How did the goods get from all the different customers to any of the the stations in question ?.IE rail transport usually involved a road leg in any freight journey either by truck or horse before that other than in the rare case of customers having a dedicated rail terminal on their premises.
Morning CF,
In Southampton British rail had there own vehicles to pick up and deliver to customers.
They had quite a few Scarobs with auto couplings. But to be fare a good horse would be a little quicker in some places they delivered to. Harvey