With the outbreak of World War Two in September 1939, the tramway abandonment plans were put on ice, and during the war the 40-year old trams gave invaluable service to the town, earning the gratitude of the townsfolk of Blackburn. Although they did come under certain war-time restrictions, governing the amount of journeys that could be undertaken, and spares became a premium to obtain, the restrictions were nothing like those imposed on the buses, for which fuel and parts were almost impossible to get and few new buses were allowed to be built.

At the start of the war several members of the transport department staff volunteered for emergency work with the fire department in the event of an air-raid. The transport department converted the two Ex-Blackburn Bus Company Leyland Lion single deck vehiclesNo.'s 23 [31] and 24 [32] to Water Carrier Vehicles and they were donated to the Auxilary fire service in October 1939.

Intack depot was set up as a volunteer ambulance unit and several drivers and conductors volunteered to help out both at Intack and at other ambulance units around the town. Buses were allocated for use during and after an air-raid and a procedure was introduced in the event of an air-raid warning:

Procedure to be followed when an air raid warning is sounded

1st If a warning is sounded during service hours, omnibus drivers who have a single-deck bus in service will first proceed tot he nearest public shelter and decant passengers - after which they will proceed to Intack depot with all possible speed and await instructions.

2nd If the warning is sounded out of service hours, those traffic drivers who have volunteered and have been allocated to stations other than Intack Depot will proceed as quickly as possible to such stations and await instructions

3rd Depot Drivers and Attendants will report at the bus depot whether on duty or not

4th Drivers. On receiving instructions they will proceed to make the way clear for all single-deck omnibuses to leave the depot - then start up all single-deck omnibuses and prepare then to leave at a moment's notice

5th Attendants. On receiving instructions, attendants will equip all single-deck omnibuses with four stretchers each and place same on the top of the seat backs. Two blankets must be placed on each of these stretchers

6th All drivers and attendants will then be allowed to their respective buses and will stand by for any emergency which may arise

7th As this volunteer unit is under the supervision of the Medical Officer of Health, it is expected that after leaving the depot members will obey the orders issued by the Medical Officer or his appointed deputies.

A minimum of 2 hours pay will be allowed to all men who, being off duty, report for an emergency.

In mid-September 1939 the practice of two trams being stationary on Salford Bridge was causing concern to the Police. A tram bound for Church or Intack would move out of the Boulevard and wait behind another tram waiting to set off from the Salford Bridge terminus, which thus blocked the view of the Policeman on traffic control duty on Salford Bridge, causing, in the Police opinion a dangerous situation, especially in the blackout period. This was highlighted when a Police Constable, PC Elliot No. 97, has cause to put in an official complaint when on the 14th September he notice that traffic was "...being seriously obstructed by two tramcars at the Eanam terminus". He stated that he had warned drivers on several occasions, but in this instance when he approached the tram, No. 49 driven by Lucas Gill badge No. 251, he warned the driver that "..if any further obstruction was caused by driving his tram to the rear of another tram, which had not left the terminus, action would be taken". Constable Elliot stated that the driver then replied to him "oh, go to sleep" and drove off.

The matter was reported to the Tramways Department and notices were issued to drivers to avoid this situation arising again.

1940
In January 1940, the terminus of the Church route at the Salford loop was altered. This was to avoid the problem of passengers boarding in the middle of the road during the blackouts, and involved the re-laying of the 85 yards of track and installing a 60 yard siding in front of the Bottling Stores of Dutton’s Brewery. At the end of this siding a buffer stop made from old tram rail, was erected, and although there were other buffer stops on the system, notably in Water Street, this was the only one actually on the public highway. A shelter was also erected at this point, the last for tramway operations. The cost of this exercise was £300.

In late January a large snowstorm forced the trams to stop running for 2 days, the staff had to clear the snow and the entire stock of salt, some 25-tons, was used. By the end of the first day the tracks on the Preston road route had been cleared from the Boulevard to Dukes Brow crossover and for the next 3 days a service between these two points was operated with a 1d. fare. There is no doubt that it was down to the efforts of the staff that the tracks were opened up again so quickly. The storm had disastrous consequences on the over head wire and it was estimated that the total cost for repairs would be in excess of £1,000, even though materials had already been purchased at the out break of war at pre-war prices.

As an aid to the war effort, permission was granted, by the Tramways Committee, for the over head standards to be used to carry wireless relay service cables for use by the A.R.P. services.

Since buses replaced trams on Blackburn's Audley section these lines have been just lines to nowhere. Now the old track has a destination again - but as precious scrap metal bound for the nation's war store. Men are here seen taking up rails at the Grimshaw Park - Lower Audley Street corner

Northern Daily Telegraph 9th August 1940

Instructions were issued by the Department to all crews that should the Air-Raid siren sound, whilst ‘en-route’, then the tram should be brought to a halt and remain at that place until the all clear had been given. It is interesting to note there were no instructions as to whether the crew were to take passengers to the nearest Air-Raid shelter or remain with the trams!

In February, shades for headlamps were purchased and fitted in accordance with war Regulations at a cost of £113. 9s. 6d. and ‘blackout’ curtains were also fitted and the interior lighting was reduced by the removing of some of the bulbs. To help in the dark nights, the bumpers and front sills of the trams were painted white, and parcel boys were employed on the cars to call out the stopping places. Permission was granted by the Corporation for the display in the trams and buses of posters in connection with the ‘War Loans Savings Campaign’ free of charge.

On March 30th, 1940 Darwen Corporation closed the section of line between Darwen Town Centre, (Circus) and the terminus at Whitehall.

Driver Killed by enemy action
On August 31st, a German bomb fell on Ainsworth Street at 11:40p.m. just as the trams were unloading from their last journey of the night. The local paper reported the incident as follows:

“...A Mons hero was killed and a number of persons were injured by a whistling bomb during an air-raid on Blackburn on Saturday night. The bomb fell in Ainsworth Street, where trams and buses were drawn up before going to the depot. Many shops and business properties were extensively damaged. The front of an electrician’s shop was blown in by the bomb, which fell outside, causing a crater 5ft. deep. Several trams and buses were damaged and the over head was brought down.
“......The dead man was James Orford, aged 54, the driver of one of the trams. He was thought to have succumbed to shock. a tram conductor, James Marsden, aged 60, was seriously injured and others were admitted to the Infirmary. Mr Orford had served in the artillery during the previous war, and his decorations included the coverted Mons Star.
“........Mrs Elizabeth Moffatt, a conductress on a tram only yards from the spot where the bomb fell, had a narrow escape. She had just changed the trolley, when she heard the bomb coming down:
“...’It seemed as if it hit the over head wire and then there was a crash. I was in the body of the tram and the explosion threw me on to a seat. I covered my head with my hands until the noise of falling glass had stopped. There were no passengers on the tram. Windows at the back and front were smashed, and if I had been on the platform, I would probably have been hurt’
“......Mrs Moffatt’s husband, Joseph Moffatt, was on the tram in which Mr Orford was killed and which was immediately behind hers. When the explosion occurred, it was stated that an empty bus, not one of the Corporation’s, was lifted some feet into the air. Fortunately, the driver and conductor had left it a few minutes earlier.”
Mr Marsden, the injured conductor, died in hospital from his injuries 18 days later. The tram on which Mr Orford was killed was ‘Milnes’ car No.52, which was hit by shrapnel and flying debris, and although re-painted, the place on the panels which had been hit could be seen underneath the varnish for several years afterwards.
Possibly as a result of this incident, the Corporation fitted troughs or covers on the over head wires at the points were the trolley poles were likely to be changed. This measure was taken to avoid the ‘flash’ or arc’ as the trolley wheel made contact with the wire being seen by enemy air-craft. In late 1940 the late night services on all routes were suspended, no trams running in service after 10:00p.m.

STOPPING PLACES AS OF 1940

1941
Wartime ideas
The blackout curtains, fitted at the start of the war, were proving unsuccessful, as passengers had a habit of pulling them back to see where they were. The Transport Committee was asked to consider the installation of rigid fittings, which could not be moved. This would allow the interior lighting to be improved, giving a more comfortable journey for passengers. This decision was later altered to the fitting of anti-shatter netting to all trams and buses.

Also under consideration was the installation of a microphone and speaker system in the cars to allow the driver or conductor to call out the stages. Two of the ‘Milnes’ cars, No.’s 60 and 73 had this system fitted, known as a ‘stage-announcer’. A press button was fitted to the dash at each end of the tram and, through a low tension circuit, was connected to a battery and amplifier fitted under the stairs, these, in turn, were connected to two speakers, one fitted in the middle of the roof in each saloon.

The Committee also looked at the possibilities of a centralised remote control system for calling out of emergency personnel, but nothing ever seems to have come of this idea.

To help with the problem of road congestion it was decided to experiment with the fitting of direction signs, or trafficators, to some of the cars. These were fitted in April 1941 to cars No,’s 37, 44, 48, 60, 69 and 73, though most of these cars had ‘lost’ them by the end of the war, most having been knocked off by passing trams.

The lease to Thompson Bros. of the old tram depot at Simmons Street would expire on May 11th, and it was decided that the lease would not be renewed to allow for the housing of some of the bus fleet.

The ‘Sunday Bargain Ticket’, introduced as a six-month experiment in 1938, were discontinued in May, and the normal fares for each route were re-introduced. For the safety of all employees, a purchase was made of 240 steel helmets, and these were issued to all staff.

Along with many other towns and cities, there was a great fear of invasion and so to help, should this occur, all over the Country road sign-posts were painted out. In Blackburn it was agreed that the ‘Blackburn’ part of the rocker panel title would be erased and all destination blinds were turned to blank. To over come the problems of destinations, route numbers were introduced, those these had been ‘unofficially’ used by the department some years; boards painted black with white stencilled numbers were used and provision was made on all ‘Milnes’ cars for the fitting of these on the top half of the near-side hex dash panel.

Route Numbers:
1.Church
2.Intack
3.Wilpshire
4.Cemetery
5.Preston Road
6.Branch Road
7.Borough Boundary
8.Darwen

Owing to urgent track repairs, a petrol operated portable heavy pick was bought from the Worksop Petrol Drill & Tools Company Limited of Leicester for £108.18s. 0d. this was to allow the tasks to be completed quicker. Twenty-nine tons of rail was also purchased for £503.10s. 3d.

Serious tram accident at Ewood
In September of 1941 another fatal accident occurred, but this was not the result of enemy action. The Blackburn Times for September 26th, reported the incident as follows:
“....Blackburn’s most serious tram crash of recent years, in which the driver was killed and fourteen passengers injured, three seriously, occurred early on Saturday afternoon at Ewood.
“.....The car, No.17 of Darwen Corporation, and driven by Richard Alfred Webb, which contained some twenty four passengers, was proceeding towards Darwen, when at the junction with Kidder Street, leading to the Rovers football ground, jumped the points, swung into Kidder Street and overturned against the side of the house and shop of Mr J W Sykes, 401, Bolton Road.”

Due to the serious nature of the accident, the Transport Committee asked Mr Potts, the Transport Manager, to investigate and report on the incident. His conclusions showed that the tram was travelling too fast, “...it must have exceeded 15 miles per hour and that power was still being applied to the motors...” and although 10 miles per hour was considered too fast on such a curve, in each instance neither speeds would have caused centrifugal force to throw a tram body from it’s trucks. Mr Potts reported that the speed, in conjunction with the fact that the Darwen trams were fitted with maximum traction trucks and were top covered, were the main contributions to the accident. The maximum traction truck had been designed very early on in tramway development, and was designed to give maximum traction to the driving wheels, to give a similar distribution to a four-wheel car, and the pony wheels were to give a smooth ride. However, Mr Potts felt that the approximately 85% of weight on the driving wheels made the pony wheels too light, and at excessive speeds a tram would tend to ‘rock’ on tight curves. All these points were concluded to be decisive factors in the accident. Mr Potts further stated that these reason were why Blackburn’s maximum traction bogie cars, the ‘Siemens’ class, had not, and would not, be top covered.

Introduction of passenger flow
In another attempt to improve services to passengers, a scheme of passenger flow was introduced for loading and unloading purposes. Passengers wishing to travel ‘inside the car, in the lower saloon, were requested to board to the left of the platform grab-rail, and those for outside, or upper-deck, to board to the right. Signs were fitted above the entrances stating ‘Lower Saloon’ and ‘Upper Saloon’ to all ‘Milnes’ cars, except No.’s 61, as due to the way it’s top cover had been re-designed, there was no room for a sign.

Due to the restrictions imposed on the operating of buses, even more of a problem once there became a shortage of rubber, intending passengers from the Little Harwood area of the town, walked to Bastwell to catch the Wilpshire route trams into town, as a result of this extra volume of traffic, the Wilpshire route service was increased to ten trams operating a four minute service during peak hours.

In November as a safeguard against the possibilities of power failure due to any reason, a system of emergency lights were fitted to all top covered cars, and only these car were permitted to travel during ‘black-out’ periods. The system involved a magnetic cut-out being introduced into the negative feed of the dash and rear light circuit. A switch was put into operation, which coupled a two volt battery to the emergency light circuit. when switched to the ‘on’ position, the magnetic coil of the cut-out, being in circuit with the lights of the dash, was energised and pulled down the armature, therefore, breaking or opening the contacts, which when closed completed the circuit for emergency lights. Should a lamp in the dashlight circuit fail the current source would be disconnected and the armature released and contact made in the emergency circuit, consequently, this caused two red lights to be exhibited at each end of the car. Should the switch of the emergency lights be in the ‘on’ position whilst the dash light circuit switch be ‘off’, or the electric current fail or the trolley pole leave the wire, these emergency lights would operate, for during these conditions, no current is passing the magnetic coil and the armature is free.

Also in November another fatality happened, this time on the Boulevard, when a conductress was crushed to death. The conductress, Mrs E. Moffatt, who had been involved in the German bomb incident in 1940, was conducting on a tram stopped on the ‘Palace Points’. Whilst walking round to change the trolley pole, she was stood in the centre of the road, when a tram travelling from the Bridge Street siding crashed into the stationary tram and trapped Mrs Moffatt between the cars. Mrs Moffatt was one of the conductresses taken on during the First World War, and then re-engaged at the beginning of World War Two. It was surmised that having lifted the trolley wheel from the wire, the emergency light system would have come into operation, but because of her position in front of the headlamp, the light would have been blocked out, thus preventing the driver of the oncoming tram, Albert Hayhurst, being able to see Mrs Moffatt. A letter of condolence was sent from the Transport Department to Mrs Moffatt’s relatives.

More tram rails were purchased in December, £260. 8s. 9d. worth from Skinningrove Iron Co. Ltd. and £252. 3s.11d. of second-hand rail from Southend-on-Sea Corporation.

1942-1945
Very little information for the next 3 years or so has come to light. Due to the war, the Committee met only periodically, instead of every month, and was mainly concerned with the problems of obtaining materials for track replacements.

Two trams drivers, one from Darwen Corporation and one from Blackburn Corporation, were fined 20s each after a collision that the Chief Constable described as "..clear case of trying to race one another" The Blackburn driver, Arnold Green (24) of Audley Range and the Darwen driver, Joseph Duxbury (41) of Nichols Street, Darwen were fined at Blackburn magistrates Court for "not bringing their trams to a stop as soon as possible to avoid impending danger". The collision occured at the junction of Darwen Street and Jubilee Street on Monday 9th March 1942. Driver Green in his statement said that as he turned the corner he "put on full power, as the other tram was only 10 yards away from my own". Driver Duxbury stated that he "saw a Blackburn tram coming at a fast speed. The other tram tried to beat me to it at Jubilee Street"

In April a further supply of rail was bought from Cargo Fleet Iron Co. Limited of Middlesborough for £605. 1s. 3d. An approval for an order of ticket rolls was given, to be purchased from Messrs Spicers Limited, Manchester for a cost of £570, these being for use on the buses as well as the trams.

On the morning of Tuesday March 24th, 1942, a collision between a Blackburn car, No.42, and a Darwen Streamlined Car No.23, occurred on the interlaced section on Bolton Road near to the Savoy Cinema. [see image] The front of both trams were badly damaged, and had to be pulled apart after having become interlocked. The driver of the Darwen tram, Jack Shorrock, was taken home after his injuries had been X-rayed, and the driver of the Blackburn car, James Callaghan, escaped with cuts and bruises. Several passengers walked the short distance to the Infirmary to have their injuries attended to. Car No.42 was towed back to Intack depot, where despite shortages of materials, was rebuilt and back on the road within three weeks.

In August 1942, it was decided at a full Committee meeting that the Cherry Tree route should re-open, as due to the restrictions on buses, it was found that it was becoming more and more difficult to maintain a service. The Transport Department was asked to look into the feasibility’s of re-opening the route, but after due consultation it was decided that, though the tracks were still in situ, the over head wires had been removed at the time of closure and replacement wire could not be obtained at in sufficient quantity, the re-opening would not be economical, and so the idea was abandoned.

In an attempt to solve some of the congestion at the White Bull Hotel at Salford and the problems created by the ‘blackouts’, the tram stop at this point was withdrawn and a new stop opposite Knowles Stationary & Pen Shop, Darwen Street, was instated.

Death of Mr Cowell
The former Tramways General Manager Mr Cowell died in October 1942, aged 84, and was a great loss. He was buried at St.Peter’s Church, Salesbury, on the outskirts of Blackburn, his funeral being attended by many members of the Tramways Department, past and present.

By late 1942 the fear of invasion had subsided somewhat and the restrictions on destinations was relaxed, the route numbers being discarded and the re-introduction of the use of the roller blinds was undertaken.

Only two further purchases of buses was made during the year, these being Guy Arab 5LW with Pickering 56-seat Utility bodies and were numbered 56 and 57.

In April 1943 more tram track was obtained, points and crossings from Edgar Allen Limited for £372.10s. 0d. and rails from Skinningrove Iron Co. for £990. 0s. 0d.

An additional war wage of 5s. 0d. per week was given to all employees from May 18th, 1944, this was the result of a recommendation of the National Joint Industrial Council for the Road Passenger Transport Industry.

For the renewal of the crossings at the Penny Street-Regent Street junction, a purchase from Edgar Allen Limited was made for tie-bars, fishplates and bolts to the value of £204, and 44 tons of tram rail from Skinningrove Iron Co. for £764.19s. 0d. This task being completed in June 1944. In addition 6 special crossings were also purchased for use at the entrance fan to Intack depot, again from Edgar Allen Limited, for £376. 0s. 0d. For use on the tramcars, 491 brake blocks were purchased from the Tyne Metal Co. Limited (Hexham-On-Tyne) at a cost of £129.10s. 5d.

Seven buses were purchased during 1944, again Guy engines were bought, this time 6LW’s, with Massey 56-seat Utility bodies. These buses, delivered between June and September were numbered 58-64.

In the spring of 1944 tracks on the Wilpshire route were beginning to sink between Bastwell and Brookhouse Lane. Repair work needed to be carried out quickly, and so that the Permanent Way gang could work through the day, buses ran from Salford Bridge to the Cemetery and trams from the Cemetery to the Wilpshire terminus. This state of affairs lasted approximately 3-weeks.

To save wear and tear on the enclosed ‘Milnes’ cars, 2 of the 3 usual service cars on the Preston Road route were substituted for ‘Siemens’ cars during the summer months.

Proposal to close Preston road route
Mr Potts submitted to the Committee a report in August 1944 recommending the abandonment of the trams on the Preston Road route, he stated:

“During 1938 a five year programme of expenditure and work to be carried out was submitted to the Tramways Committee and sanctioned.

“In consequence of this the tram Rolling Stock and Permanent way was not maintained in the usual high standard.

“On the Permanent Way only the most essential repairs were carried out and the track renewals were ceased altogether.

“In the 1938 programme referred to above Wilpshire tram route was scheduled to be abandoned in March 1940; and consequently that route received less attention than the others.
“Since the War commenced it has been necessary to operate maximum tram services particularly on the Wilpshire route, where the traffic has increased tremendously resulting in heavier wear and tear.

“Although I fully realise that conditions on all routes were such as to require urgent attention, I consulted my Chairman and Vice-chairman and they agreed that in view of the shortage of labour and material I should concentrate on the Wilpshire route which was most urgently in need of attention to put it in a safe state for operating the service. This I have done.
“I expected to finish the work on this route some weeks ago, but owing to labour difficulties and the extensive amount of new concrete bedding required, it has been impossible for me to make satisfactory progress, and I now find myself unable to carry out the major repairs on the Preston New Road route before the Winter months. It is agreed by Permanent Way Engineers that to carry out track renewals or major repairs during the Winter months is costly and unsatisfactory.
“I expect to complete the work on the Wilpshire route within the next 7-10 days (weather permitting), after which I must transverse to the Intack route where two gradients need urgent attention. The recent water main burst in Eanam has hastened the necessity for repairs at this point, and I am also bearing in mind that this route will be the last one converted owing to the situation of Intack Depot.

“As far back as January last I applied to the Ministry of Labour for 30 general labourers for heavy outdoor work. The majority of those submitted were either old, or suitable for light work only. I also applied for paviors - these have not been supplied. I have only two paviors, one of whom is 70 years of age and the other is 65 years.

“Apart from the delay which this unsatisfactory labour has caused it reflects in the costs. Owing to the very frequent service operated on the Wilpshire route and the slow progress being made I have been compelled to carry out important work on Sundays, which means double rates of pay, and notwithstanding the very heavy costs of the work carried out it is not to my satisfaction.
“To efficiently carry out relaying and major repairs it is necessary to work during the night time, but since September 1939 this has been impossible. To maintain services and at the same time carry out repairs is a difficult proposition, and I consider that we have done remarkably well to cause the public so little inconvenience.

“After considering all the various points I decided to consult my Chairman and Vice-chairman and they agree that I should ask the Committee to sanction that application be made to the Minister of War Transport for the power to abandon trams on the Preston Road route and substitute omnibuses.
“My reasons for selecting Preston Road for the change over are:-
1) The state of the Permanent Way
2) The fact that it is the shortest tram route we have
3) It will require the least number of buses to operate
4) The possibility of inter-running the service with Cherry Tree
5) The recommendation of the Special Joint Committee in respect of Electrolysis of G.P.O. Cables
6) The fact that we only have 32 top covered trams, which are not sufficient to operate the essential services necessary
“At the present time I am compelled to operate the open topped trams during the Winter months. Top covered trams are in operation 18 hours one day and 12 hours the next, thus enabling the maintenance staff to carry out minor repairs. This gives an average of 15 hours service daily. My experience is that during the black-out hours of operation there are many more accidents which necessitate trams being kept in the depot for repairs, and as a result I have to operate the open topped vehicles on days when it appears ridiculous to do so., but I have no alternative but to operate them. Workers returning home from a hard day’s work do not relish the idea of travelling on the top deck of a tram without cover, and it is not right that they should be expected to do so. If Preston Road route is operated by omnibuses it will give me three top covered trams to use for other routes.
“I estimate that the present cost of Permanent Way is 70% above pre-war costs, and I would warn you, Gentlemen, that as soon as possible after the war a complete change-over will have to be made due to the fact that the trams are very old, costly to maintain and the difficulty experienced in obtaining replacement parts for them.
“To operate the Preston Road service with omnibuses, five new double-deck omnibuses will be required. Four new vehicles are already on order and I propose to use three of these four together with three others to be purchased. These vehicles will enable me to operate the service very comfortably by inter-running with Cherry Tree.”

At the beginning of 1945, it was found that the trolley wheels were wearing out faster than normal, due to lack of maintenance of the over head wire. It was decided to fit carbon inserts into the head of the wheel in such a way so that when one became worn, a pin released the wheel and it turned round to the next block. Although this measure was taken purely for economical reasons, the copper trolley wheels were becoming very expensive, the trolley heads of the trams remained in this condition after the war and the alteration remained to the last.

In February 1945, Darwen Corporation informed Blackburn of their intentions to close their tramways from October next year, to be replaced by buses, and hoped that Blackburn could do likewise, however, the Committee stated that they had every intention of keeping the trams going “...for a few more years yet...”.

In June 1945 the tenancy of a portion of Simmons Street tram shed was granted for use as a Police garage at a rent of £90 per annum. This building is still used today for the very same purpose.

The Tramway managed to keep going throughout the war without any major problems and credit must go to the maintenance staff for their almost make-do-and-mend policy. Spares were all but impossible to obtain, this was also partially due to the age of the trams as well as shortages in general, the foresight of Mr Cowell paid great dividends, as the trams entered the War in excellent condition.

Withdrawal of ‘Siemens’ cars
Towards the end of the War a number of the ‘Siemens’ cars were withdrawn from service, and most were scrapped at Intack, indeed at least one was pushed down a tip at he side of the depot to fill in a hole. Although beginning to show their age and having given 46 years service, they were still in reasonable condition, but were the odd-ones-out in the fleet, as they were the only cars left with maximum traction bogie trucks, maintenance costs were more expensive than for the ‘Milnes’ cars. Three of the bodies of these trams were sold to a farmer at Galgate, near Lancaster, for use as hen houses. Two of the bodies each had one end removed and they were joined to make one long ‘building’, the other was left to decay, though was still to be seen until the mid-1960’s.

Due to the restrictions put upon the buses during the War the trams had a new lease of life and traffic returns throughout the War years climbed steadily:

1939..............14,777,598 passengers
1940..............13,154,772
1941..............14,771,219
1942..............15,992,874
1943..............17,332,460
1944..............18,399,656
1945..............17,868,623

Two additional buses, to the same specifications as the 1944 batch, were delivered in November 1945 and were allocated the numbers 65 and 66.