Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

resolved that Cllr Smith meet with the company, to explain that this Committee found the amount excessive, and to request a full explanation as to the reasons why their bill had come to such a large amount. September 29 th . Letters dated September 21 st and 25 th respectively from Messrs Cosh & Company of London, were read out to the Committee. They offered their terms for the lease of the Tramway. It was resolved that the Town Clerk should take all steps to bring the offer of Cosh & Co. to a favourable conclusion as soon as possible. Also that he should obtain rates of insurance for the Tramway depot from several sources. October 19 th . The Committee were presented with Messrs Broome, Murray & Company’s monthly account, plus a report on the audit of their annual statement of accounts. Also correspondence explaining their charges for preparing statements with regard to the tenders for the Tramway lease. It was resolved that Alderman Hindle and Cllr William Smith, meet with the accountants with a view to obtaining a reduction in their bill. November 17 th . It was recorded that the Tramway depot on Ellison Street would be insured by the Equitable Insurance Company for the sum of £2,000. November 24 th . A letter was read out to the Committee from the Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trade, enclosing correspondence from Major-General Hutchinson. December 11 th . The Committee considered the report made by their accountants, Messrs Broome, Murray & Co, on the two tenders submitted by Mr John Sharples and by Messrs Green & Burleigh. This report was approved and adopted. December 28 th . A report was presented to the Committee from Messrs Broome, Murray & Co. on their monthly audit of accounts. Cllr Smith reported on the meeting he had arranged with Broome, Murray along with Alderman Hindle, with regard to their work on the tenders for the lease of the Tramway. December 29 th . The Town Clerk submitted the Parliamentary Plans for a railway line to link Accrington with Clitheroe through Clayton-le-Moors, ( heavy rail not a tramway .) THE LINE THAT NEVER WAS On December 29 th 1885 the Town Clerk submitted the Parliamentary Plans for a tramway line to link Accrington with Clitheroe through Clayton-le-Moors. This ambitious scheme destined never to be realised was the Blackburn, Burnley & Whalley Light Railway , devised in the era when the expansion of the railways was in full swing and private investors were looking towards profitable expansions. The line was to connect with the Blackburn system end-on at Whitebirk, and run along Blackburn Road into Rishton, where in the centre of the town it turned sharply north. Following the course of the main highway it then would have crossed over the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, and the North Lancs Avoiding Line (The Harwood Loop) in the Norden District, and following first Lee Lane and then Blackburn Road entered Great Harwood town centre. From Town Gate it would have turned to go down Queen Street to Park Road. Departing Great Harwood along Harwood Lane it then would have arrived at Harwood Bar, where it was intended to make a junction with another line coming out from Clayton-le-Moors over Hyndburn Bridge to Harwood Bar. This ‘other’ line would have had connections with the Accrington system at its terminus just short of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal a short distance beyond the Hare & Hounds crossroads. The main connection would however have been with an extension of the Burnley system coming through from Padiham, which is where the Burnley interest originated for this line. Having made this connection the line again would have turned north to cross over the River Calder in the dip at Cock Bridge before passing through Portfield Bar. Proceeding further north the line would have entered Whalley down the hill to terminate outside the Assembly Rooms, just a few yards short of the ‘T’ Junction with King Street. There are many reasons why this scheme was not progressed. It might have been that not enough backers were prepared to invest capital in a share issue. Even if there were sufficient funds assured, having a Bill passed through Parliament in order to commence construction was not guaranteed. The other factor was a connection with the lines from Padiham through to Clayton-le-Moors and then to Harwood Bar. This line would have had to have negotiated some formidable gradients, none the least of

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