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

being singled opposite the end of Moore Street. It then continued on an incline for just over one mile to the Hillock Vale terminus, with short passing loops situated at the end of Cambridge Street and by the Whitaker’s Public House, with a longer section of double track between, which started at the Christian Scientist Church and ran to the foot of Peel Park Avenue. It must be noted that from 1921 when Accrington Stanley played at Peel Park in the newly inaugurated Third Division North of the Football League, and at times throughout the Lancashire League cricket season, double-deck cars would be employed on this section to cope with the crowds that the fixtures necessitated. They operated only as ‘specials’ and did not work through to Oswaldtwistle. The most significant ‘private hires’ however were for cars to convey mourners attending funerals, as the Hillock Vale terminus in the Parish of Huncoat was opposite the then main entrance to the town’s cemetery. ( These were known colloquially as Funeral Cars .) Possibly the only reason why this section remained in operation at all, was the popularity of the ‘funeral’ trams. These were specials run to convey mourners to the cemetery and back to town. The conclusion was quite properly reached that the severely reduced tramway system could not remain viable, that it would lose money, so the entire system would have to close. All was not plain sailing however, as due to a delay in the delivery of new buses, the tram service continued until January 6 th , 1932. Ironically this was the least profitable of all the tram operated routes, and only saw good takings on the days when Accrington Stanley (1921) Ltd, were playing at their Peel Park ground or when the Accrington cricket team were playing in the Lancashire League, ( walking access to the Thorneyholme Ground being by the Cemetery wall on Whitewell Road ). Motor buses took over from trams on January 7 th , 1932, when the final tram route between Accrington town centre and the Cemetery terminus at Hillock Vale was closed. The replacement bus service commenced its journey in St. James Street. It was extended to the Griffin public house during 1937, with some departures going through to Huncoat Railway Station. For some considerable time it had been debated that the tram tracks on the Burnley Road section should be extended to reach Huncoat, in order to generate some extra revenue to make the service viable. Indeed plans for the extension were actually drawn up during 1905 . From a passing loop just beyond the Hillock Vale terminus adjacent to the reservoir, to the next loop opposite Brown Birks Farm there would have been a single line some 396 yards long, (virtually the top of what is now Bolton Avenue). A single line would then have continued for a further 132 yards to a third loop just 66 yards short of the single line terminus at the junctions of Highergate Road/Kings Highway just yards from the Griffins Head public house. The extension would have had a total distance of approximately 650 yards. It was of course a great disappointment that this line was not further continued to the east to meet up end on with the lines of Burnley Corporation Tramways at Rose Grove. This additional link would have opened up the whole of North East Lancashire from the top end of Darwen all the way through to Nelson and Colne and from the south from Bacup, connecting Accrington, Blackburn, Haslingden, Rawtenstall and Burnley into one negotiable system. The Blackburn Section The service from Blackburn opened between Market Street in Blackburn on May 28 th , 1882 utilising the steam engines built by Thomas Green of Leeds, and the Ashbury Carriage & Iron Company trailer cars. It did not operate beyond Church through to Accrington, but terminated at the Commercial Hotel. Commencing in 1900 , and as was the case with Accrington, the bodies of Blackburn Corporation’s new electric cars were unloaded from the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway at Blythe’s Sidings, to be taken to an enlarged Intack Depot to be mounted upon their bogies. The through service between Accrington and Blackburn commenced in August19 th , 1907 , following electrification. This was a joint service operated by both Accrington and Blackburn Corporation cars of which Accrington contributed three. These cars were suitably modified to give clearance through the railway bridge at Blythe’s chemical works in Church. Beyond the junction of Blackburn Road with Market Street in Church the line continued into the West End of Oswaldtwistle, over Redcap, through Knuzden and on into Blackburn, terminating initially at Salford, but later operating on Railway Road to the Boulevard.

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