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

fixed onto the cars. A letter was received from Clayton District Council asking the Corporation to look again at the scale of fares on the new tramway, so as to allow through travel between Eagle Street and the Clayton-le-Moors terminus for 1½d. It was resolved the Town Clerk would reply that at present the Corporation could not see their way to altering the fares. The Electrical Engineer was then authorised to arrange for the temporary lighting of the streets and roads, during the progress of tramway reconstruction. At a meeting of the Electrical Legal & Parliamentary Committee held on October 17 th , the Town Clerk submitted further correspondence from A. E. Abrahams on the subject of advertising on the trams. It was resolved that before proceeding any further, the Town Clerk should obtain examples of the enamelled plates and the colour scheme they intended to adopt for the whole of the adverts they would attach to the tramcars. It was further resolved, following an application from the Oswaldtwistle District Nursing Association, to grant free passes to nurses for travel between the New Lane terminus and the Commercial Hotel in Church, providing they were in uniform and on duty. A report was received that Car N o 2 had been damaged whilst working on the Oswaldtwistle Section, when a horse and cart had backed into it. This had occurred on the previous day (the 16 th ), and repairs were already underway, but it would be a week or so before it could be returned to traffic due to the extent of the damage. It was then resolved that workmen’s tickets would be issued up until 08:00 on Mondays only on the trams. Finally, it was resolved to provide mackintoshes to workmen employed on the Tower Wagon. The Finance Committee heard a request from the Borough Treasurer for instructions as to how to dispose of the surplus revenue from the Steam Tramway. It was resolved that the net revenue of over £300 should be deposited in the Tramways Depreciation & Renewals Fund. The Electrical Sub-Committee met to discuss progress on the tramway work, and the Electrical Engineer was instructed to obtain 6 additional arc-lamps to light the routes whilst the work was underway. He was to be held responsible if the work was delayed due to lack of adequate lighting. The Chairman voiced a suggestion made to him by Church District Council that the junction of Blackburn Road with Market Street should be better lit, as it was a busy part of the Tramways route. This matter was deferred pending further investigations. (Not everything went smoothly with the introduction of the new electric trams as was the case on the 9 th , when the driver of a ‘funeral coach’ refused to allow a tramcar to pass on its journey from Accrington to Church. The rules, according to the prosecuting Town Clerk, stated that if there was insufficient room for a car to pass, the person in charge of the obstructing vehicle should move to the opposite side of the highway or enter a side street. This Mr Edward Burton refused to do and so a police sergeant was called to the scene, who stated he thought the defendant was deliberately taking his time. Mr Slinger, who was representing Mr Burton, stated that this was a rule which had no precedent. He contended that it was the responsibility of the town to ensure that the highway was sufficiently wide to allow trams and traffic to pass unhindered, or to accept that delays such as the one in question were inevitable. However, Mr Broughton, the Clerk to the Magistrates, advised the Bench to accept the Town Clerk’s version. Mr Burton was fined the sum of £1 plus costs.) November The Electrical Sub-Committee met to consider the possibility of again operating steam cars or even electric cars on the Manchester Road section of the Tramway whilst work was ongoing. The Tramway Manager pointed out that a steam car service was operating as close to Accrington as the reconstruction would permit. It was resolved to instruct the Borough Surveyor and Borough Engineer to “push on” with the work along Manchester Road, in order to start a service as far as Broad Oak as soon as the lines are complete. A letter was received from Oswaldtwistle District Council with regard to the ‘stopping places’ near to Roe Greave Road and the Mason’s Arms public house. The Tramway Manager was authorised to ‘trial’ these stops and act upon them if he thought it advantageous. The Manager of the Tramway then reported he had received 9 more suits of motormen’s and conductor’s uniforms, and was instructed to order 10 uniforms for Parcels Boys, also from Messrs James Smith of Derby. The Mayor reported that a motorman and a conductor had been dismissed by the Tramway Manager for “misconduct”. The Electrical Engineer submitted several quotes for tools to equip the Tower Wagon. It was resolved to accept the lowest tender from the firm of Wathlington & Co. The General Manager reported that a case of abuse of ‘scholars tickets’ had been uncovered and the Town Clerk was instructed to bring the offender before this Sub-Committee. On accepting a report by the General Manager it was resolved to recommend the purchase of an additional single deck saloon car for use on the Oswaldtwistle Section. A meeting of the Electrical Legal & Parliamentary heard a report

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