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

A much more comprehensive programme of modifications came after the fitting of vestibule doors to the platforms of car number 13 in December 1919. The destination box was moved to a position on the centre cant rail of the vestibule, and being narrower this required blinds of a different size. At this same time the rope pull bell signals were replaced by a pneumatic operated kind, and these were situated on a post by the step at eh vestibule end. Having received the approval of the Tramway Committee, more of these cars were modified to this standard. During 1920 cars 9 & 10 followed, with 8 , 12 & 22 during 1921, cars 16 , 19 & 21 in 1922 and 15 & 18 during 1923. All this work was carried out within Accrington’s own workshops at the Ellison Street Depot. Finally, cars numbered 11 & 24 also received vestibules in 1924, but after this no further conversions of this type were carried out. The reason for the ending of these modifications is not clear, but it left six double-deck cars numbered 7 , 14 , 17 , 20 , 25 & 26 still with open platforms. Following on from Blackburn’s solution to the problem of the low bridge in Church, in early 1924 Accrington took car number 11 into the workshops for some major modifications. These included the fitting of high speed motors, 26 inch diameter wheels in the bogies with better sprung suspension. This effected a reduction in height of 7½ inches in the lower saloon and 3¼ inches in the upper deck saloon. The platforms were also vestibule, and as the overall height was now reduced to 15 feet and 1 inch it eft no room for the roof mounted destination boxes, which were relocated to a position on the underside of the top deck roof. This conversion was judged to be a success and in March, 1924 car number 24 was taken into the workshops for a similar conversion to take place. Also during 1924 car number 15 received a three-window top cover from either car 21 or car 22 . No more modifications were undertaken after 1924. Car 23 had one end extensively rebuilt following a fatal accident at Rising Bridge in December, 1930. Cars numbered 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 & 32 were sold to the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway in 1932, where following re-gauging they became numbers 1 to 5 respectively. Car number 39 passed to Lytham St. Annes Corporation Transport in 1933 for ‘trial purposes’. It was given fleet number 55 and remained in service until April 28 th 1937 when the tramway closed, then it was scrapped. Cars numbered 38 , 40 & 41 were stored also for a possible sale to Lytham St. Annes, but this did not take place, and in 1934 they went instead to Southend-on-Sea Corporation Transport. They received fleet numbers 66, 67 & 68 respectively and remained in service until the Southend tramway was closed during 1942. Cars number 42 & 43 were the only non-bogie cars to find new homes, these two low-height, double-deck cars finding further use in September, 1931, with Sunderland Corporation Transport as fleet numbers 19 & 20 respectively. The Sunderland system was progressively run down, starting during 1950 and closing entirely in 1954. All the remaining cars were dismantled by Accrington Corporation as the system was being closed in stages. Some bodies were sold to local people for use in several ways, the asking price being as little as £5. They were used on allotments and also as henhouses, and used by sporting teams as changing rooms. Some survived in the area until the outbreak of the Second World War. ACCRINGTON’S TRAMS at the LLANDUDNO & COLWYN BAY ELECTRIC RAILWAY It was necessary to regauge all the five ex-Accrington cars to the 3´ 6´´ gauge from the 4´ of Accrington. All this work was carried out at the Company’s own workshops in the Rhos-on-Sea sheds. Accrington cars had roof mounted destination boxes and central headlamps on the roofs, and these were taken off and headlamps were fitted centrally on the front dashboards. Other refurbishments took place including the fitting of rattan bench seats to replace the longitudinal wooden seats, and these were sourced from the withdrawn 1907 cars. During 1952/53 these seats were replaced by moquette cushion seats from ex-Birmingham cars, with again car number 3 being the first to go through these improvements and being a successful testbed all the remaining cars were so equipped, each having a seating capacity of 40. At about this time the five cars were fitted with self-aligning trolley heads, and car number 5 (ex-Accrington 32 ), received two GE.249 type motors from an ex-Bournemouth car.

355