Comment by jimnotgym

I don't think they were competetive for most goods once the railways came, but I understand they were still working (with engines) right up to the 1960s. I guess not all goods needed to arrive quickly. I believe the canals freezing in winter added to the problems. I just checked Wikipedia and some went on to the 1980s!

Railway companies did buy and close them though. On one local one they made permanent destructive changes to stop them being easily reopened.