Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Lane, of Clayton, said his engine had started slipping and come to a halt near Helmshore Station, and he had observed the deceased standing on the lines a short distance away when an express train came through. He then saw his body lying in a gravel pit. The stationary locomotive was blowing off steam at the time, which possibly masked the sound of the whistle from the approaching train. The driver of the express, Harold Wright, from Salford, stated his fireman Frank Ackerley had sounded a blast on the whistle and they did not think they had hit anything. They were travelling around a bend at about 50mph so could not observe what they had passed. Wright told the Coroner, “If I knew I had hit someone I would have halted at the nearest signal box to report it”. The locomotive was later examined but no traces of flesh could be found. It was established that William Crook had died of a fractured skull and multiple injuries, which would have resulted in instantaneous death. In recording a verdict of ‘misadventure’ the Coroner stated he could find no evidence of negligence by any party. With the possibility of industrial action hanging over them, the employees at Accrington goods yard and depot were continuing to work normally until the union’s executive decided on what further action would be taken in a dispute over pay. All the carters at the Manchester depots had now come out on strike, leaving 780 loaded wagons and vans stranded. Talks were ongoing with the Railway Executive. Later the 40 workers at Accrington decided on a work to rule and a ban on overtime, which resulted in two months of continuous Sunday working coming to an end. March An extra train for Blackpool would be put on at 09:05 on Good Friday morning, whilst there would be excursions to Barrow-in-Furness, Bolton Abbey and Ilkley. On Easter Saturday more ‘specials’ would operate to Morecambe and Southport, to Liverpool and/or New Brighton, to Sheffield or Chesterfield and also on Easter Sunday to Coventry. On Monday Grassington was a destination, and an opportunity to visit Barnsley to follow Stanley. However, due to a prolonged spell of poor weather bookings were ‘disappointing’. May Twenty extra trains were put on over the Whitsuntide weekend to destinations including Ilkley, Coventry, Llandudno and resorts on the Wirral peninsula. Trains for Blackpool, Southport and Morecambe were filled due to a spell of warm weather, and the staff at Accrington Station had to cope with long queues. June On Sunday, the 24 th , there was an excursion to the Lake District, which included Windermere Lakeside Station for 8/6d, Bowness for 8/- and Ambleside for 11/-. On the same day a train ran to Rotherham for 7/6d, Sheffield for 8/- or Chesterfield for 8/9d, whilst a third choice was to Liverpool for 5/3d with the option of a visit to New Brighton via the Mersey Ferry and railway for an extra 11 pence. July On Sunday, the 1 st of the month, a ‘Dreadnought Farewell Railtour’ ran from Blackpool to York via Bolton, Manchester and Todmorden, behind the sole surviving engine of this L & Y class of express engines, Hughes 4-6-0 #50455. The special was organised by the North West Branch of the Stephenson Locomotive Society along with the Manchester Locomotive Society. The 3rd Class ticket from Accrington was 8 shillings and 9 pence (8/9d) return, and passengers from Accrington departing at 10:52, could join the special train in Todmorden at 11:43. Arrival in York was later than the 13:08 scheduled time, whilst the return departed prompt at 18:15. There was free entry for passengers into the Queen Street Railway Museum in York, which was opened from 13:00 to 16:00 for their benefit. This locomotive was allocated to Blackpool North Sheds (24E) where the seven remaining examples had been shedded after Nationalisation. Rebuilt from an original design from earlier in the century and starting in November 1922, this particular engine entered service in June of 1924. It was the only one of this class of engines to receive British Railways livery and had originally been intended to be built as another of the ‘Baltic’4-6-4 tanks. It was withdrawn in October later in the year and scrapped in February 1952. A whole range of tickets was available from Accrington for the holiday period, with return fares to Blackpool on selected trains for 4/3d, Southport for 4/- and Morecambe for 5/3d. On Sunday, the 1 st , the choices were to Bolton Abbey for 4/-, or Ilkley for 4/3d departing at 10:17. There was a coastal cruise to Anglesey via Liverpool and the North Wales Steamship Company, departing Accrington at 09:05 for 23/5d (23/2d from Church), which would operate on each Sunday up until August 26 th . A more enthusiast oriented special would travel to York, with a change in Todmorden onto a train pulled by an “old locomotive”. This was arranged in conjunction with the Stephenson Locomotive Society and the

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