Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Mondays to Saturdays at 07:10*, 07:20 terminates in Accrington, 08:35*, 08:45, 09:45, 11:15*, 11:50, 14:05*, 14:10*, 14:30, 16:45, 18:00, 19:10*, 20:00*, 20:10* and 21:45*, on Sundays at 07:40, 10:10*, 14:50, 18:55, 20:10* and 21:25*. TRAINS to ACCRINGTON from BURNLEY, and then going onwards. Mondays to Saturdays at 07:02, 08:35, 09:25, 11:30, 14:15, 16:30, 18:10 and 20:15, on Sundays at 07:23, 14:42, 18:42* and 20:00 terminates in Accrington. TRAINS to ACCRINGTON from MANCHESTER via BURY, and then going onwards. Mondays to Saturdays at 06:15* from Victoria Station, 07:50 from Salford, 08:50 from Victoria, 10:40 from Victoria, 13:30 from Salford, 15:50 from Victoria, 17:15 from Salford, 19:05 from Victoria and 20:35 from Victoria terminates in Accrington, Sundays at 06:40 from Salford, 09:15 from Victoria, 13:55 from Victoria, 17:40 from Victoria and 20:25 from Victoria terminates in Accrington. 1869 The Shed Foreman at Accrington’s first engine shed now had twenty-two engines in his care, and this was when his suggestion that a new shed was necessary was finally acted upon. He had requested the use of a building a quarter of a mile beyond the triangle, further to the west and adjacent to the Blackburn running lines. January There was a miraculous escape for a nine year old girl on Saturday, the 19 th , when she fell out of a train travelling at thirty miles an hour approaching Huncoat Railway Station, having leant on the window of the compartment. On reaching the next stop her father Mr Shepherd, a Burnley schoolmaster, telegraphed Accrington Station who immediately sent out a light engine and officers to the scene, but nothing could be found. Amazingly she had got up relatively unscathed and walked to Huncoat Station where the staff reunited her with a relieved father. What made this an even more extraordinary event was that four other trains had passed this spot in rapid succession just after she had tumbled out. February On Saturday the 27 th , the landlord of the Hargreaves Arms Hotel, Mr Thomas Walmsley, hosted a free supper to invited employees of the railway station in Accrington. The evening concluded at 11pm, with a rousing rendition of ‘England’s Glory’ by Mr Chadwick. March On Wednesday the 17 th , an inquest was held into the death of William Britcliffe, furniture dealer from Accrington, who was killed in an accident at Accrington Station on Monday the 10 th . In his testimony the Station Master, Richard Rushton, said he knew the deceased and had noticed him walking up the platform at about two minutes to midday, and saw him attempting to board a train which was just started to move off. Robert Hopkinson of Colne, the Guard on this train said he saw Britcliffe attempt to open the door of a 2nd Class compartment, but could not. “My van was immediately behind the engine and I saw him run towards the rear of the train, so I called out to him to get out of the way. Then I observed him trying to get hold of the handle of the back guard’s compartment and then he fell between the platform and the train. I could not see if the wheels ran him over but I felt the carriage jerk. The Coroner asked, “Did you push Mr Britcliffe away from your van?” To which Hopkinson replied, “No Sir I did not touch him”. The Coroner addressing the reporters present said they could now quash the rumours circulating in the town that the deceased had been manhandled. When the body of the 31 year old was recovered, it was discovered on examination that his backbone had been severed. Mr Newton from the jury stated, it was regular occurrence at Accrington for people to attempt to board a moving train. Inspector Rowbottom added that any person found boarding a train whilst it was in motion, was liable to a fine of 40 shillings. In his summing up the Coroner said, “Anyone trying to board a moving train does so entirely at their own risk, and in no way were the servants of the railway company responsible for this tragedy”. A verdict of accidental death was recorded. December On Saturday evening the 19 th , a collision occurred on the viaduct at Accrington Station, when at 5:30pm the train from Liverpool to Preston was being shunted onto the platform as was the usual procedure. Unusually an engine and four carriages were occupying the platform line, and the driver of the locomotive gave a whistle to his guard to release the brakes so that he could move out of the way. Unfortunately the guard was out of the train unloading parcels from a van, and before anything could be done the reversing train had collided with the tender of the other engine driving it and the carriages a short distance along the rails. Several passengers suffered severe shock, but there were no serious injuries or fatalities.

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