was carried. From Saturday 24 November 1838 passenger traffic between Forfar and Leysmill was started, using horse traction as the locomotives were not ready. On 3 December 1838 the first locomotive was ready and the line was fully opened from Forfar to Arbroath. Early operations There were two passenger trains each way at first. With only one locomotive, Victoria, primitive in its technology at this early date, reliability was soon an issue. Between 4 and 13 December Victoria was out of service and horse haulage had to be resorted to. In January, Victoria was derailed at Arbroath, again necessitating horse traction. On 15 March 1839 a second locomotive, Caledonia, was delivered. The passenger service was increased to three daily trains. Goods and mineral traffic was picking up to the extent that additional wagons, and materials to make additional sidings, had to be procured. Trips to and from the Leysmill quarry were additional to the other train services, and the shortage of wagons meant that empty wagons returned there were reloaded at once; the locomotive often returned to Arbroath to get water while the loading took place. On 14 May 1839 the third locomotive was delivered; it was named Britannia. All the locomotives were of the 2-2-2 wheel arrangement. Traffic continued to increase steadily and at the annual general meeting in June 1839 weekly passenger journeys of more than 1,500 and weekly goods carryings of over 800 tons were reported, leading to a profit for the half-year of £3,614. However the positive revenue position was underlain by heavy indebtedness, £35,000 being owed to banks. In mid-August the passenger train service was further enhanced to four trains each way daily. To resolve the shortage of capital, which was preventing very obviously needed improvements, an Act authorising an increase in share capital was passed on 3 April 1840; it authorised an additional £55,000 of capital. Writing in 1842 following a site visit in 1841, Francis Whishaw reported that We were much surprised, when examining this line in September last, to see a party of reapers travelling by the third-class railway-carriages in preference to walking to their work; and we found on enquiry that this was by no means an isolated case, but of everyday occurrence. In fact, with the low fares adopted on this line, it is more economical for the poor man to ride than to walk. The line ran from "near