Accrington Railways - Robert Kenyon

There was a reorganisation of the North Lancs District during 1919 when Accrington Shed was the ‘A’ shed and had Lower Darwen (25) and Hellifield (26) added to its responsibilities. At this time the District employed 884 men, the District Locomotive Superintendent was F. G. Moore and the Shed Foreman was S.T. Clayton. In Accrington there were 11 hand operated cranes. There was one recovery crane based at the shed capable of lifting up to 20 tons, which was built by the firm of Knapman & Co., which required a radius of 16 feet in order to safely operate. There were also available around the Accrington system, seventeen 10-ton cranes and eight 20-ton cranes. The yard contained a 55 foot turntable on the running line side of the sheds. It was manually operated but capable of turning even the largest of locomotives. Between the loco sheds and the carriage shed was a coaling tower of the N o 2 type in construction. This was capable of holding 150 tons of coal in two equal bunkers. The Shed Master’s office and stores were located on the end of the shed on the north side, where a separate spur of track ran onto the large turntable. In the locomotive shed yard there were 5 water columns, 360/1/2/3/4 in the numbering system of the L & Y. Others were located at Accrington South numbers 168 169 & 170, whilst 173 was at Accrington West. Number 146 was also at Accrington West, number 155 on the up platform whist 166 and 167 were at Accrington North. (During 1903, #168, 169 and 170 were removed. In January 1908 #173 went, whilst #364 was taken down in April of that year). On the Charter Street side the sheds were adjacent to the large goods depot. There was an extensive array of sidings running through the carriage shed, which also had its own stores. In order to pre-heat passenger rolling stock an ex-Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway, Sharp Stewart 4-4-0 tank locomotive #713, with its splashers removed, was parked next to the carriage shed for several years from April 1954, for use as a static steam generator. This had previously seen similar service in Blackpool, and replaced a similarly treated Barton-Wright engine. In the period 1902 to 1948 there was also a shed at Colne which also came under Accrington District, and this was where some of the L & Y’s ‘Baltic’ tanks were allocated for the fast Manchester trains. During London, Midland & Scottish era in the period 1934 to 1936, two of the roads nearest to Charter Street were uncovered and the roof was replaced by one of the pitched type. During that period Accrington shed would have received its share of passenger, goods and shunting engines as it was unlike most of the other sheds in the East Lancashire Division in that it was not a shed which was devoted to either passenger or goods engines. It did however have some engines allocated there over the years, which were specially equipped and designed for ‘banking’ duties over the Baxenden incline, ( but more of these later). This shed was closed to steam on March 5 th , 1961, and to all motive power on October 2 nd , 1972, the allocation of Diesel Multiple Units going to Newton Heath shed, which had been the largest on the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway system. ( This had also been where the foundations were laid for the football team from which Manchester United had evolved .) May Under the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Act of 1897 the Railway Company had made an application for the widening of their lines which passed over Lonsdale Street. Also purchased land from the Corporation for the quadrupling of the lines to the west of the level crossing in Huncoat down to the cricket field railway bridge. The Council required knowing how many potential graves would be lost as a result of this sale. In January the Health Sub-Committee reported on their visit to the subway near to the Corporation’s yard, and came to the conclusion that the grates provided to carry the water away were too small. It was resolved to ask the L & Y to substitute larger and more suitable grates than those currently in use. It was also resolved to construct a urinal at the foot of Crossland Street near to the subway. The Legal & Parliamentary Committee considered the Borough Surveyor’s report on the loss of ‘interment space and tipping land’ at the Burnley Road cemetery, due to the L & Y taking a part of the land. It was resolved to employ the services of Cross & Eagle to asses a claim for compensation to be made against the Railway Company for the loss of this land. The General Works Committee received a letter from the Engineer’s Office of the L & Y, with regard to the widening of the Lonsdale Street railway bridge as sanctioned in the Company’s Act. It was resolved to leave this matter in the hands of the Borough Surveyor.

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