Operation
The railway operated like a toll road; independent hauliers were permitted to place wagons on the line and haul them with their own horses to the destination, paying the company a toll for the facility. The track used edge rails, in which the wagon wheels had flanges for guidance (as opposed to a plateway, where plain wheels run on the flat of an L-shaped plate) so that the wagons were specific to railway use, and the company hired wagons to the hauliers. Whishaw recorded that there were 270 wagons in use on the system, each weighing about 24 cwt; the horses in use belonged to the coal proprietors, i.e. not the railway itself. Wagon rental to hauliers accounted for 8.4% of the company's revenue in the first seven years.
The company became relatively prosperous: in the period 1838 to 1842 it was paying dividends of 14 - 16%; when the connecting Slamannan Railway was promoted, the Ballochney company was able to contribute half the capital for that line.
Writing in 1842, Whishaw states that the line had been chiefly worked by horses, but had then been prepared for locomotive operation on the upper section of about 2.5 miles; it had an inclination of 1 in 70. The preparation involved installing heavier rails, for the upper section now had 54 lbs/yd rails compared with the original fishbelly rails of 20 to 28 lbs/yd. This upper section was double track. The gauge of the railway was 4 ft 6in, with the interval between tracks 4 ft 10.5in.
The observations regarding preparation for locomotive operation seem to be contradicted by Robertson: "... in spite of the powers for steam haulage in the Ballochney act, the existence of the double plane in the centre of the line shows that it was planned for horses. When it was strengthened for the introduction of locomotives in 1840, the work was only done as far as the foot of the inclines. The upper Ballochney, and the Slamannan beyond it, were for the time being left for horses". In an endnote Robertson adds, "The Ballochney main lines inclines were worked by gravity; there was also one worked by a stationary steam engine on the Rochsoles branch. Though the Garnkirk & Glasgow ran trains over the Ballochney Railway to Airdrie, they had to use horse haulage on this section."
Robertson states that locomotives were introduced on the Ballochney line in 1840.
Rates for coal and lime were 3.75d for the first mile, 1.75d for the second, 1.25 for the third, fourth and fifth miles, 0.75d for the sixth and seventh, and 0.5d thereafter. For grain and manufactured textiles, the rate was 2.75d for the first mile, and 2.25d per mile thereafter.
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