Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

Evidence was given by signalman Napoleon Rowe, who had spent two years at Accrington. He stated the driver of the train had not started back until after he had given him the hand signal to do so. The driver, William Kendal, explained that he was in charge of a train three carriages and the van in length, all of which were fitted with Fay’s continuous brakes. He said he had pulled well forward of the crossing points, and after about a minute he had received the signal for him to draw back into the siding, he then felt a jolt as the rear of the train had gone over the crossing. He had gone back to see what had happened and noticed a mark on the check rail where the wheels of the van had gone over it. He also saw the wheels of the carriage coupled to the van had also come off the rails. In his summing up Hutchinson stated, “Once again the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway should be petitioned to remodel Accrington’s Station, before there is any further increase in the volume of traffic. At present it is lacking in proper accommodation for the public, and its servants were working in the most difficult and unfavourable conditions”. September On the 2 nd , a special excursion for the 700 strong work-force at Sykeside Mill, had departed Haslingden at 5:30am for a day out on the coast. The return left Blackpool at 7:15pm and it had arrived back in Accrington at 9:30pm, where the train was not due to be shunted onto the viaduct but to take the avoiding line from Blackburn to go up the Baxenden incline. Having been halted short of the junction, the train then set in motion when two carriages in the centre of the rake jumped the rails. The driver stopped the train immediately when he realised that something was wrong, but in the meantime a 1st Class carriage had tumbled onto its side, whilst the 3rd Class carriage coupled to it had been prevented from tipping over by a signal post which it was leant against. This was fortunate as it was crammed full of passengers and had all of its windows open to the night. Eight people in the 1st Class carriage were injured, the remainder returning to Haslingden by service trains. This accident was caused by the pointsman changing the points whilst the train was going over the crossing. On the 9 th at between 2am and 3am a train of empty passenger stock coming from Manchester, ran into the rear of the Bury goods which was standing in the platform at Baxenden Station. A couple of wagons were derailed but no one was hurt and the line re-opened within two hours. At 9pm on Tuesday, the 22 nd , a goods train was observed coming down the Baxenden incline with several wagons ablaze. The fire was centred on a wagon containing railway sleepers impregnated with creosote, which was uncoupled from the engine’s tender and then shunted under a water column used to fill locomotive tenders, but the flames were too fierce and the water could not be directed onto the source. The District Superintendent, Mr Goodier, had a lad called Duckworth place a ladder against the side of this wagon to direct the water into it. It quickly filled, but this left burning oil floating on the surface. Finally, the fire was subdued after Mr Goodier had decided to take the wagon to a place away from the buildings to allow it to burn out. All trains were delayed by about three hours. It was thought that a spark from the engine of the Scots express, which had passed it further up the line, was the cause of this fire. October Colonel Hutchinson, in his report on the accident involving the Sykeside Mill excursion, said the signalman had entered the passing of the train in his log, and by mistake set the points wrongly. Hearing the calls of a lineman, he then tried to correct his error by attempting to throw the points whilst the train was passing over them, thus causing the carriages to derail. Again he called for locking bars to be installed on all points to prevent this type of accident. A 27 year old labourer, William Singleton, received fatal injuries at Great Harwood Railway Station on the 17 th . He was a member of a gang who were loading earth onto wagons to take to Martholme Viaduct, when the signal was given for the workmen to get onto the wagons as the train was about to start. However, Singleton fell backwards and a wagon ran him over severing an arm and a leg. Despite the attentions of Dr Patchett and being taken to Blackburn Infirmary he passed away. A verdict of accidental death was recorded at the inquest. There were several changes to the trains affecting Accrington and these were as follows -

 The 5:50am Burnley to Accrington was withdrawn.  The 5:20am Accrington to Burnley was withdrawn.  The 9:14am Accrington to Todmorden was withdrawn.  The 2:10pm Accrington to Todmorden would now run at 2:30pm.  The 4:08pm Accrington to Burnley was withdrawn.  The Sundays only 2:50pm Burnley to Accrington was also discontinued.

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