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

Tramway Company would reimburse the Corporation for the net cost of this work, but they would not be liable for the cost of its supervision. A GRAND DAY OUT It was on Thursday, June 28 th , 1900, that a unique excursion was arranged to mark the imminent closing of Blackburn Corporation’s Steam Tramways, (although operations did not end until August 9 th , 1901). To commemorate this passing, a Blackburn double deck, enclosed trailer car (number 6), was coupled to an Accrington Thomas Green engine to convey a party of between thirty and forty dignitaries starting from Bull Hill in Whitehall, Darwen at 11:15am, to Bacup and return. This was to be a journey of over twenty-one miles covering the systems of four operators Darwen, Blackburn, Accrington and Rawtenstall, and over the tracks of six corporations Haslingden and Bacup being the other two. The times quoted for this turn of the century odyssey was four and a half hours, including a stop in Accrington for luncheon in the Commercial Hotel, although actual running time was two and a half hours. Alderman Lee of Accrington presided over the luncheon with Alderman Oddie of Blackburn as his deputy. The representatives from Blackburn were Alderman Law, Councillor Meadowcroft of the Tramway Committee, Mr A. S. Giles the Tramway Manager, Mr Cowell his assistant and Mr E. Greek the Chief Inspector. Darwen was represented by its Town Clerk, Mr W. P. Halliwell. Representatives from all the other undertakings involved were also in attendance. The toasts proposed were ‘The Queen’, ‘The Army and Navy’ (the Boer War was still underway) and the various tramway undertakings. The party departed on their car at 3:30pm after posing in front of the Commercial Hotel to have their photograph taken, by which time the party had swelled to almost 60 people. There would have been a full service operating and so the tour would have had to give way to scheduled services. On their arrival in Bacup at five and having had a ‘comfort stop’ they commenced their return, stopping in Rawtenstall where tea was taken in the Queens Hotel. Later on they returned to Accrington where the party dispersed The full potential for tramway operation in East Lancashire was never quite fulfilled. If the proposed line from Blackburn to Padiham and Whalley had been progressed, the line from Hillock Vale had gone through to Rose Grove and a connection been made with Rochdale’s system just around the corner from the terminus in Bacup, a large area would have been incorporated into the network. This would have extended from Darwen in the west, to Colne in the east, and from Whalley in the north to Rochdale in the south ). September A letter was received from the Town Clerk of Haslingden giving a full account of his council’s discussions on the proposals outlined in the ( November 13 th , 1899 ) letter from Accrington Council, with regard to the buying out of the Accrington Steam Tramway Company. This letter stated that Haslingden Council had adopted a resolution agreeing to the proposal #1 contained therein, to the effect that they would be amenable to join with Accrington and Rawtenstall in a ‘joint’ purchase of the present undertaking, with each authority obtaining the lines within its own boundaries and a proportionate amount of plant and rolling stock. This letter went on to say, in reply to the numerous communications they had had with Rawtenstall, that Corporation had stated they would not give a definite decision on the matter until a decision on the ‘Wallasey case’ had been taken by the House of Lords, when they would look again at these proposals. The letter also requested a meeting between a ‘small’ deputation from Accrington to meet with the Mayor of Haslingden, Alderman Hamilton and the Town Clerk at an early date, in order to further discuss their relative positions. It was resolved by General Works Committee the Mayor and the Town Clerk arrange a meeting at their earliest convenience. From the Town Clerk’s Office, Haslingden, to A. H. Aitken, Town Clerk, Accrington. September 25 th , 1900. Re-tramways. Dear Sir, The question of the position of this Corporation’s relative to the above was under discussion by my whole Council in Committee on Wednesday evening last. One of the Members present quoted certain remarks that were made at the monthly meeting of your Council held

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