Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

other systems were detached from fast moving trains, and not from trains that had to slow for a speed restriction around the bend and onto a viaduct, as was the case at Accrington Station. There appears to have been no major accidents, although there were occasions where the detached coach stopped short of the platform and had to be shunted forward by a locomotive. There were even rare occasions when the slipped coach caught up with the rear of its train, but did not re-attach. Accrington was also the recipient of slip coaches off the 07:35 from Blackpool Central to Colne express, which ran non-stop between Lytham and Rose Grove via the North Lancs Loop in order to avoid a congested section of line. Three coaches were slipped on the approach to Blackburn Station, and then forwarded by a locomotive from Blackburn to Accrington. This train was often hauled by Baltic tank 11110, allocated a Blackpool shed for this purpose. By 1927 the then London Midland & Scottish Railway had ended all slip coach workings on its lines. It was only the Great Western Railway that continued to use this method of detaching carriages from moving trains, well into the post-World War II era. 1901 January The Legal & Parliamentary Committee received a letter from the L & Y, acknowledging receipt of a letter from the Council with regard to the new goods siding and the widening of some bridges in Accrington, also from the Estate Agent of the Company requesting the purchase price of Willows Mill. He had replied that this request was somewhat premature as this could only be on condition of the Company’s Bill being passed. He also presented a petition from the owners and tenants of the properties where the L & Y were proposing to develop their new goods sidings, stating they were generally supportive of the Council’s position, but only if a full width street was constructed along the full length of Dale Street. February A letter dated the 18 th , was received by the Legal & Parliamentary Committee from the L & Y’s Solicitor, Mr Christopher Moorhouse, stating the Railway Company’s Directors were considering the terms required by the Council for this work to be sanctioned. The Town Clerk reported that the Company’s Bill was about to be read in Parliament for the first time and the closing date for a petition would be March 7 th . It was resolved that a petition opposing this Bill would be lodged by the Council before the appointed date. March No less a figure than the General Manager of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company, John F. Aspinall, wrote to the Town Council on the 4 th , confirming his Company’s views following a meeting with a deputation from the Council. It was dated February 26 th and read as follows – Sirs, With reference to our meeting on February 26 th , I have explained to you the heavy cost of this scheme, along with the fact your Corporation has requested so many concessions which would involve an additional £30,000 to the cost of we have paid for the land and the work. We therefore felt it was impossible to proceed with this scheme in this particular Parliamentary Session. On further examination however, to give Accrington such additional goods facilities as would seem desirable for the town, we have found we could get whatever we need if we absorbed the Corporation’s Yard as marked on an enclosed map. If you could see your way not to oppose us in acquiring this land and all rights to the adjacent reservoir, we would be willing in this Session to widen the existing bridge over Blackburn Road to 60 feet, the additions widened to 60 feet also, although we would not be prepared to give you the properties on either side of this bridge. We would still wish to widen the bridges over Scaitcliffe Street, Willows Lane and Lonsdale Street as indicated in our initial plans.

107