Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

 A 55 foot long locomotive turntable constructed by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway.  Water tank with a 128,000 gallon capacity, with two water columns one on each side.  A new ash plant.  Two electrically driven cranes, one with a 30cwt capacity, the other with a capacity of 3 tons.  An electric runway to drag up to 5 tons.  Four water columns, one between each of the locomotive roads.  A 15 tons steam breakdown crane of Spencer & Hopwood manufacture, with a 46 tube boiler. 1941 January The Civil Defence Committee met when the Town Clerk reported that the LMS Railway Company had agreed to the Corporation utilising a piece of their land on Lonsdale Street for the building of a ‘communal air raid shelter’. To add to this, a piece of land on Eagle Street with access through the advertising hoardings could also be used to establish an air raid shelter, subject to an annual rental of 10 shillings per annum in both cases. It was resolved that the necessary agreements should be drawn up, and the Borough Engineer was authorised to proceed with their construction. Meeting again in January the Civil Defence Committee heard that at the present time there was no means of issuing an air raid warning to the people of Huncoat. As a result of this, the Chief Constable was empowered to approach the LMS for permission to fix a siren on the signal box at Huncoat Level Crossing, and that the signalman should be authorised to sound it in case of an emergency. July The Transport Committee met, when the GM reported being in receipt of a communication from the Traffic Commissioners, together with a copy of a representation made to them by the LMS, urging that the proposed changes to the Corporation’s bus termini should not be approved. The Commissioner requested the Corporation’s observations on this matter, and it was resolved that the GM would furnish the information requested to the Traffic Commissioner on the lines set out by the Transport Committee. September At a meeting of the Town Council, an amendment was moved and seconded that relative to the objections of the LMS to the Council’s proposals to alter the bus terminus in Accrington of the service connecting Oswaldtwistle and Clayton-le-Moors should not be approved. However, on being put to a vote this amendment was declared lost. October The Civil Defence Committee met when a decree from Ministry of Home Security that the new concessionary railway fares had come into force from September 29 th , last, for workers who normally travelled from their homes to their places of work on other cheap tickets which were only available on the day of issue by the LMS, and would by reason of duty in the Home Guard, Fire Guard or other A.R.P. duties were prevented from travelling within the times governed by these tickets. Henceforth, the concessions would ensure that these ‘cheap’ tickets would be valid for two full days. December At a meeting of the General Works Committee, the Borough Engineer reported that there were a considerable number of redundant railway sleepers on the Milnshaw housing estate, which had been obtained from the LMS for use as temporary roadways, and it was possible that the Corporation could secure their purchase. It was resolved that the Chairman along with the Borough Engineer could purchase these sleepers at a ‘reasonable’ price. 1942 January A man was arrested at Accrington Station for failing to produce a railway ticket having come off a Todmorden train. Suspicions were further aroused when he could not produce an identity card. He was fined 40 shillings in default of one month’s hard labour, having pleaded guilty to the charge of attempting to defraud the LMS following a journey from Rose Grove. February On the 4 th , a blazing mailbag discovered by the railway lines led to the arrest of Arthur Kay of Russia Street, a 43 year old shunter at Accrington Station. From the ashes it was discovered that this was one which had been sealed at Barnoldswick Post Office and loaded onto the 9:10pm train from Colne to Accrington, where the van containing this bag was to be shunted onto a Preston bound train. Whilst this manoeuvre was taking place ticket collector, Richard Chippendale, saw the accused riding on the van in question and attempting to open one of the doors, but did not see him enter. At about 11pm John Robinson, a station inspector, had his attention drawn to a fire down the line and informed Kay he was going to investigate. Meanwhile, Robert Dyson Matthews said he had just got through to the far end of a train he was cleaning, when he saw a fire a distance up from the carriage sheds towards Accrington Station and as this was during the blackout, he knew something was amiss. He too went to investigate and found the bag concealed in a spot where it could not be seen from the nearby signal box. The bag was dry

176