Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

10. The entire cost of promoting this Bill through Parliament to be born totally by the L & Y. 11. That any disputes which may arise between this Corporation and the Company be settled by a mutually agreed arbitrator, or one appointed by the Institute of Civil Engineers with all costs allied to the arbitration to be charged to the Railway Company. October The L & Y wrote to the Health Committee with regard to the nuisance caused by steam drifting from their engine sheds on Charter Street. In it they stated that raising the height of the chimney as suggested by the Corporation, had been given careful consideration, after which it had been decided that this course of action would not have the desired effect. The strictest instructions had however been issued on ways to minimise the problem. 1903 March The first sand-drags on the L & Y were installed at Baxenden 1903, and soon afterwards in Accrington at the foot of the Baxenden incline. May A letter from the L & Y was read out to the Council, it stated “That because of the extensive alterations about to be undertaken at Accrington Railway Station, they could not see their way to altering the ‘booking facilities’ at present in use. August At a meeting of the General Works Committee, the Town Clerk was authorised to write to the L & Y, to point out the ‘dangerous’ condition of the walls of the bridge over the railway on Arago Street. 1904 June At a meeting the Town Council received a letter from the L & Y stating that a ‘temporary’ booking office already provided would be used during the ‘excursion season’, as and when required. August The Town Council received another letter from the L & Y acknowledging the Council’s renewed complaints about the ‘defective’ booking arrangements and poor accommodation at Accrington Station, also the exit and entrance for passengers, and promising to pass these on to the Directors. October The General Works Committee met to discuss the recently raised possibility of making a footpath from Lonsdale Street to Church Railway Station, on the southerly side of the running lines. It was resolved the Borough Surveyor should draw up a plan of this footpath, then communicate with the L & Y and other landowners to ascertain if, and under what conditions, they would agree to this proposal. Problems occurred at Church & Oswaldtwistle Station when James Whittaker of Water Street in Church was fined 10 shillings plus costs, for kicking two porters. They had asked the defendant to stand back from the platform edge just as a train was about to depart. Following this he had brandished an axe which he had taken from the porter’s storeroom. He pleaded guilty to be drunk and disorderly on the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway’s property. November The General Works Committee received a letter from the L & Y stating they were attending to the corrugated sheeting which was lining the railway arch spanning Blackburn Road. Also correspondence from the Railway Company’s Secretary promising to place before its Directors the plans for the proposed footpath between Lonsdale Street/Spring Hill and the railway station in Church. December Another communication came from the L & Y in response to the notice served upon them on October 3 rd , with respect to the strip of land between King Street and Blackburn Road, confirming their previous view, that this was not a street within the interpretation of the Public Health Act 1875, Section 150. 1905 This was the year in which the L & Y began the long process of replacing the running lines with new, heavier and longer sections of bullhead rail, on sleepers sourced from Baltic Redwood trees pressure impregnated with creosote and ballasted with granite. They also purchased a piece of land at the western end of Corporation Street, with the intention of building an extension to the engine shed, but this scheme did not progress further. This land had previously contained Bradley’s foundry and a brush-making works belonging to Rueben Phillips, who later established a new factory overlooking the railway on Belgarth Road, called the Eureka Brush Works. July A sub-group from the Watch Committee visited the subway going under the railway lines off Dale Street, and recommended a letter should be sent to the L & Y requesting another light be mounted at its central point. They also called the attention of the Health Committee to the dirty state of this underpass. Train movements through Great Harwood on weekdays circa 1905 Passenger Trains in bold type. TRN = Train Reporting Number

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