Though sometimes productive, no nineteenth century iron mine on the Brendon Hills was profitable and the venture as a whole was financially ruinous. Furthermore, the industry as a whole was prone to boom and bust, with a sharp decline from the early 1880s. The railway continued in operation after the end of mining, although it had lost its primary traffic. A second-hand Robey semi-portable steam engine was installed at the head of the incline to power the drums, hauling wagons up in the absence of a regular downhill flow.