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

It was then resolved that ‘Time Meters’ should be installed on the tramcars which would operate on the Oswaldtwistle section. It was further resolved that the Mayor and Councillor Waddington should examine the area in front of the Market Hall and Town Hall, and then decide where the tramway standards should be erected on this section of Blackburn Road. Another resolution was passed to request tenders for the rights to place advertisements on the new tramcars. On this same date at a joint meeting of the Health and Electrical Sub-Committees, Alderman Broughton raised the question of using the tramway standards now being erected as a means of ventilating the town’s sewers. It was resolved that this method of ventilating the sewers would not be adopted. The Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee considered tenders for the supply of 3,500 yards of cable, and it was resolved to accept the lowest one from Messrs W. T. Glover at £1,829 – 9s – 9d. Also the tender of £33 was accepted from the British Insulated Wire Company for the supply of three ‘distribution pillars’. At a meeting of the Electrical Sub-Committee, the Mayor was empowered to engage a duly qualified person to be in attendance at the Brush Electrical Engineering Company’s works, in order to inspect the construction of the Corporation’s tramcars, along with the equipment to be installed in them. The Mayor then reported on moves made with regard to the staffing of the Corporation’s tramway department. This Sub-Committee then recommended the engagement of Mr James Wilson, who was the Steam Tramway Company’s present secretary, as ‘General and Traffic Manager’ at his current salary of £200 per year. With regard to the remainder of the staffing, the Sub-Committee was authorised to take on such staff at terms as they may negotiate after consulting with Mr Wilson. The Electrical Engineer was then authorised to send samples of all the copper cables to be used in the electrification of the tramway, to the Westminster Electrical Testing Laboratory to verify it was up to the quality and conductivity that the Corporation had specified. It was then resolved that the Brush Company should be asked to quote a price for the supply and fixing of ‘Mallin’s Improved Double-Sanding Equipment’ on Accrington’s new tramcars. The Minutes of a meeting with Haslingden Tramways Company held on Tuesday, April 15 th , at 18:00 in Haslingden. The questions under discussion were – a) Are you prepared to purchase outright the Accrington Steam Tramway, and if so what price will you pay? b) Are you prepared to purchase and then to re-let to the Steam Company for a further twenty-one years, and if so on what conditions? c) Are you willing to renew for twenty-one years at the expiration of the current lease, and what stipulations would you require for so doing? For example - changing from steam to electric traction taking current, and any reservations you wish to make. d) Would you be prepared to undertake the repairs of the tram road within your Borough, and at what price? e) Supposing you granted either the (2) or (3) propositions, would you raise objections to the Company selling to anyone else? May At a meeting of the Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee the Borough Treasurer reported that for that month up to the 10 th , the income from the tramway was £1,452 – 12s – 0d @ 15·21 pence per mile, whilst expenditure was £854 – 9s – 6d @ 8·92 pence per mile, equalling a surplus of £598 – 2s – 6d for the period. A letter was received from the Board of Trade naming Reginald P. Wilson Esq M.I.E.E., A.M.I.C.E. of 66 Victoria Street in the Westminster district of London as the arbitrator in the dispute between the Corporation and the Steam Tramway Company. This Committee then considered the tenders for the supply of three new ‘Feeder Pillars’ which would be used to replace three ground feeder boxes. The tender of Callender’s Cable & Construction Co. Ltd was accepted at £19 – 7s – 6d for the first two and £20 – 2s – 6d for the third. It was also resolved to accept the lowest tender from Messrs W. T. Glover & Co. Ltd for the supply of 220 yards of 7 / 14 ths of an inch cable, plus 220 yards of 7 / 18 ths of an inch cable at £33 – 6s – 0d and £21 – 0s – 0d respectively. It was further resolved to adopt the colours now submitted as the livery for the new trams. ( No source is given for this livery but it was a facsimile of the one carried by the steam hauled trailer cars .) f) When would you be prepared to enter an agreement?

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