Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

traffic to make it viable, as it would attract traffic from Yorkshire. A vote of thanks was proposed to these two gentlemen and the meeting was adjourned to await further developments. December On Christmas Eve locomotive number 762, a comparatively new Barton Wright 0-6-0 tender goods engine, was stabled with several other engines in the engine sheds between the Station and Antley, and it was believed the vacuum brakes had not been properly applied. It then started rolling down the line towards Church gradually gaining speed, until at the end of a siding it hit the buffer stop. This it smashed to pieces before plunging funnel first into Antley Farm’s tunnel passage. There it grazed the brickwork of the boundary wall and broke the abutments and the battlements of the bridge. Workmen were engaged for the majority of Christmas Day in recovering this engine, which was badly damaged. However, it was reinstated into service then converted to a Saddle Tank in May, 1895. It was finally withdrawn in February, 1956, as number 51396 from Bank Hall Sheds. 1885 It was now that Accrington Railway Station had developed into the one in which it remained for nine decades. It gained two booking offices, with the one on Paxton Street replacing the temporary one, and the one on Eagle Street being refurbished. Platform 2, the main up Manchester Platform, was an extension of the former East Lancashire Railway one, which was remained at the lower height, but which was retained for parcels traffic. This platform had a refreshment room and toilet facilities, and at the lower level the Parcels Office. Staff accommodation was also on Platform 2. Across the running lines was Platform 3, the down Manchester Platform, where trains going through to Burnley, Colne and Skipton stopped. There was a south facing bay between Platform 2 and the Eagle Street goods yard, and this was designated as Platform 1. The booking office and parcels office were still in the main building, which had lost its clock tower during remodelling. It was however still possible to exit the station onto Paxton Street. Platform 5 was where trains from Colne going through to Preston and beyond loaded, whilst Platform 6 was where trains in the down, opposite direction stopped. To the rear of Platform 5 was a west facing bay identified as Platform 4. A double span bridge linking all the platforms via three staircases removed the necessity for passengers to cross the running lines. The majority of each of the platforms were protected by canopies and waiting rooms with facilities, were also incorporated for the comfort and convenience of passengers. A kiosk was provided on the main concourse where refreshments could be purchased. A newspaper and stationery kiosk was situated in the junction of Platforms 3 and 4 opposite the foot of the central staircase. Amongst other children a young girl named Nora Clinch, ( my aunt ), was employed to run up the platforms distributing newspapers through the windows of the compartmental carriages whilst the trains were stopped on each platform, so that commuters could buy a paper without the need to de train. Accrington Station had been described as the most awkward on the entire Lancashire & Yorkshire system as the four main platforms were all on tight radius curves. Even after the station was rebuilt from its most basic form, all the lines were tightly curved which required all passengers to ‘mind the gap’, and slowed freight trains down to a walking pace when passing through. The Cattle Dock was to the rear of Platform 6 where pens had been provided with access onto Paxton Street for the unloading of livestock, no doubt to hold then before they made the short journey across Blackburn Road to the abattoir at the junction of Moreton Street with Hyndburn Road. ( I have been told by a reliable source that part of Paxton Street was paved with redundant railway sleepers, which were less likely to cause the beasts to slip. This was colloquially known as the Wooden Road. ) Most of the goods traffic was handled on the lines which formed the hypotenuse of the triangle in which the station was situated. This was accessed off Scaitcliffe Street, ( where now stands the Tesco Superstore ). However, there was a smaller yard adjacent to Eagle Street which contained the potato sheds, and this was accessed through a wide gate on the station approach. By this time the goods shed had been enlarged and the number of sidings increased, whilst the facilities for handling livestock were still the same. The potato shed was also as before, but the number of buildings in the goods yard itself had been increased to include a cement store. There were now two entrances/exits from the yard one each on Eagle Street and Scaitcliffe Street, and extra stables had been built to accommodate a much larger number of horses, whose working life was limited to five years per animal. The goods office was again administered separately from the passenger and parcels side, but the whole operation was under the overall control of a

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