called Coulsdon until December 1856. The line was four miles and five furlongs (7.4 km) in length. Continuing difficulty operationally and commercially Both the LBSCR and the SER operated trains on the main line at Purley, but neither of the larger companies felt any special obligation to the Caterham Railway, and there were constant complaints that connections at Purley were poor or non-existent. The company took a case to the Court of Common Pleas, requesting that the larger companies should be obliged to make more connections, to introduce better through ticketing arrangements, and improve the station facilities at Purley. These ideas were turned down and the Company was left on its own. It decided to try to sell itself to one or other of the neighbouring companies, but the territorial agreement made that fraught. In 1857 the Brighton company started to demand payment for rolling stock hire, that the Caterham Railway had not paid; the smaller company was working the line itself, but using locomotives and vehicles hired in form the LBSCR. The demand was ignored and the impasse escalated, with both the LBSCR and the SER threatening to suspend any co-operation whatsoever from 7 May 1857. A cheque for part of the debt was received just before that date, doing nothing to demonstrate good faith. In July 1857 the Caterham Railway communicated with the LBSCR saying that unless it took over the working, the Caterham Railway would cease operation, as it was loss-making. In fact in the first eleven months of operation, the Caterham Railway’s receipts had been £854, while working expenses were £1,700, before paying interest on bank loans. There now followed a lengthy period of negotiation over the future. The LBSCR thought it advisable to purchase the Caterham Company, but the SER invoked the territorial agreement and objected. It considered acquiring the Caterham Railway itself, and offered terms that were harsh, although realistic in view of the Caterham’s commercial results. Now in July 1858 one of the contractors for the original construction of the Caterham line obtained a judgment against the company for payment of a debenture debt. This would enable the creditor to take possession of the land of the Caterham Railway and sell it, closing the line. A receiver was appointed, and he tried to sell the line to the SER, which was successfully done. Taken over by the South Eastern Railway The transfer was