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

concrete foundation was done by the Tramway Company’s own workmen, whilst the traffic was still allowed to run. The Blackburn road portion of the Church Section was sub-contracted by the Tramway Company to the Blackburn contractor Taylor to relay, during which time the traffic was completely suspended. The old concrete bed was taken up and a new concrete foundation put in. The Company’s attention was drawn to the unequal size of the setts being used, some 3½” whilst others were 5” deep. It was pointed out that whilst the rails were a consistent 6” deep it would be impossible to complete the paving in a satisfactory manner unless the setts were graded. The concrete foundation should therefore be of a varying depth to compensate for these differences in order to obtain an even finish, as this paving would not withstand the traffic if it was merely placed on two or even three inches of sand. In consideration of the Tramway Company relaying the rails on a continuous bed of concrete, the Council had made them a grant of £200 as compensation for their loss of revenue for the period in which the service was suspended. May From the Corporation’s printed accounts it could be seen that £200 had been paid the Steam Tramway Company in compensation for the loss of revenue incurred during the relaying of the Church section, along with £53 to the Blackburn Tramway Company to settle the dispute over the loop of track in Church. September On Tuesday, the 3 rd four year old Jane Greenwood was playing with friends in front of the Town Hall when she was struck by a tram engine. One tram was standing in the passing loop whilst another driven by J. W. Castle of Portland Street, in Accrington, was approaching on the adjacent line. As the tram approached two of the children ran away but the unfortunate girl fell onto the tracks and despite the emergency brakes being applied the girl became trapped beneath the engine. The workers from Howard & Bullough were on their dinner hour and using a screw-jack with the help of several burly men the engine was raised sufficiently for her to be released. She was attended by doctors Greenhalgh, Geddie and Fox, and taken rapidly by the police to Blackburn Infirmary where a short time later she passed away due to blood loss from the severing of a leg. At the inquest the jury gave a verdict of ‘accidental death’. November The Borough Surveyor called the Committee’s attention to the fact that a large amount of work and repairs at the Tramway Depot on Ellison Street, which the Corporation required be done had not yet been carried out. It was resolved the attention of the Tramway Company’s attention should be drawn to this matter as contained in the covenants of their lease. Accompanied by a warning that the powers the Corporation had contained within the lease, would be exercised if the Company did not comply therewith and without further delay. December The Committee received a letter from the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway complaining that one of their lurries had been damaged on November 29 th , due to the tramlines on Blackburn Road being ‘considerably’ higher that the setts. It was resolved to inform the Railway Company that the Corporation were in no way liable for this damage, referring them to the Tramway Company whose responsibility it was for keeping the Tramway in good repair. ( Note a Lurry was a horse drawn cart with shorter than normal protruding wheel hubs. ) 1896 (More problems with the infrastructure persisted with the Council having to make further threats in order to coax the Tramway Company to meet its obligations to the track, depot and rolling stock.) January It was resolved that the Tramway Company be served with a notice that, “unless such portions of their rails, crossings and passing loops extending from the Town Hall to the Church terminus, which were in a state of dangerous disrepair and defect” were not put into a proper and safe condition, in accordance with their lease, after fourteen days of this notice, the Corporation would undertake to do the necessary work themselves. They would then pass on all the expenses incurred by them to the Tramway

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