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

( Accrington’s ‘Baltic Fleet’ was not always spoken of with derision, and was so named as the chimneys of the Thomas Green engines, resembled those of the battleships of the Russian Imperial Fleet, which had taken part in a naval war with Japan.) April 13 th . The Town Clerk submitted the Board of Trade certificate confirming the tramway was ‘fit for public use’. He would now draw up bye-laws under powers vested in the Council by the Tramways Acts of 1870, and submit them to the next meeting. Between April 8 th and the 17 th there were only two cars in service with a third coming into service on the 18 th . It also was also reported that up to Thursday, April 22 nd , 19,800 passengers had been carried and at 2d per ticket this amounted to £165. April 20 th . It was unanimously resolved that the Borough Surveyor oversee that the modifications required by the Board of Trade be carried out to the letter. During the first month of operation there were 3,086 passengers recorded at a threepenny fare and 34,284 at a twopenny fare, giving total receipts of £324 - 5s - 6d. May 6 th . The Town Clerk had prepared some draft bye-laws with regard to the tramway and reported them to the Committee. But the Tramway Company wished to add some ‘special’ bye-laws of their own. The Town Clerk was to write to the Company and have a draft of these additions before submitting a new draft for the Committee’s consideration. May 10 th . The Lighting Inspector was instructed to have the section of Blackburn Road from Peel Street to opposite the Town Hall illuminated during the summer months as well as on the remainder of the year, in order to minimise the possibility of any accidents with the trams. May 11 th . The Committee received a letter from Alfred Anderton & Sons, offering to accept in full settlement of their account for work done on the tramway depot roof, the sum of £540. The Committee resolved to have a statement of accounts sent to Anderton, with the intimation that their Company had breached their contract by using iron which was inferior in quality to that contained in the tender. The Committee said they would require a repayment of the amount which had already been overpaid. The Borough Surveyor submitted a letter from Mr Cramp, with regard to the tramway modifications. May 13 th . A letter was then received from Mr Cramp, Chairman of the Tramways Company, requesting various alterations to the layout. The Committee resolved that since the alterations carried out were to the Board of Trade’s satisfaction and certified as such by Major-General Hutchinson, no further alterations would be carried out! May 25 th . A letter ( dated May 21 st ) was received from the Secretary of the Tramway Company saying they had completed the modifications required by the Board of Trade’s Inspector. The Borough Surveyor reported that all the alterations required by the Board of Trade were ‘almost’ complete, and had sent a letter to the Tramway Company’s solicitor informing him that subject to this the certification would be granted. During May there were 1,372 passengers paying 1 penny, 34,387 paying 2 pence and 4,009 paying 3 pence, giving total receipts of £342 – 7s – 9d. June ( It seems odd that having commenced a full service after April 8 th , the Council had not previously set out a list of rules by which the tramway would operate. However, this was done in due course and the following were those decided upon. It must be borne in mind that this was all new to the public and the Council with only other systems which had commenced tramways as a means of reference.) The Town Clerk submitted a full draft of the amended bye-laws for the regulation of the Tramway to the General Works Committee following their acceptance by the Tramway Company. He recommended these bye-laws be approved as presented and circulated to the entire Council for their consideration – The BYE-LAWS & REGULATIONS made by the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Accrington, acting by the Town Council as the Local Authority of the said Borough with respect of the Accrington Corporation Tramway under the powers conferred upon them by the “Tramways Act 1870”. For the purposes of these Bye-Laws and Regulations, the term ‘car’ shall mean any engine, car or carriage using any tramway laid down within this Borough. The terms ‘driver’ and ‘conductor’ shall respectively mean the driver, conductor or ‘other’ person in charge of an engine, car or carriage.

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