Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

locomotive. He was thrown along the platform, killed instantly by the impact and his disfigured body was recovered and taken to the nearby Rishton Arms Hotel to await an inquest. This took place there on Monday, the 9 th , with Mr H. J. Robinson the Coroner in the Chair, and Mr Livesey the District Superintendent of the L & Y in attendance. It was stated that after the four passengers had gone across the boardwalk other people had seen the express approaching at too great a speed to stop, but Hindle had ignored their warnings and he had attempted to cross where the platform height was about three feet above the level of the rails not where there was a proper step up. Even though it was 9:45pm, it was light enough due to the lamps on the platform to see the train at a distance of some sixty yards away. Peter William Adam, the Station Master at Rishton, stated he had gone to the waiting room to inform the passengers that what he thought was the stopping train was approaching, and when he had realised that this was in fact the express he had called out to them not to attempt to cross. The driver of the engine, Mr Monk from Kirkdale, said he was not required to sound his whistle when approaching a station unless he perceived there was a potential danger. He was trying to make up time, but had found it necessary to make an unscheduled stop at Church Station due to the loss of a tail light on the last carriage, and was only running at about 25mph instead of the normal 40mph on his approach to Rishton. It appeared that the only means of indicating the difference between an express and a stopping train between signal boxes was by the ‘speaking telegraph’ but this had ended at 8pm. When the train had reached Liverpool Exchange traces of human flesh had been noted on the engine. Recording a verdict of Accidental Death, the Coroner made a recommendation that there should be some better means of indicating the type of train signalmen were required next to handle, and that a member of station staff should be positioned on both platforms to warn of the approach of a train. Hindle left a widow and five children, but was insured in the sum of £1,000 by the Railway Accident Insurance Company. An appeal was launched for donations towards the construction of a shelter on the Eagle Street side, for the use of cabbies who plied their trade at the Railway Station. This scheme backed by the Mayor would be administered by Mr Rowland, and it was hoped that sufficient money would soon be raised towards building a suitable structure. There were several changes to the trains serving East Lancashire in April as follows - The 5:30am Accrington to Skipton was retimed to depart at 5:20. There was a new ‘Market Train’ from Accrington to Manchester at 9:25am on Tuesdays only. Other Accrington to Manchester trains at 4:18pm, 9:04pm & 11:09pm were retimed to depart at 4:28, 9:09 & 11:29pm respectively. The 4:20pm express to Liverpool via Blackburn would now depart at 4:30. May Over the Whitsuntide weekend the L & Y were running excursion trains to London and to Scotland, whilst ‘specials’ were being operated to those who wished to attend the Halifax Jubilee celebrations. Other trains were being run for the benefit of several working men’s clubs, the Catholic Brethren, the Protestant Association, the Co-operative Society, an athletics meeting in Pontefract, Harewood Agricultural Show and Ormskirk Cattle Market. Other trains ran taking employees from various mills for a day’s outing, all this on top of the normal service trains. As a result all engineering maintenance work on the lines had been suspended, whilst extra staff had been brought in to dispense and check tickets. One objection to this was published in the Railway News, which stated, “Some employees were having to work up to eighteen hours at a single stretch with little extra pay”. ( It should be noted that many of the ‘emigrant trains’ which operated from Hull to Liverpool taking people from the continent to ships sailing for America, and which were a valuable source of income to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, were also routed to pass through East Lancashire.) June On the 1 st the line between Blackburn and Hellifield saw five trains per day travelling between Liverpool and Manchester to either Glasgow or Edinburgh, and the first of these trains was decorated with bunting and flags. Some modifications had been made along the length of the Ribble Valley Line to give enough clearance for Pullman Cars to be included in these trains. The new platform at Accrington Railway Station was opened for traffic on the 14 th . On one side it was long enough to accommodate an engine and seven carriages. Access is by a footbridge on the south

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