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

CHAPTER 4

1900 TO 1907 THE YEARS TO TRANSITION (Accrington Corporation still persisted in their attempts to persuade neighbouring Councils in a joint bid to buy out the Steam Tramway Company, but to no avail. However, new players were coming on to the local scene, with plans to build tramways to the south and to the east to connect with the Corporation’s tracks. In 1907 the amount of detailed work involved in obtaining, electrifying and equipping the tramway, would take up a huge amount of time and effort on behalf of the Councillors and the Officials of the Town.) For reference only. The Light Railways Act of 1896 was passed by Parliament to make the promotion of rural railways less complicated and also more economical to build, whilst also allowing for the finance in part to come out of public funds. It also enabled lines to be constructed without individual acts of Parliament having to be obtained. In return the act stipulated both speed and weight restrictions on these lines, and imposed different rules for signalling and for level crossings. 1901 January A motion presented by Councillor Dewhurst and seconded by Councillor Lupton was presented to a meeting of the Town Council on January 6 th it read as follows - That in the opinion of this Council the time has now arrived for action to be taken with a view to changing the present cumbersome, disagreeable and out-of-date mode of steam traction upon the public tramways of this Borough with its connection to the most modern electrical system. That a ‘special’ committee be appointed forthwith for the purpose of considering the best means of implementing such a change, then to report to this Council in due course. Alderman Broughton made an amendment to this motion which was moved as follows - That this Council, having on the 10 th of October, 1898, resolved that it was desirable for the system of steam traction to be abolished and replaced by electrical traction substituted, and for that purpose the Council were recommended to enter into negotiations with the Tramway Company. By having resolved not to renew the lease to that, or any other tramway company, and that the Tramway Company had refused to discuss the sale of the Accrington portion of the undertaking to this Corporation, and this Corporation having no statutory powers to purchase any of the Tramway Company’s undertakings in the boroughs of Haslingden and Rawtenstall without the consent of their respective Corporations, it is the opinion of this Council that it would be impossible for any committee to carry on negotiations with these neighbouring councils with greater expedition than has been the case shown by our Legal & Parliamentary Committee. The Council should therefore not interfere with the work already done by that Committee, but to show them in the fullest confidence they will do everything possible to further the interests of this Council. After a long debate both the motion and the amendment were withdrawn! On the 22 nd the Borough Surveyor reported on the ‘bad’ state of the paving on Whalley Road along Milnshaw Brow. It was decided that the paving on the easterly side of the incline be relaid with ‘Harwood’ setts, and the opposite side relaid with the best of the present setts, including those taken out from the eastern side. It was resolved to ask the Tramway Company to allow the Borough Surveyor to replace the tramline margins, whilst this work was being carried out as ordered in their previous resolution, with the Tramway Company bearing the cost of all this work. From the Town Clerk’s Office, Haslingden, to A. H. Aitken, Town Clerk, Accrington January 28 th , 1901.

96