Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

In bringing the meeting to a close the Chairman stated, that the Board had done its duty in bringing this matter before the public, and it rested with the meeting whether or not proceedings were initiated. If it was stopped then the credit or debit would lie with those individuals who opposed it, and the Board would carry no blame if these alterations turned out to be something which was not expected. He then tabled the amendment - “That this meeting does not sanction any opposition to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company’s Bill, and that any further expenses would not be taken from out of the general rates, except for those expenses already incurred.” On being seconded and put to a vote, this amendment was carried by a large majority, and the meeting then broke up. April On the 15 th , the Local Board of Oswaldtwistle considered a letter from the L & Y, who wanted to establish a new siding close to the one already in at Blythe’s, and sought permission to purchase the land ‘as quickly as possible’. Having examined a sketch of the plans, the Clerk was instructed to inform the Company that this plot was part of an area which was earmarked for building and this would reduce the value of the development. A Select Committee, with Mr O’Reilly in the Chair, was appointed to examine the L & Y’s Bill and the opposition from the Accrington Local Board. The Company were represented by QCs Pope and Littler, whilst Mr Pembroke Stevens appeared on behalf of the Board. He stated that if the plans were confined just to making improvements at the Railway Station and not to widening the crossing of Blackburn Road, he would withdraw the opposition to the Bill. Sir John Hawkshaw then confirmed that the plans were confined to making improvements to the station, so Stevens withdrew the opposition to the Bill. With regard to the Clause which provided that a new bridge was to be constructed in Accrington, Mr O’Reilly said that this was totally without precedent, to which Sir John Hawkshaw stated that “In order to deaden the noise this new bridge would be constructed using stone”. Stevens asked that this Clause should be struck out of the Bill, saying this was all the Board required of them. With regard to another Clause, it had been suggested that the underside of this new bridge should be painted white, which Mr Stevens agreed, the Company would be repainting from ‘time to time’. If this was so then it was conceded that demands that the bridge would have to be lit both day and night would be abandoned. With no witnesses coming forward to give testimony to support this Clause, O’Reilly said it too would be struck out. Supported by Mr Knowles, the Surveyor of the Local Board, Mr Stevens asked that adverts would be banned on the bridge as these caused a dangerous distraction to the public, a situation exacerbated by the narrow footpaths, but O’Reilly dismissed this on the grounds that it would require special legislation, so this too was thrown out. The Local Board also brought forward the question of tolls and rates, but the Committee ruled that these were “just and reasonable”. After it was established that the L & Y did not intend to make any alterations to the viaduct arch spanning King Street and the remaining Clauses had been discussed, the Bill was set to progress in the usual manner. June On the 1 st , the North Lancs Avoiding Line, (the Harwood Loop), seven years in its construction, was opened throughout for the transportation of goods. The first train passed through Great Harwood Station at 8:30am, and a large crowd gathered on the platforms to see it come through. Ten freight trains were scheduled to use the 9 mile long line every day in order to avoid Yorkshire traffic having to pass through Accrington, whilst in a few weeks it was expected it would be open to passengers. In his report on the accident that had occurred in Accrington on February 2 nd , Colonel Ricks said the testimony given by the guard showed he had mistaken the engine which had brought the train from Preston for the locomotive which would haul it back. He had never known an instance when it was out in front of the train, as it was on this occasion and of it being attached whilst it was still stabled on the incline, whilst the train engine was being uncoupled with the stock still parked on the slope. He had been sorting parcels at the moment when it broke loose, and he was alerted by shouts from the staff on the platform, he then had applied the brakes but not soon enough to avoid the collision. The driver of the engine also had not realised what had happened until too late, his locomotive suffering a broken buffer casting, but thankfully it and the carriages had stayed on the lines. Ricks concluded that this accident was the fault of the guard, but had been made worse by the complicated arrangements which still prevailed at Accrington Railway Station. July A memorandum was sent by the Local Boards of Padiham and Hapton to the Board of the L & Y, exhorting them to open the section of the Harwood Loop Line to passenger traffic between Blackburn and

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