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

Council be recommended not to consent any alterations or amendments to the terms of the lease for repairs of the lines by the Company. After further consideration the Committee recommended that the Council did not entertain the Tramway Company’s proposals with regard to the relaying by the Corporation of the tracks between Church and Clayton-le-Moors. June The Committee considered a recommendation that the Tramway Company should (again) be served with notice to remove their waiting room and coke store which was near to the junction of Peel Street with Blackburn Road. Mr Jeffs, the Secretary of the Tramway Company, who was called to appear at this meeting requested that if the Company were required to remove this structure, they might be allowed to relocate it to a position on the north-east side of the Market Hall, on ground adjoining the Observer & Times newspaper’s offices. It was resolved to give the Tramway Company one month in which to comply with the notice to remove the waiting room and coke store. It was further resolved to allow them to move this structure to the site requested by them with certain provisions, these were - a) That under no circumstances engines working the ‘Haslingden Cars’ should be supplied with coke from the store, and that engines working on the ‘Clayton section’ should only be refuelled whilst occupying the passing loop on Peel Street, situated opposite the offices of the Caxton Printing Company. b) Furthermore that the Tramway Company remove this waiting room and coke store within one month of notice, which the Corporation might serve upon them at any future time. July On July 3 rd a two year old girl was killed after running out in front of a car again on Manchester Road in Baxenden. Having been warned to look out for trams and despite a frantic ringing of a warning bell by the driver of the engine, Edith Blackburn was struck and dragged underneath the fairing. The assembly was brought to a speedy halt and despite the attempts of Richard Hargreaves, a weaver, who tried to drag her clear her body was recovered from between the engine and the trailing car. Witnesses stated that the driver had no chance of averting this tragedy. A verdict of accidental death was recorded by Mr H. Robinson at the inquest held at Railway Hotel in Baxenden on the 5 th . The Tramway Company had her mother sign a paper acknowledging that they had no responsibility for the accident, and offered no compensation towards the funeral of her daughter. September The Town Council heard a letter from the Chairman of the Tramway Company requesting the Corporation return the sum of £500, deposited by them as security for the due carrying out of the terms of the lease of the Tramway. The Council deferred any decision on this request for one month. November A letter was received from the Secretary of the Tramway Company, requesting permission to take up the passing loop situated in front of the Crown Inn at Dyke Nook in the Oak Leigh area of the town. This was on the condition that the Company lengthen the passing loop on Bracewell’s Brow (Latham), to the top of the hill in order to facilitate the working of traffic ‘by sight’. December The Town Clerk submitted a copy of Parliamentary Notice and plans accompanying a Provisional Order to authorise the extension of the Tramway beyond the Commercial Hotel in Church up Union Road and through Oswaldtwistle. It pointed out it contained no provision for a junction to be made with the existing tramway tracks to Blackburn. This would cause the inconvenience of the public having to change cars in Church. The Committee resolved unanimously to object to the current proposals on the grounds that it would prejudice the interests of the Borough, by inconveniencing the travelling public. Also the Corporation would require the Board of Trade’s permission to make such an alteration or modification necessary to make a junction between the two tramway systems, and for granting powers for either them or their lessees to run their engines and cars over such an extension, on such terms as the Board of Trade might judge to be reasonable.

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