Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Sea, with a cabin on the ‘ Duke of Clarence ’ the single fare was £5-2s-1d, whilst a return would cost £9 2s-2d. Travelling 3rd Class to Hull with a 2nd Class passage on board from Hull and beyond, the fares were £3-1s-7½p single and £5-12s-9d* return. (* This equates to over £660 in today’s money .) Single tickets had a validity of 15 days, whilst returns had to be used within 45 days. Applications for berths had to be made through the joint agent for the two companies, C. R. Cameron of Hull. Luncheon baskets were available from the L&Y’s run restaurant on Accrington Station at extra cost. These contained either hot or cold food and had to be ordered in advance of travel. In Brussels, where there was a break of journey, luncheon would cost 1franc 50, dinner (with beer) 3 francs or with wine 3francs 50, although restaurant cars were included on most express trains on the Continent. Other destinations from the north available by this route included, Baden-Baden, Bonn, Karlsruhe and Manheim in Germany, Basle, Berne, Lucerne and Zurich in Switzerland, Milan in Italy, Strasburg and Luxemburg. British citizens could travel freely without passports to all of these countries plus Holland, France, Denmark, Norway or Sweden, but not Russia. The final trips ran on October 13 th , 1913. ( During 1914 all travel on overseas excursions ended and would not be reinstated before 1922, when the L&Y was amalgamated with the London & North Western Railway .) June At a meeting of the Watch Committee, a request was received from the L & Y to take out the siding at the western end of the Corporation’s yard, connecting with their lines, as “it had been out of use for several years”. It was resolved to approve this request. July On July 9 th , crowds gathered on Rishton, Church & Oswaldtwistle, Accrington and Huncoat Stations to see the Royal Train pass through, conveying their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary on their way from Merseyside to Colne, on a tour of the North West. The locomotives were double-headed ‘Dreadnought’ 4-6-0 tender locomotives of the L & Y, the crack express locomotives of the day. Just after 2am on July 17 th , potentially the worst accident to befall Accrington’s railways occurred. The 22:10 goods train from Rochdale to Wyre Dock, Fleetwood, which had changed crews in Bury, was slowed to a walking pace opposite Baxenden Colliery by the driver, John Simpson of Fleetwood shed. This was for fireman Hudson to jump from the locomotive and pin down the brakes on the 52 wagons, as was the normal practice before commencing the descent of this steep incline. However, according to Simpson the train was travelling extremely slowly when it began to slip on the greasy rails. It started to pick up speed until it reached about 20mph and was then out of control. According to the guard, Mr Trippier, also from Fleetwood, who was in his van at the rear of the train, the train had not fully come to a halt when it started to gain momentum again. “I had applied the brake in my van but could do nothing to stop the train from reaching speed, even though I kept my hands on the braking device”, he testified. At the foot of the bank in the yard adjacent to the Station, a locomotive was shunting the Preston to Moston (Manchester) goods train, with driver John Youd of Lostock Hall Sheds on the footplate. His fireman had gone to the signal box to inform the signalman that they were ready to depart when the Fleetwood train had passed. The signalman had observed the runaway goods now travelling between 30 and 40mph, and instead of turning it into the exchange sidings diverted it into the line where the sand drag was situated. However, the train jumped the points at the crossing and hit the stationary locomotive. The result was carnage, the vans telescoped over each other scattering wreckage all over a thankfully deserted Platform 2. Simpson had jumped from his engine just before the collision. He was found by the train guard, whose van had remained upright, and despite the fact that he had been thrown to the floor by the impact had received only severe bruising. Simpson was on the embankment unconscious with a broken arm, but he regained consciousness as he was carried to the Inspector’s Cabin. The driver of the stationary engine, who was thrown off the footplate, had suffered a fractured leg and broken ribs. Both were taken by ambulance to Victoria Hospital on the advice of Dr Hartley Nuttall, who had been summoned to the scene. Both locomotives were off the rails and about 150 yards of track had been damaged, including points and crossings, which had been ripped up and would require replacing. Thirty of the wagons had been wrecked and one, torn from its wheels, had cascaded along the platform before disintegrating. Fortunately having occurred during the very early hours there were no fatalities. Amongst the debris were skips of yarn, heavy looms due for delivery in Ireland and agricultural machinery for display at the Royal Lancashire Show, shortly to be held in Burnley. All of these were either damaged beyond repair or

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