Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Later in the month 102 of the L & Y’s employees from all branches met in Accrington to formulate the moves towards a superannuated scheme. Mr Frank Bairstow of Preston was in the Chair, and he said if the railwaymen displayed sufficient solidarity, it would be the best scheme possible and bring them into line with workers in other industries. He recalled that a few years ago Mr Wilson, who was at that time the Chairman of the Directors of the L & Y, had proposed the company should make a grant of either £10,000 or £20,000 ( he could not remember which ), to such a fund. He personally had examined the insurance records of the Company and discovered it had 14,000 employees. He calculated that if each of those paid 1 penny per week, within a year the fund would have a value of over £3,000. He himself favoured a graduated scheme for contributions, which would give the older employees a chance of parity with the newer ones after 20 years of service if they so desired it. He thought it should be up to the directors of the company to administer the scheme, or to choose to have it done for them. The following resolution was then unanimously agreed - 1) That the scheme named ‘The Lancashire & Yorkshire Company’s Servants’ Superannuation Fund’ was to the benefit of all the railways servants, after a certain specified period of service. 2) That each employee would subscribe under a scale to be devised in due course. 3) That a graduated scale of subscriptions is prepared for members with over twenty years of service. There was some debate about the inadequacy of the rates of subscription set at the previous meeting in Preston, and these were the rates which it was thought should be applied - Mr Rushton, from Rose Grove Sheds, pointed out that several drivers at his shed earned over £2 per week, and should not be discriminated against because of their endeavours. The following resolution was then unanimously passed - 1) That this fund should be managed by the Officers of the L & Y, the panel consisting of six of the Company’s nominees plus six contributing members. 2) That any members convicted of a felony forfeited all rights to the fund. 3) That all members leaving this employment or wishing to withdraw from the scheme, would be entitled to a proportion of their contributions. 4) Ex-employees would be entitled to continue to contribute to the scheme if they so wished. December Two trains collided at Helmshore Station on Wednesday the 4 th , when a goods train from Accrington was being drawn across the main line after it had been shunted to allow a passenger train to pass through on its journey from Accrington to Bury, when it was struck amidships by a goods train travelling at speed with two locomotives on the front. The impact derailed the two locomotives, and the tender from one was thrown completely off the rails. Several of the goods vans were smashed and their contents scattered all around for some distance. News of the collision was telegraphed to all stations along the lines to stop traffic, and soon a large number of workmen were on the scene to clear the debris. The fact that not one of the footplate men received more than slight injuries was something of a miracle. However, there was an acrimonious dispute between the driver of the pilot engine on the goods train and the Signal/Gateman, Matthias Lord, as to how the signals had been set on the train’s approach to the station. But this became something of an irrelevance some hours afterwards. A train which had departed Accrington at 9pm was approaching Helmshore at just before 10, when Lord was seen some 200 yards down the line. As he approached the driver of this train felt a sudden jerk and stopped his train to investigate. After going under his locomotive he discovered a wooden leg wedged in the engine’s motion. Lord had worn a false limb since he had suffered a previous accident on the L & Y some years previously. Further searches found Lord’s decapitated body further down the tracks. He was 50 years of age and had been with the railway for many years. It was concluded that he had taken sole responsibility for the accident earlier that day and committed suicide, although the possibility of an accident could not be ruled out. The inquest was held at the Turner’s Arms the following day, and 1. For those employees earning less than £1 per week - 2 pence per week. 2. For those employees earning up to £1 - 10s - 4d per week - 4 pence per week. 3. For those employees earning between £1 – 10s – 0d and £2 per week - 6 pence per week. 4. There would be no increase in contribution for those earning above £2 per week. 5) That all disputes would be settled by arbitration.

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