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

Tramway’s margins. It was resolved the Corporation would pave these margins on this section at the same terms as they had done with similar work to other parts of Whalley Road. May A letter ( dated April 26 th ), was received from the Tramway Company, agreeing to the terms offered by the Corporation with regard to repaving the margins of the Tramway tracks from Castle Street and the railway arch on Whalley Road. It was also resolved the Tramway Company be supplied with ‘Jarrahdale’ wood blocks, at the same price paid by the Corporation plus the cost of handling, for the repair of their portion of wood paving on Blackburn Road. August A letter was read out from the Clerk of Lancashire County Council complaining about the general state of repair of the Tramway. He warned that if the Corporation did not force the Tramway Company to carry out satisfactory repairs, the Corporation would be in danger of having their Main Roads Grant withdrawn. It was resolved that a copy of this letter would be forwarded to the Tramway Company, with a request to do all necessary repairs “without delay”. The Health Committee heard a report from their Inspector that the sanitary arrangements at the Tramway depot on Ellison Street were “very defective”. It was resolved that notice would be served on the Tramway Company to provide closets and urinals with separate flushing cisterns, and do the other alterations contained within his report, in order to put the property into a ‘proper sanitary condition’. September A letter was received from the Tramway Company with regard to the County Council’s complaints about the poor state of the paving on the Tramway, promising the necessary repairs would indeed be attended to. The Legal & Parliamentary Committee heard a letter from the Tramway Company, asking them to pass a Bye-Law to stop passengers from breaking their journeys having booked a ‘through’ ticket, thereby depriving their Company of a second fare and giving rise to opportunities for fraud. They set out an interpretation of this Bye-Law as follows - Any ticket for the time being issued by the Tramway Company in respect of fares is only available on the car on which it is issued, (except in the case of a transfer ticket). No passenger shall be allowed to leave any car for any purpose whatever at any intermediate stage, and resume his/her journey by a different car to that on which the ticket was issued, without payment of another fare from the point at which the passenger entered the second or alternative car. It was resolved the Council be recommended to comply with the Tramway Company’s request and pass a Bye-Law in accordance with these foregoing conditions. The Town Clerk reported on the discussions with a representative of the firm of Lacy, Clirehugh & Sillar from Manchester with Westminster Engineers, to the effect that a syndicate represented by them were disposed to buy out the present Tramway Company, abolish steam traction and replace it with a system of electric tramcars driven by power from overhead electricity. These would be similar to those now being completed in neighbouring Blackburn, this providing that the current lease was cancelled and a new lease granted for a period 21 years on terms to be negotiated. With the added condition that the Corporation had powers to buy out this syndicate and retake possession of the lines at the end of either 7 or 14 years, on terms and conditions to be settled thereafter. One of the principal items in the calculation of course being the cost to the syndicate of buying out the present Tramway Company plus providing the necessary plant. The syndicate first of all wanted to know if this proposal met with the approval of the Council after they had given it due and reasonable consideration. For unless they could be assured of this they could not justify “throwing money away” by proceeding with the details of the scheme, which would obviously take up considerable time and entail much expenditure. It was resolved the Committee would pass on these proposals to the Town Council for their due and reasonable consideration, as it was deemed desirable for the system of steam traction on the Tramway was abolished and replaced by electric traction. October The full Council, having scrutinised the proposal to substitute Electric traction for steam traction on the Tramway, referred it back to the General Purposes Committee for further consideration. The General Purposes Committee met to consider the previous resolutions of the Legal & Parliamentary Committee as to the suggested abolition of steam traction with electric traction being substituted. It was resolved that the proposal be accepted and in order to pursue this end, the Council be recommended to

enter into direct negotiations with the Accrington Steam Tramway Company. Notes on the proposed electrification of the Tramway by the Town Clerk.

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