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

A SUMMARY OF THE STEAM TRAMWAY ROUTES It should be noted that in total the route miles controlled by Accrington Corporation Steam Tramways Company was 9 , which included that from the boundary in Baxenden through to Haslingden town centre. (Following electrification this section came under the control of Haslingden Corporation. With the opening of the lines to Oswaldtwistle and the short extension in Clayton-le-Moors following electrification, the route miles operated by Accrington Corporation Tramways was 7 miles and 2 furlongs. ) The maximum speed allowed at any time during the years of tramway operation was 12 miles per hour. There were no signalling controls, and engines and cars were driven by ‘line of sight’ only. Points at crossovers and junctions were changed manually by members of the crew. The Church Section Opened on April 8th, 1886 . ( Commenced electrified operations commencing on August 2nd 1907 . ) This commenced, as did all the ‘sections’ ( which was how these routes were referred ), on one of the three lines which passed through Peel Street. It then turned into Blackburn Road on a long section of double track and went past the crossover immediately in front of the Market Hall. It continued along Blackburn Road over another set of points just before the railway arch, where the ‘Baxenden section’ terminated. Through the arch there was another set of crossover points at the junction with King Street before the junction at the top of Ellison Street, where the line down to the depot branched off to the north. This was a single line and did not form a part of any service route. The line remained doubled all the way to Church, with further crossover points situated opposite the top of Princess Street and Monk Street, and between the junctions of Henry Street and Ernest Street. This last one was to allow steam engines to run around their trailer cars in order to return whence they had come. ( When the tramway was electrified, double-deck cars working the service between Church and Clayton-le-Moors, terminated on a short section of double track around the corner just a few yards into Market Street to a point opposite the end of Wade Street, whilst saloon cars working the ‘Oswaldtwistle section’ continued up Market Street and onto Union Road, having sufficient clearance under the Church Station Railway Bridge. This section was closed on August 26th, 1931, along with the Oswaldtwistle and Clayton-le-Moors sections.) The Clayton-le-Moors Section Opened on April 8th, 1886. ( Commenced electrified operation on September 20th, 1907.) The CLAYTON-LE-MOORS was made up of - Double track Single track Total length of rails 976 yards 1 mile – 1,366 yards 2 miles – 582 yards This section was partnered by double-deck trailer cars also working the Church section beyond Peel Street, from where the line turned left at the top to proceed on double track all the way up Whalley Road beyond the junction of the Burnley Road lines. The double track continued through the railway arch and the junction of Queens Road, to a point opposite the end of Lime Road, from where it was singled. It remained single through Oakleigh with a short passing loop opposite the end of Entwistle Road, and a longer one as the line entered Altham from First Avenue trough to a point opposite the end of Banastre Street. Passing through Enfield the line continued singled, with further short passing loops situated between the ends of Brisbane and Adelaide Streets and at Well Street. This final section of track was where, in front of the Load of Mischief public house, the line terminated in the days of steam locomotives and trailer cars, and was where the engines ran round their passenger vehicles. ( However on electrification the line was extended beyond the Hare & Hounds junction of the A678 for some 300 yards to a new terminus just short of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal Bridge, and directly in front of the Conservative Club. Leading up to this end on terminus there was a slightly longer double track passing loop which began at the end of Mill Street and ran through to the end of Grimshaw Street. ) This section closed on August 26th 1931 along with the Church and Oswaldtwistle sections.

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