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

should investigate the question of providing extra cars in connection with the through running arrangements with Haslingden Corporation. March The Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee considered the question of ordering a number of additional tramcars required to meet the requirements of operating the Haslingden extension. It was resolved that the Council be recommended to order two additional double deck and one additional single deck saloon car, (the latter to be without a smoking compartment), from the Brush Electrical Engineering Company. This manufacturer would be asked to submit a design for either ‘sliding’ or ‘swivel’ (hopper) windows of both double deck cars. A letter was received from the Town Clerk of Haslingden, stating they had no objections to the proposed overhead feeder cable as stipulated in the agreement with Accrington Corporation, running as a ‘temporary’ arrangement for three years. It was then resolved that an application should be made to the Board of Trade, for their permission to carry an overhead cable from Pilling Terrace, (where the underground source of supply ended), to the proposed meter at the Borough boundary. The Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee met again on the 11 th , when the Electrical Engineer reported that on “Several occasions he had experienced difficulty in getting horses to immediately bring the Tower Wagon to the locations where breakages in the overhead had occurred”! He was authorised to speak with the Corporation’s Horse-Keeper with a view to avoiding any future unnecessary delays. The Town Clerk then reported on the response he had received from Haslingden Corporation with their suggested amendments to the proposed agreement. These were gone into in detail and he was authorised to resubmit the amended agreement back to the Town Clerk of Haslingden. He then referred to a letter he had received from the Town Clerk of Rawtenstall, in reply to his correspondence to them on the subject of through running to the Queens Hotel in Rawtenstall. It stated Rawtenstall Corporation wished to make arrangements for through running all the way from Accrington to Bacup. It was resolved that before dealing with this suggestion, they held a meeting with representatives of Haslingden Corporation. On the 25 th the Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee considered the ‘serious losses’ which were being made in the operation of the Burnley Road Section of the Tramway, owing to the ‘small numbers of people using the cars’! It was ultimately resolved that from April 1 st , the service would be cut back as follows - On Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from every 20 minutes up until 14:00 from the Market Place to the Hillock Vale terminus, instead of every 15 minutes as was now the case. Whilst on Tuesdays and Saturdays every 20 minutes up until 14:00 instead of every 10 minutes as was now the case. The Tramway Manager was then authorised to obtain samples and prices for the supply of cash bags for the conductors. He also requested improvements to the heating of his office, and it was resolved to investigate this matter. The Sub-Committee were then empowered to buy a quantity of oilskins for use by the motormen. The Town Clerk reported that along with the Chairman, the Tramway Manager and Electrical Engineer, he had met with the representatives of Haslingden Corporation to finally settle the agreement for through running, which he had now forwarded to the Board of Trade for their approval. This Committee then accepted the tender from the Brush Electrical Engineering Company of Loughborough for the supply of three new tramcars as follows - It was then resolved to recommend to the General Purposes Committee the following increases in salary – Mr Harry Pilling (Tramway Shed Foreman) from £2 – 15s – 0d per week to £3 – 0s – 0d per week, on the understanding that when working away on behalf of the Corporation he receives no extra pay. Having amended the operation of the Oswaldtwistle to Hillock Vale service to single-deck tram operation in the September of 1908, and it still not proving profitable, another revision took place. It was decided that having returned from Oswaldtwistle to town every other car would then turn back to the Black Dog, with the remainder going through to the cemetery gates on Burnley Road. This resulted in the frequency halving on the Huncoat section, reducing to every 30 minutes but increasing to every 20 minutes on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, up until 2pm in the afternoons. • Two double-deck cars @ £720 each. • One single-deck saloon car @ £680.

169