 Cobb calls the 1834 passenger station there "South Esk", but that may simply refer to "the station at the South Esk River".There were numerous small coal pits on the line of route, and they were quick to construct their own tramway connections to the line; already in 1832 a contemporary account of a journey on the line described "the rich flat valley through which we now rolled, veined with rail-ways, branching off, right and left, to the several coal-works – to Edmonstone, Newton, 'Sir John's' [colliery], &c &c".The Marquis of Lothian had coal pits on the south-eastern side of the South Esk river, at Arniston.