board and called upon it to resign:[34] this followed the admission that the company solicitor had been so dilatory in his completion of land purchases that the owners of land taken for construction of the original line some sixteen years ago had not yet received the purchase money, and were instead being paid interest at up to 10% per year on the sum owed them.
[39] Against the chairman's advice (and although the Furness Railway – the only alternative suitor – supported the LNWR offer) the WC&ER board sought to negotiate an even better deal but the LNWR (who were so confident of acceptance that they had already given notice of the necessary legislation)[40] then withdrew their offer before it could be put to WC&ER shareholders[41] and the chairman resigned.
Many iron- and steel-works had set up in West Cumbria to be close to the orefield; their owners (faced with increased competition in the mid-1870s) thought the high dividends of the WC&ER indicated that its freight charges were too high; they were sufficiently united, determined, and able to secure local support, that their promotion of the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway obtained its act of Parliament (39 & 40 Vict.
[43] Since the choice of railway routing lay with the consignee, not the consignor, the C&WJR (the 'track of the ironmasters') was thought likely to take considerable traffic from the WC&ER, which therefore now accepted the LNWR's offer of amalgamation in return for a guaranteed 10% dividend.
c. xlvii) was obtained in June 1877 (the LNWR having to promise the ironmasters a significant reduction of the freight rates):[45] as envisaged by the compromise, the C&WJR did not proceed with its extensions, and a further act (41 & 42 Vict.
At the final shareholders' meeting of the company it was noted that the value of WC&ER £100 shares had been £170 before the intention to amalgamate had been announced; now that amalgamation was complete they were worth £230;[46] by 1879 the Furness chairman was reporting a loss on the Furness's half-share of £9,000 during the first half of the year because of the reduced freight rates and a downturn in the iron trade.
Stations on this arm were Cleator Moor - Frizington - Eskett (later Yeathouse) - Winder - Rowrah - Wright Green (later Lamplugh) - Ullock - Branthwaite - Bridgefoot - Marron Junction.
[17]: 166 The purpose of the WC&ER was to serve the mines that sprang up on the ore-field (and later the iron- and steel-works of the area), and therefore there was an extensive system of mineral railway branches running to mines and works (the Bigrigg, Beckermet, Eskett, Ehen Valley, Gillfoot, Mowbray, Pallaflat, and Ullcoats Branches).