Earl Fitzwilliam's private railway near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, was constructed in order to link the Earl's coal interests to the southeast of his Wentworth estate with the Greasbrough Canal, also owned by his estate, which gave an outlet to the River Dun (Don) Navigation. In 1840, the estate bought a six-coupled steam locomotive for use on the line, and to accommodate this, the wagonway was rebuilt. In 1915 Viscount Halifax invested heavily into improvement of the rail line.