Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

In the morning trains to Colne at 08:11, to Todmorden at 08:58, to Skipton at 09:32 and two more trains to Colne at 11:02 and 11:41. In the afternoon to Colne at 13:28, Skipton at 15:40 and three more to Colne at 17:18, 18:07 and 22:30. There would be a 07:10 to Manchester via Blackburn, a 13:57 to Preston, a 17:37 to Blackpool all from Colne, an 18:59 to Preston ex-Todmorden, and a 21:00 to Preston. There was a Manchester to Accrington at 07:10 and an 08:09 going through to Colne. The 10:00 coming through from Manchester would form the 11:00 to Colne. In the afternoon the 12:30 from Manchester would arrive in Accrington and then depart as the 13:26 to Colne. A later train coming through from Manchester would arrive in Accrington at 16:30, there would also be a 21:30 to Colne. During the second week of the strike the situation in Accrington had become clearer, with trains in the mornings to Manchester via Bury at 06:05, and via Blackburn at 07:10. There was a 08:11 to Colne, a 09:13 to Todmorden and a 09:32 to Skipton, an 11:10 to Preston and another to Colne at 11:41. In the afternoons there were trains to Colne at 13:25, a 13:33 to Manchester via Bury, trains at 13:57 and 15:00 to Preston, a 15:40 to Colne, a 17:20 to Todmorden, a 17:27 to Blackpool, a 17:32 to Manchester again via Bury, an 18:07 to Colne, an 18:59 to Preston via Bury and Bolton, a 21:00 to Preston and finally a 22:30 to Colne. By this time the ASLEF dispute was beginning to bite with 80 workers being laid off at the Ewbank Works, and Bury Brother’s Fountain Mill was introducing a 4-day week from the 20 th . They would join about 200 other workers who were on short-time. By the fourth week in June over 800 workers in the cotton mills and weaving sheds were on a four-day week. Following intervention by the Trades Union Congress, ASLEF finally called off the strike, which had lasted for seventeen days. Meanwhile permanent way gangs had been taking advantage of the reduction in frequencies by relaying some of the tracks, between the station platforms and the viaduct. There were more repeat excursions to Workington or York on the 4 th , and Doncaster and Llandudno on the 11 th . On the weekend of June 11 th /12 th , 26 fully laden coal wagons had been shunted into the sidings so that coal merchants could load household deliveries, instead of them having to go as far as South Yorkshire to obtain supplies from the pit heads. Meanwhile, MP Harry Hynd was lobbying for a secret ballot of members before any strikes could be called. July There was a minor drama on the Baxenden Incline in July, when the remaining working injector on Stanier tender loco 2-6-0 number 42820 failed as it was working the 18:22 return working of the 15:16 passenger service from Bury. A blockage in the tender meant that the supply of water to the boiler fell towards a dangerous level, so the fireman started to throw out the locomotives fire to avoid a potential explosion. The feed was eventually restored and the 6-coach train was able to proceed after a delay of 15 minutes, eventually reaching Bolton Street Station in Bury some 21 minutes late. The engine then went on to its home shed for further examination. There the fault was found to be due to a section of overflow pipe that was missing, causing the feed to the boiler to intermittently knock off. The fire brigade was called to an embankment fire close to Queens Road Bridge one afternoon, which took an hour to extinguish. It was thought it was started by a spark from a passing locomotive. Despite the ‘possibility’ of more industrial action, BR were advertising day and evening trips to Blackpool, whilst services would be going to Southport, Morecambe, New Brighton, Belle Vue and Windermere Lakeside. Advanced notice of holiday specials were also advertised including overnight trains to Douglas on Friday, the 15 th , and by changing in Blackburn to Bristol departing at 18:37 for 60/3d, stations to Torquay for 92/6d, Paignton for 93/2d, Plymouth for 100/8d and Newquay for 113/-. A train for Bath at 62/2d, Poole and Bournemouth at 82/10d would depart Accrington at 20:25, whilst a train for Norwich at 72/2d and Great Yarmouth 77/10d would leave at 19:57. At 21:40 there was a special to Portsmouth (for the Isle of Wight) at 87/10d, whilst departing at 5 minutes earlier there was a train to Brighton at 80/4d, Eastbourne, Bexhill-on-Sea, St Leonards and Hastings all at 84/2d. Departing at 20:25 there was another special for the West Country, this time calling at Taunton for 74/8d, Exeter 84/6d, Teignmouth 89/2d, Newton Abbot 90/8d, Torquay 92/6d and Paignton 93/2d. On Saturday, the 16 th , by leaving on the 06:00 or 08:40 there were trains to Penychain for Butlin’s Camp at 44/8d, which also called at several North Wales resorts and by departing town on either the 08:20 or 10:56, holidaymakers could go to the camp at Filey for 37/4d, after calling at Bridlington 34/-, Scarborough 35/2d or Filey itself for 36/2d. Holiday camps were well served as a special was off to

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