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

from the Town Clerk that the Accrington Steam Tramway Company proposed to stop running the next weekend, on the Baxenden Section of the Haslingden route between the Borough boundary and the point at which the construction work had reached. It was resolved to authorise the Tramway Manager to continue to run two engines and two cars over this section up until the progress in construction renders them useless! It was also resolved to ask Brush Electrical Engineering to stop painting the Tramway standards until next spring. Also a sub-committee would be appointed to fix the rental for allowing advertising to be put on the walls of the Ellison Street Tramway depot, which had started on October 1 st last! The Chairman submitted an estimate from Mr E. Dewhurst (Electrical Engineer) of Preston of £41 – 7s – 6d for the supply and fitting of a complete set of signals on just one of the single line portions of the Oswaldtwistle Section. The desirability of adopting this means of signalling was agreed for this part of Union Road, so it was resolved to accept the tender and to proceed with the work ‘forthwith’. Finally, the Tramway Manager was authorised to obtain a set of emery grinding wheels for removing ‘flats’ from the wheels of the tramcars December The Electrical Legal & Parliamentary received a letter from Brush Engineering with regard to the paint they had been using on the Tramway’s standards, and the Corporation’s request to use a superior type. They asked for an extra 10% to cover their increased costs in supplying this paint, and it was resolved to offer them 5%! This letter also confirmed they were prepared to defer painting the standards with a top coat until the following spring, providing the Council were prepared to pay the extra expense of sending men at this later date. It was resolved the Council would agree to meet the extra railway fares in connection with this work. It was then resolved the Borough Treasurer could pay the Brush Company the balance of their account for the Tramcars which was now due, less 10% on the total amount. The Tramway Manager was authorised to obtain the following materials and appliances - two dozen trolley pick-up wheels, plus six trolley wheel heads and six bamboo poles, also one hundredweight (cwt) of Vaslelene (tendered at £1 – 8s – 0d per ton). He was also asked to have the Tower Wagon fitted with the necessary couplings to enable it to be coupled to a tramcar and moved as a trailer. The Borough Engineer was asked to submit a scheme to obviate any danger from the trolley wheels slipping off the wires at a point in Daisy Hill on Manchester Road, to which the Committee’s attention had been drawn. The Tramway Manager referred to applications he had received for the operation of ‘special’ cars and ‘private hires’. It was resolved in connection with all such applications to consent to them on the same terms as those charged by Blackburn Corporation i.e. 3 shillings per mile run, and to charge any ‘special’ car running in over the Corporation’s lines from Blackburn this same amount. The Chairman referred to statements made at the full Council’s meeting with regard to taking over the Accrington Steam Tramway’s staff by the Corporation. The Tramways Manager then explained his reasons for the non engagement of ‘certain’ members of staff. He went on to say that already 50 out of the whole staff of 80 had been re-engaged for service by the Corporation Tramways Department, the remainder being required to operate the Steam Tramway Company’s Haslingden and Rawtenstall sections. At a meeting of the Electrical Legal & Parliamentary the Borough Engineer reported that the Brush Electrical Engineering Company had accepted the Corporation’s offer of an extra 5% towards the cost of a superior paint for the Tramway’s standards. They had also acceded to postpone the painting of these standards until the following spring, provided the Council were prepared to pay the workmen’s railway fares. The opening fleet of Electric Tramcars all supplied by Brush of Loughborough was as follows - No . Type Seats Out Comments 1 saloon 32 1932 Dismantled by Accrington C.T. 2 saloon 32 1932 Dismantled by Accrington C.T. 3 saloon 32 1932 Dismantled by Accrington C.T. 4 saloon 32 1932 Dismantled by Accrington C.T. 5 double-deck balcony 28 up 22 down 1932 Renumbered to 19. 6 double-deck balcony 28 up 22 down 1932 Renumbered to 20. 7 double-deck 28 up 22 down 1932 Dismantled by Accrington C.T.

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