The main contractor, James Young and Sons, began to get into financial difficulty as the work progressed. On 8 September 1899 the company's locomotive "Talla" was working at Broughton when it became derailed, blocking the passenger line. The Caledonian Railway was evidently dissatisfied with the technical standards of Young's rolling stock, for the Caledonian now prohibited Talla from working on to Caledonian track. Young was unable to respond to the situation, and the Water Trust now asked the Caledonian to work the private railway, but this was refused. Young and Sons went into liquidation and a bankruptcy hearing on 26 October 1899 resulted in the contract being re-allocated to John Best of Leith, who had been one of the main sub-contractors on the project, the other being Robert McAlpine & Sons. Best opened a halt at Crook Siding, close to the Crook Inn, which proved very popular with workers returning after their work, who would stop there for refreshments. Best had shrewdly bought a share of the inn prior to this.