 The line was successful in aiding the transport and sale of coal, in particular to the agricultural areas to the north such as Tadcaster and Wetherby, which lacked indigenous coal resources.From the 1870s, horse-powered transport was replaced by steam engines – the first being a Manning Wardle Class H 0-4-0 locomotive named "Mulciber" purchased in 1870.Having reached its zenith at the beginning of the 20th century, with 440,000 tons per year being produced, 120,000 of which exported via Hull.