The company watched expenditure carefully, but managed to pay a dividend of 6 per cent in 1830 and 5 per cent thereafter for most of the canal's life. Income was generally allocated to capital expenditure. Net annual profit seems to have been in the region of £300 to £400 during this period. Considerable attention was given to improving the terminal facilities at Moorswater, as the trade increased. In 1832 a quay was constructed, and a tramway (referred to as a "railroad") was constructed alongside it. William Hodge and John Lyne had lime kilns on the west and east side of the canal head respectively, and they had simple plateways connecting the basin with the kilns by inclined planes powered by waterwheels. Hodge's had a gauge of 2 ft 6 in gauge (760 mm), was supported by a series of pillars and used an undershot wheel. Lyne built five kilns in 1831, and water from a pond to the north of the works was channelled along a culvert to power an overshot wheel.