an order was placed with barningham and co. in august 1893 for rails, sleepers and wagons for a gauge railway system, which would be used to deliver lime to the lime store and carry the compressed sludge to the old river bed for disposal. barningham had previously supplied equipment to the corporation for a light railway on carrington moss for the cleansing department. track laying was carried out by the paving sub committee and highways department. the corporation also paid the ship canal company to construct davyhulme wharf, which would enable coal and chemicals to be delivered to the site. this required the railway to be extended and a road to be built to serve the wharf, and this work was not completed until october 1894, although the works had begun to treat sewage in january 1894.