Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

platform to observe that the coach had been successfully separated, and to indicate this to the driver of the locomotive to let him know before he went through the crossings leading to the Viaduct. The driver also had to make sure that the usual 255-ton 10-coach train had sufficient vacuum. This particular train operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, but on Tuesdays and Fridays it was closely followed by a train which made a scheduled stop in Accrington. This stopping train departed and ran only 3 minutes behind this express. Circa 1900 the fastest train ran non-stop from Salford to Burnley Barracks, a distance of twenty nine miles, in forty-nine minutes at an average speed of over 35mph with a trailing load of up to ten carriages. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the busier days, the Accrington portion was included in a separate train which departed Manchester Victoria at 16:25 which called at Salford en route, arriving in Accrington at 17:11. I am fortunate that I have to hand a record of one of the runs of the 16:25 from Salford as far as Burnley Barracks, from whence it ran all-stations to Colne, including Burnley Central (then Bank Top) and Nelson. The record was made in December, 1922, and the locomotive was one of the ubiquitous 2 – 4 – 2 tanks of the ‘816’ Class, #1532 with a driver based at Agecroft shed, which is probably where the 63 ton locomotive was also shedded. Built in February, 1910, this particular engine had been superheated in March of 1921 and was renumbered to 10940 in the London, Midland & Scottish scheme following the Grouping of 1923. It was withdrawn in May, 1942, so was not to survive into the British Railways era unlike some other members of its Class. The following table gives details of this particular run, when 2 coaches were slipped for Accrington. Mile s Station/location Scheduled time Passing time Speed in mph Gradient 0·0 SALFORD - - - level 1·7 Pendleton - 4 mins. 10 secs. 45 1 in 766 up 3·9 Clifton Junc. 7 mins. 7 mins. 30 secs. 40* 1 in 133 up 6·4 Ringley Rd. - 11 mins. 30 secs. 34 1 in 97 up 8·1 Radcliffe North Junc. - 13 mins. 40 secs. 55/40 sigs 1 in 120 down 9·9 BURY 17 mins. 15 mins. 55 secs. 45 1 in 700/119 up 12·5 Summerseat - 19 mins. 30 secs. 41 1 in 380/136 up 13·9 Ramsbottom 23 mins. 21 mins. 40 secs. 39/33 sigs 1 in 128 up 14·6 Stubbins Junc. - 22 mins. 45 secs. 39 1 in 140 up 16·8 Helmshore - 26 mins. 45 secs. 29 1 in 73/66 up 18·7 Haslingden - 30 mins. 55 secs. 29½ 1 in 76/81 up 20·0 Baxenden - 33 mins. 30 secs. 28½ 1 in 68/103 down 22·2 ACCRINGTON 40 mins. 37 mins. 45 secs. 10* ~ 1 in 38/40 down 25·3 Hapton - 42 mins. 05 secs. 57 1 in 185 down 26·8 Rose Grove 46 mins. 43 mins. 45 secs. 45* 1 in 322/108 up 27·9 BURNLEY BARRACKS 49 mins. 45 mins. 55 secs. - 1 in 622/103 down * = a service slack, ~ 2 coaches slipped. Slipping coaches at Accrington was accepted as been the trickiest in the entire country, as most on

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