Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

there was an excursion to Lakeside with the choice of either a steamer sail or a coach trip to Ambleside, Coniston and Windermere. The fares were for an adult 20/- and a child 10/2d, and again prior notification was required for the coach trip. A railcar was also in operation on the 9 th , on a tour leaving at 09:48, calling at Colwyn Bay for 10/6d, Llandudno Junction 11/-, Conway 12/3d, Penmaenmawr 13/3d, Llanfairfechan 14/9d and Bangor 16/9d. From Bangor there was an optional coach tour of Snowdonia included in the 24/9d fare, which for a child was 14/11d, but these had to be booked before 09:00 on Saturday, the 8 th . Advanced bookings were required for all the holiday specials departing between July 15 th , and the 29 th , to all the destinations served on an annual basis, except day and evening excursions to Blackpool and Southport. On Saturday, July the 16 th , 1961, a lady from Great Harwood, who was travelling with her husband to Douglas, was one of seven people who died when the 08:45 boat train from Colne to Fleetwood, hit a permanent way train near Weeton on the Fylde Coast Line. The accident occurred at 10:30, when the 6-car train, made up of three 2-car diesel units, carrying about 350 passengers, came around a bend approaching Singleton Station at about 60mph. The stopping distance at this speed was calculated to be 625 yards or 35·4 seconds of time, but it was stated that the ballast train would only have come into view at a distance of 475 yards, and driver T. Shaw would not have become aware that his train was on the same lines until he was only 275 yards from impact, which was when he applied the emergency brakes. It was estimated that the crash happened at approximately 40mph, throwing the leading carriage 15 feet down an embankment. It completely destroyed the goods brake van on the rear of the ballast train, with the second carriage going over the rear six wagons, whilst the third telescoped up into the air. One hundred and sixteen passengers required hospital treatment, eighteen of which were detained. The six passenger fatalities were all in the section immediately behind the driver’s cab, although Mr Heap, the husband of the unfortunate lady, survived despite receiving extensive head injuries. Being a ‘Wakes Week’ this holiday special had picked up plenty of passengers at stations across East Lancashire including Accrington, to connect in Fleetwood with a sailing to the Isle of Man. The excursion had previously been advertised in the Observer and tickets were priced at 5/6d. The boat train was running six minutes late leaving Preston, but had made up two of these at the time, although driver Shaw had not exceeded the 75mph line speed, so was in no way responsible for what had occurred. The inquest came to a verdict of ‘misadventure’ on those who died, but laid the blame squarely on the signalmen, who had not followed the correct procedures to protect the ballast train whilst it was occupying the down line. The leading unit, a Cravens driving motor composite M50808, in which driver Shaw was killed, was not one of Accrington’s allocation but was from Newton Heath sheds. It was written off and scrapped in October, later that year. On Sunday the 16 th , there was a special excursion departing Accrington at 10:15 Church & Oswaldtwistle at 10:20, to Prestatyn and Rhyl, tickets were 14/- and 14/6 to Rhyl. There were more railcar excursions on the 16 th , to Keswick for 21/3d leaving at 11:10 returning at 20:00. On Wednesday, the 19 th , departing at 10:55 and 10:58 to Buxton at 8/-. To supplement this train trip and by booking in advance, it would be possible to visit Chatsworth House by connecting coach at an additional cost of 14/6p. The return from the spa town was at 19:30. Departing Accrington at 09:50, Church at 09:54 on Sunday the 23 rd , there was a new destination to visit. This was the popular Alton Towers and the fare was 11/3d, with the return time of 18:55. ( This was a steam hauled excursion which I was on, and I went specifically to see what was advertised as the ‘largest model railway in the world’ . At this time it was more a destination for landscaped gardens and brass bands playing, rather than the theme park it turned into. ) An alternative was the railcar trip to Bridlington and Filey with the choice of 3½ hours in both or the full 7 in Bridlington, for a fare of 18/6d. There would be regular trips to Lakeside at 15/6d, with the options of either Bowness for 19/- or Ambleside at 21/-, and these would operate on Sunday, the 16 th , Monday 17 th , Wednesday 19 th and Thursday 20 th , during the first Wakes week, and Monday to Thursday, the 24 th to the 28 th , during the second week. The long distance holiday trains departed on Friday, the 14 th , for overnight journeys to Great Yarmouth at 19:57, to Eastbourne at 21:15, Portsmouth at 21:30 and at 21:55 to Fleetwood for the

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