Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

1870 January Despite having a ‘powerful’ engine at the front, on the 4 th a train of twenty wagons and vans ran out of control down Baxenden Bank. Driver Job Simpson sounded the engines whistle continuously as a warning of its approach to Accrington Railway Station, and realising the danger the Pointsman attempted to divert the train onto the Burnley line, where the adverse rise would eventually bring it to a standstill. However, the train was travelling at speed and it jumped the points and went down the Blackburn siding at about 30mph, before colliding with five wagons. The locomotive was turned on its side by the impact, coming to rest on an empty signal cabin, with its funnel broken completely off. The tender detached and went a full twenty feet across the tracks, whilst the stationary wagons were badly damaged, one being reduced to splinters. Only one van immediately behind the engine was damaged and this contained tar for the Metcalf’s works in Church. Several rolls of cloth were scattered about the scene, the tar oozing out to contaminate many. In the investigation it was revealed that the fireman, Joseph Taylor, had been applying sand to the wet and greasy rails, and had jumped from the footplate just before the collision. He had suffered a fractured leg. Driver Simpson was less fortunate, and when attended by Dr Russell, he was found to have severe concussion, several broken ribs and had been badly scalded to the face and upper body. The Guard, from Bury, escaped uninjured. It took until the late afternoon for the engine to be recovered and wreckage to be cleared from the site. The annual supper of the servants of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway took place at 9:30pm at the Commercial Hotel in Accrington on Tuesday the 25 th , the late hour to fit in with the hours of the railwaymen. There were 118 attendees, who it was said did justice to the excellent repast. In the chair was Mr H. Goodier, the Superintendent of the East Lancashire Division, supported by Mr Thomas Holgate. The toasts were the Queen and the Army & Navy, and the directors and officers of the Railway Company, after which Mr Draper gave a rousing rendition of The Sea Is England’s Glory. In his speech the Vice Chairman said it was no easy task to run a railway with over 400 miles of lines, and a holding worth £25 million pounds. He roundly repudiated any criticisms of the railway and defended its servants, especially those in Accrington, who did their duties with due diligence or he said, “If they did not, they would surely be required to leave this employment”. In response the Chairman stated, “Any young man who entered the employ of the Lancashire & Yorkshire would surely receive advancement if he showed dedication to his work”. But continuing on he did say, “Some servants could be a little more civil in their habits and more clean and cultivated in their appearances, when going before their senior officers, for if these were attended to, they would be more acceptable to the public”. The evening concluded with thanks to the caterers and their staff, the soloists and the recitalists who had all contributed to this most auspicious event. March On every Thursday the L & Y ran a special train for Accrington which departed Salford at 11:10pm. It ran for the benefit of those who regularly attended the Hallé Concerts. On the 3 rd , at about midnight this train, driven by Mr Heap, with Fireman Eastwood and Guard Hargreaves, ran out of control when descending Baxenden Bank. A goods train was being shunted close to Accrington’s wooden platforms, and after the engine had detached to go to be coupled to a brake van, the wagons were being dispersed onto the various sidings when the Line Inspector heard the approaching train’s whistle being repeatedly sounded from somewhere near to Rothwell’s Mill. This was normally the signal from the driver to his guard for the train’s brakes to be applied. Realising something was wrong he ordered the driver of the locomotive to clear the line as quickly as possible, but before this could be accomplished the Salford train with a trailing load of five carriages had run into it. Both engines were thrown from the tracks by about twenty yards by the force of the impact, one striking some wagons in the adjacent siding damaging two, whilst the other hit a similar number of brake vans. Six more vans sustained serious damage. The stationary locomotive had its wooden buffer beam smashed to pieces, its main frame bent and its driving motion broken, whilst the train engine suffering almost identical damage. The rails for a distance of about twenty yards were also displaced. It was contended that the engine’s whistle had been sounded repeatedly approaching Rothwell Mill but to no apparent avail. The Driver of the train engine had remained on the footplate and had sustained severe injuries to his head and legs, whilst his fireman who had also stayed on the footplate had hurt his back. The Driver and Stoker of the shunting engine had both vacated the footplate just prior to the crash and neither was hurt. Fortunately all of the five carriages had remained upright, and this had contributed to none of the passengers being seriously injured. The occupants of the 1st Class carriage next to the Guard’s

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