Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

1974 ( Reclamation of land and buildings formerly owned by the British Railways Property Board, would now include the trackbed of the former Accrington to Bury line. ) January A train driver from Church, Albert Fletcher of France Street, was thrown through the window of his cab when the four-coach 18:35 commuter train from Manchester to Blackburn was derailed at 40mph on faulty points just after it passed through Lower Darwen. A train driver since 1966, he stated “I knew damn well this might happen, as all drivers are wary of this stretch of line”. Eighteen of the thirty-five passengers on board were treated for shock and bruising, but Mr Fletcher suffered two broken legs and was taken to the nearby Blackburn Royal Infirmary. Another train had passed safely through only half an hour before and even though a fault had been reported, Richard Hammill, for BR stated, “I did not think it necessary to put a pilot out onto these lines to warn drivers, as they had negotiated the single line without incident. Phillip Hogg, a technician, told an inquiry that a piece of grit had penetrated the detection box of the points, and it had caused a malfunction and this was what had directed driver Fletcher’s train into a goods siding, but he had not been told he should proceed with caution. Mr F. W. Smith, Signalling & Communications Engineer, said following the accident that evening the points relays had been checked, whilst at Preston Signal Box, no defects had been indicated. A report was being carried out by HM Inspector of Railways, Lt. Col. G. Townsend-Rose, and his findings would be published in about six months’ time. In order to deter trespassers on the lines BR were to make repairs to boundary fences and walls near at Leyland Street, Lower Antley Street and the stone walls near to the underpass at the lower end of Buxton Street. Rishton Council were in receipt of correspondence from BR, setting out their reasons for closing the footway crossing of the lines at the Railway Station. There had been a spate of fatalities at similar crossings between platforms on the system. BR accepted this would cause some inconvenience to elderly and disabled passengers. However, Councillor Robert Peel felt that the footbridge, which was slippery when wet, was more likely to be a source of accidents than a walkway, which had been in use for very many years. February The Town Clerk submitted a letter from Messrs Houston & Houston, on behalf of an applicant requesting the support of Accrington Corporation in an appeal against the County Planning Committee’s refusal to allow the use of the former British Railways Goods Shed on Charter Street, to be turned over to the construction and rebuilding of textile machinery. It was resolved to support this appeal on condition that the proposed work was carried out in a new building. Further to this, the Town Clerk submitted correspondence from the Divisional Planning Officer, requesting the Council’s views as to what should be a suitable use of the land adjacent to Charter Street and also to that off Lower Antley Street, on which the British Railway sidings were formerly sited. It was resolved the Borough Engineer should reply to the Divisional Planning Officer, that the Council considered these areas would be suitable for commercial or light industry use. March On Sunday the 21 st , there was a ‘special’ excursion to London for the Ideal Homes Exhibition at £3 for adults and £2 children. Timings were Accrington depart 07:37, arrive in London 11:40, returning at 18:13 and back in town at 22:02. The exhibition could be visited by using ordinary services between the 5 th and 30 th , for £6:04p per adult and £3:02p for a child, including an underground ticket to and from Euston to Kensington Olympia, with an extra 40p each for admission. Another option was to go for the weekend over the 23 rd and 24 th , including an overnight stay with breakfast in a Grand Met Hotel for £7:50p per adult and £4:50p per child sharing room. Yet another alternative was to go on a Mid-Week mini-break on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, with the overnight stay in a Grand Met at £8:50p and £6:50p respectively, but this required a booking of at least two adults. April On Saturday the 6 th , what was described as a “Mystery Mixture” was operating with fares at £2:75p and £1:95p, but this would include both rail and coach journeys. Over Easter, on Good Friday another Mystery Trip ran, with fares at £2:15p and £1:35p for children, and on Monday the 15 th , Barrow and Ravenglass were the intended destinations, whilst the alternative was a special for York. Bletchley for Woburn Abbey was the destination for the special which ran on Wednesday the 24 th . Passengers would have to make their way to Preston to catch the 08:40 and on arrival at 11:24, coaches

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