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

April On the 1 st , through running commenced between Accrington and Bacup via Rawtenstall. This was a joint service operated by Accrington and Rawtenstall Corporation trams, and to celebrate this occasion one of Accrington’s balcony cars was decorated with bunting, and carried the wording on its windows, “SUCCESS TO THROUGH RUNNING BETWEEN ACCRINGTON AND BACUP”. ( It was also posed for photographs at the entrance to John Street tram sheds along with its crew ). The Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee received an application from Superintendent Whittaker, asking to be relieved from duty one day in every seven. It was resolved that the Tramway Manager make the necessary arrangement to comply with his request. This was followed by other requests from Tramway employees on the subject of holidays. It was resolved the Committee would look more fully into the question of time off, and report their conclusions to the next meeting. It was then resolved this Committee would invite tenders for the supply of ‘one or two’ new double-deck tramcars. It was also resolved to accept the following offers for scrap metal as follows - Cast iron brake blocks – (Messrs Stringer & Sons) @ £2 – 11s per ton. Steel - (Messrs Stringer & Sons) @ £2 – 7s – 6d per ton. Brass - (H.E. Lupton & Sons) @ 5¾d per lb, less 2½% discount. The question of providing a shelter for tramway passengers in the vicinity of the Market Hall was then raised. It was resolved that this item along with the subject of providing better facilities for dealing with the parcels traffic, would be referred to the Sub-Committee for further consideration. A letter was received from the Secretary in charge of the arrangements for the forthcoming ‘Accrington Shopping Festival’ due to take place in June, asking if it would be possible to decorate the tramcars during that week? It also requested ‘special terms’ for the electricity consumed by the individual traders in making their displays. It was resolved that a sum not exceeding £20 would be made available for the “suitable decoration of the cars”, and that current would be supplied at half the ‘normal’ rate for illuminating the trams. ( Note – this shopping festival was postponed due to the passing of His Majesty King Edward VII .) May The Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee met and considered an appeal from employees of the Tramway Department, for increased holidays with pay. After taking into account replies from other tramway undertakings, it was resolved that all motormen and conductors would be granted seven days holiday with pay instead of at present three days. June At a meeting of the Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee, it was resolved that the Electrical Engineer should see to it that one third of the Tramway standards should be repainted each year. It was also resolved to have repairs done to the Tower Wagon at a cost of £9. They then heard a request from the Tramway shedmen for increased holidays, which was referred on to the Sub-Committee for consideration. The Chairman then reported on the quotation of £740 each, for the supply of two new double-deck tramcars sent in by the Brush Electrical Engineering Company of Loughborough. It was resolved to place an order with Brush, subject to these cars being supplied at the same price as those which Accrington last ordered. July At a meeting of the Electrical Sub-Committee no decision was reached on the subject of extra holidays with pay for the Shedmen. It was however resolved to have the inside step from the platform of one of the cars raised, so as to lessen the step up onto the level of the interior floor. If this was found to be satisfactory then more cars would be modified in this way. August The Electrical, Legal & Parliamentary Committee met and it was resolved that one single deck car would be decorated and illuminated to run over the whole system, in conjunction with the postponed ‘Accrington Shopping Festival’ to be held over the period from Friday, September 2 nd to Saturday, September 10 th . ( This was a new enterprise the first one of which outside London had been held in Bolton. The centrepiece of the festival would be the Market Hall, opened on the 23 rd of October, 1869 on the site of the former Christie’s Foundry. The building was designed by the architect James Doyle of Liverpool and cost £28,300 to complete including a culvert over the river Hyndburn. ) September The Finance Committee met to discuss the Tramway’s most recent rateable assessment. The Town Clerk reported at a meeting he had attended accompanied by the Borough Treasurer and Mr Cross, the ‘expert’ valuer for the Assessment Committee, with a view to adjusting this assessment. He then read out a letter, ( dated September 10 th ), stating that the Assessment Committee had decided to confirm their initial assessment, and would give no further relief in response to the Corporation’s claim. The Borough Treasurer then gave a resume of the rateable assessment of the Tramway in the Borough prior to its

181