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| The Chapters in the
Tramway history section are set out in a diary format, so that everything
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Each chapter deals with a particular era covering a number of
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| CHAPTER 12 - First Tramway Abandonment 1935 - 1939 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1935
The closure itself was without ceremony with the last tram leaving the Boulevard at 11:00p.m. and buses taking over the next day, a Sunday. The Northern Daily Telegraph had the headline: “The Last Shall Be The First”, referring to the fact that Audley had been the last route opened. With the closure of this route the U.E.C. single-deck cars, purchased purely for this route, were transferred to the Cherry Tree route, to be used as ‘extra cars’, and at quiet times of the week. The total bus fleet at this time amount to 36 vehicles, thus enabling the Corporation to extend the Audley route. With the decision to abandon one route the Tramways manager, Mr Cowell, requested that the Committee should answer the question of future policy to be adopted by the Transport Department. The Committee replied by affirming their belief in tramways by stating that “...the tramways in present operation should remain so...”. On February 14th, 1935 the minimum age of Children’s fares
was increased from 3 years 5 years of age and half-fares were similarly
raised from 12 years to 14 years of age. It was reported that no
adverse effect in revenue would be felt by these changes. Mr Cowell once again looked at the possibilities of improvements and suggested to the Committee that the Wilpshire route trams should be speeded up and that a purchase of 7 new air-brake controlled motors should be made for an estimated £4,550, to which the Committee agreed and tenders were sought. Whether no tenders were forthcoming, which is hard to believe considering the technology that was occurring around this time in the tramway world, or that the Committee decided that finances were too tight, no records show, but the decision was rescinded some time in early summer. In place of this idea, all existing motors, including those fitted to the ‘Siemens’ cars, but excluding the cars fitted with high-speed motors, were ‘speeded-up’. Unfortunately, as Blackburn now discovered, the speeding-up of old motors, resulted in a 25-30% increase in current consumption. The Committee was re-advised to buy new motors, as authorities who had invested in new motors had discovered that the expenditure incurred was justified by the increase in receipts and also reduced working expenses. No complete records have survived from this time although it is known that no new motors were purchased and existing information seems to imply that the motors were reduced back to their original state. One deciding factor in this matter was that to accommodate the higher speeds proposed for the Wilpshire, including the doubling of the entire length of the route which would have been necessary, would involve a high financial investment, which would not be justified by the small increase in revenue created by such a scheme.
Both cars were badly damaged at the ends, but there were no injuries to either passengers or crews, and both cars were subsequently rebuilt at Intack depot. An interesting fact with the rebuilding of car No.35, was that upon completion of painting a new set of title transfers were applied and this car was the only one of it’s class to carry the ‘Blackburn Corporation Tramways and Omnibuses’ legend. It was surmised that in the hot weather tar had covered the tram rails and the Darwen bound car - Siemens No. 35 - was un-able to stop once it had started to descend the incline. The driver, William Green, made every endeavour by use of sand and his emergency brake to bring his car to a standstill. The driver of the Blackburn bound car - Milnes No. 59 - Fred Taylor, said: "I was on the loop when I suddenly saw the other tram rushing towards me. It should have stopped at the top of the hill. I managed to get my own car stopped, but before I had time to think or try to go backwards he was into me. I could do nothing so I closed my eyes and waited for the crash" Wear and tear on the track meant that there were portions that were worn to such an extent that the wheel flanges were running on the bottom of the groove. Mr Cowell stated that if they were to continue their policy of increasing speeds, and this was essential to retain passengers, that is was vital to maintain the permanent way in a first class condition, and, he further pointed out, that a worn Permanent Way was a great danger to the travelling public. With all this in mind the following track work was carried out during the year:
At the end of 1934 three ‘Ticket Issuing Machines’ had been taken on hire as an experiment from the Ticket Issuing Company Limited (London), and in March 1935, these were purchased along with 6 other machines for a total cost of £129. A further 10 machines were purchased from the same source in September for £150, being used on both the trams and the buses. By the end of the year the traffic returns were again showing a downward trend with passengers running at around 1,200,000 and receipts at £6,800. Particulars of proposed expenditure on cars for 1935/36 was: The 1935 purchase of omnibuses were No.’s 35 & 36 Leyland TD4c’s double-deck, with ‘English Electric’ bodies and No. 37 Leyland bodied TD4 double-deck. These vehicles being the first diesel engine buses, which showed an improved fuel consumption over the petrol engined fleet, providing and average 9m.p.g. 1936
New ticket machines A new 2-Ton Bedford 3-way tipping lorry was purchased for Permanent Way usage, this vehicle was to replace the ‘Vulcan’ wagon, which had been condemned by the Traffic Commissioners in 1935. At the start of 1936 a purchase of rails for £507.10.0d. was made and in addition a quantity of fish plates for £162.10s.0d. , copper bonds for £100, tie-bars for £160 and trolley wire for £180 was also obtained and the following work was undertaken by the Permanent Way Department: Church section.............Stag Brow (inward track) In addition over 5½ miles of trolley wire were renewed and 150 tramway poles were painted. A flat roofed shelter was erected on the Boulevard for £615. This was for use by intending passengers for trams and omnibuses.
Two more Leyland double-deck TD4 buses were purchased during 1936, these vehicles were numbered 38 & 39. In 1936 Darwen Corporation obtained from the English Electric Company, two splendid looking streamlined, centre-entrance double-deck bogie cars, No.’s 23 & 24. These cars were used for the through service and is the only examples of ‘modern’ trams running in Blackburn. 1937 The Tramway Offices were moved from 65, Church Street to 15/17 Railway Road, alterations to the latter premises to accommodate the Department cost £3,550. At the same time the number of telephone lines issued to the department was increased to three, the numbers being 4321, 4322 and 4323.
Six cars were over hauled during the year, including seven cars that received new steel tyres at a cost of £105. 0s. 0d. Recommendation of Cherry Tree
route closure The Committee agreed to the proposal and instructed the Transport Department to make the necessary arrangements during the intervening time. Tramway returns fluctuated up and down, but averaged out at around the 1,230,000 passengers per month and receipts at or about £5,500. Some interesting comparisons appeared for July for tramway and omnibus returns: 40-tons of new rail was bought for £240. 0s. 0s. and the following track work undertaken:
The Highways Department constructed a roundabout at Suddell Cross, on the Preston Road section, to help with traffic flow and, as at Brownhill, the trams ran through the centre of the roundabout. Four new Leyland-bodied TD5 double-deck buses were purchased in 1937 and were given the numbers 40-43
General Manager retires
Many past and present members of the Tramways department paid tribute to Mr Cowell. Mr George Foster, for 47 years a member of the depot staff and Mr H Craddock, over 20 years on the traffic stated they could have had a better boss and that Mr Cowell was one of the most humane of men and they hoped his successor would be as good. Mr Craddolck added that by Mr Cowell's departure would lose a very good friend. In response Mr Cowell stated that "We can't go on forever, and I have had a very happy time". Others who paid tribute included Mayor (Alderman) J Fryars JP, Mr Albert Potts, Councillor J Charnley JP (Chairman of the Transport Committee) and Alderman R Culshaw. Councilor Charnley said that under Mr Cowell's direction the department had made rapid strides, and to-day Blackburn had some of the finest rolling stock in the Country. 1938 Up to 8:30a.m. all passengers were allowed to travel at workpeople’s’ rates, return tickets only, on all routes. Special dinnertime return tickets were also introduced, these tickets were issued Mondays to Fridays inclusive, between 12 noon and 1:30p.m. from the terminal point and were applicable for the return journeys up to 2:30p.m. from the Town Centre terminus. From the first Sunday in April, the services on all routes were extended so as to provide that the last tram on a Sunday night be the same as on the weeknights.
It will be noted how the figures are beginning to differ considerably from previous years. As the trams were getting older, spares were becoming more expensive, as well as the wages of the special workmen required for tramcar maintenance increasing. There is also a tremendous difference in figures for Permanent Way renewals. It had been decided around this time that any work in this area should be repaired if possible rather than renewed at ever increasing costs. The improved trade in the area in the early part of the year was reflected in the increase of £1,885.12s. 9d. in receipts and 37,514 passengers. Further purchases of Leyland TD5 double-deck omnibuses were made during 1938 and these vehicles were allocated the No.’s 44-53. The former Tramway Offices in Church Street were sold to Messrs F.W.Woolworth & Co.Ltd. for £25,000. A new shelter was erected on the Boulevard at a cost of £489. Slight structural alterations were carried out to the stores depot at Intack and resulted in a more suitable accommodation for the staff. Decision to Abandon the Trams Road traffic had increased tremendously by 1938. In 1918 it had been reported that there were only 200,000 motor vehicles on the roads of Britain, which had increased to over 3,000,000 by 1938. The congestion on the roads became worse and worse, the trams were blamed as the main culprits of this problem as more and more motorists tried to assert their own right to the public highway. A Royal Commission had been set up in 1928 to look into the situation, and it had stated that the trams were not to blame, but suggested that no more tramways were to be built, and that local authorities should look at optional forms of transport. Many Corporations took the advice to varying degrees, over the next few years. Large towns and cities, such as Liverpool and Leeds, extended their tramways by re-laying route sections on reserved track, away from the roadway, in more residential areas, thereby reducing the congestion caused by hold-ups. Other authorities decided on a scheme of abandonment, such as in London, though the trams did not cease running until 1952. In Blackburn the Corporation also decided on the latter scheme, and despite the modifications that had taken place to the fleet during the late 1920’s and through-out the 1930’s and the fact that, in recent years, the tramways had contributed handsomely to the rates and the Electricity Department, the Committee felt that buses would be best able to serve the Town, and so a five year plan for abandonment was put into operation.
Up and above the problems of road congestion, another area of difficulty from running a tramway, was that most other towns and cities, Blackburn was expanding rapidly, more outlying residential areas were being built, as the population grew and had the desire to live away from the grime of the smoke of the town centres. These areas were either beyond existing tramway terminals or in areas not served by the trams, thereby making the provision for the tramways expensive. It was far easier and more economical for Corporations to provide a bus service to these locations than to have the expense of laying tramlines and erecting over head wire, even if permission from Parliament to do this could be sought. An example of this in Blackburn was the development of Feniscowles, beyond Cherry Tree, where construction of houses, both as estates and ribbon developments, along the road side, meant that residents of these new suburbs had either to walk from the Cherry Tree tram terminus or, as more the case, take a bus. The trams themselves continued to be over hauled throughout the year, and several miles of trolley wire and track were renewed or repaired, though few details appear to have survived. In the late summer of 1938, once all Permanent Way work was complete, a start was made on the removing of rails and overhead from the abandoned Audley section. From the terminus at Queen’s Park to the junction of Lower Audley Street and Park road all the track was taken up and replaced with asphalt, the cost of this operation being £2,700.
Darwen section.......692 yards of single track (Craven’s Brow) Borough Boundary to Branch Road (inward track). 1939 The match, incidentally, was watched by a crowd of 54,400 Rovers losing 1-2, Rovers goal being scored by L Butt
Last tram to Cherry Tree There was a fitting ceremony when the last tram left the Boulevard, all along the route many people stopped to wave goodbye. A Northern Daily Telegraph reporter, who travelled on the last tram, reported of hearing many shouts of: “...goodbye old friend...”. The tram, ‘Milnes’ car No.70, left the Boulevard at 11:05p.m. driven by Mr Robert Baker, on board were many local dignitaries including the Mayor, Alderman J.P.Greaves, the Town Clerk Mr C.S.Robinson as well as various Council and Committee members and Mr Potts, the Transport Manager. Also in the party was Mr Cowell, who had been invited along especially for the occasion, and for whom it must have been a sad day, having spent most of his working life building up the Blackburn system. At Cherry Tree terminus the Northern Daily Telegraph reported that there was an almost "...cup-tie atmosphere, so big was the crowd that had gathered...”. Councillor E.Holden was given the job of temporary conductor for the return journey and had the honour of changing the trolley pole round, for which the paper reported him to have made a good effort at re-creating Blackpool Illuminations, due to the ‘hit-and-miss’ attempt at the wire. Councillor Davies was given the task of driving the car back to town, which he did admirably until the Byrom Street corner, when the tram shuddered to a halt. Councillor J.E.Bury lamented that Councillor Davies had “...blown his breakers..” “...shut off too soon...”. Incidentally, Councillor Bury had also been the conductor on the last tram to Audley, and the paper stated that: “...there isn’t a tramcar in the shed that wants anything to do with him...” After the problem had been rectified the tram was driven back to the Boulevard, after which there was various speech-making, at which Councillor Davies was handed a mock summons that “...he unlawfully acted as a driver of a public vehicle, to wit, a tram...” the whole evening was summed up by the Mayor who described it as “...the most cheerful funeral I’ve ever attended...”
The Parcels Department continued to show healthy returns, and by 1939 income from the service was around £1,100 per annum. The Transport Manager also issued his annual report in Spring 1939, and it contained some interesting figures as to where every £1 in receipts went: Traffic expenses.........................7s. 1½d.
In June the Transport Manager reported that the track and over head line on the Wilpshire route was in great need of repair and renewal, and due to the costs involved, the Committee decided that this route should close on March 31st,1940. The trams continued to give tremendous contributions to the rates, in the early 1930’s this figure was around the £8,000 per annum mark, and although this had dropped to around £7,000 by 1939, mainly due to the closure of two routes, this was still a considerable contribution. The usual treatment of over hauling and painting was given to seven cars and the tram standards in the centre of the town were cleaned and re-painted, and two miles of trolley wire were renewed. Repairs and renewals to the track continued, but once the Second World war had broken out, these were kept to a minimum, and the question of future policy in this direction was put under review. Track work complete during 1939 was as follows:
By September traffic returns had decreased and were running at an average of 1,100,000 passengers per month, with receipts around the £6,000 mark. ‘Milnes’ car No.61 was in collision with a lorry and
a motor car at Old Mother Redcap on Thursday October 26th, though
no-one was injured and the car suffered little damage. During the autumn, the U.E.C. single-deck cars were withdrawn from service and scrapped at Intack depot along with ‘Toastrack’ car No.88 and works car No.2. both these latter trams having spent the previous few years derelict & idle on the sidings in front of the old steam car depot Amongst the cars repainted this year was ‘Milnes’ car No.60 which entered the paint shop in late April after having it’s bogies and electrical equipment serviced.
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...the
tramways in present operation should remain so...
