FLEET DETAILS: Steam & Horse Tram Fleet

The operating of steam engines was governed by very strict rules and regulations laid down by the Board of Trade, which had to be adhered to by the various tramway operators, each engine being issued with a license.

Although the Tramways Act (1870) had given the Board of Trade powers to issue regulations to operators, no mention was given to the Locomotive Acts of 1861 and 1865, and although several attempts were made to issue amendments to the Acts, the Board of Trade only issued guidelines until revised regulations were issued in September 1884. These regulations included:-

“...engines shall be free from the noise produced by blast, and from the clatter of machinery, such as to constitute any reasonable ground for complaint to the passengers or the public...”
“...No steam of smoke shall be emitted from the engines...”
“...The engines and carriages shall be coupled by double couplings...”
“...Two efficient lights shall be fitted, one to each end on the front of the engine and used between the hours of one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise...”

With these new and all existing regulations being issued prior to the arrival of engines at Blackburn, all loco’s conformed to all necessary regulations.

STEAM ENGINES
‘GREEN’S’ STANDARD LOCO’S No.’s 1-14
The first and only engines obtained by the Tramway Company were constructed by Thomas Green’s & Son’s Limited of Leeds. No.’s 1-8 arrived during May 1887 for the opening of the system, and a further batch, No.’s 9-14, arrived between December 1887 and March 1888 for the opening of the Cemetery route. These loco’s costing £700 per engine.

They were of the standard ‘Green’s’ design (157 of these loco’s were constructed by the firm between 1884 and 1898) incorporating a horizontal boiler, inside cylinders of 9ins diameter and 14ins stroke with ‘Joys’ reversing link valve gear. Four coupled wheels of 2ft. 6ins diameter on a 5ft. wheelbase were also fitted.

An ‘air’ or ‘box’ condenser of the ‘Falcon’ type was fitted to the roof of the cab. Also fitted was a governor operated steam brake. This governor was fitted to the speed regulator, so that any driver who attempted to exceed the speed limit of 8m.p.h., as laid down in the by-laws, would find that the governor would activate and automatically cut-off power. warning bells were fitted which “..shall be sounded by the driver from time to time...”. Whistles were also incorporated which were not to be sounded, nor the opening of the cylinder taps, within sight of any persons in charge of horses.

Dimensions:
Overall length....………………..11ft.6ins.
Width..................……………...6ft.
Height to top of condenser......10ft.4ins.

The bodies consisted of three side windows, the centre one being glazed, with a glazed window either side of a half height door at each end. Dual controls were fitted so that, like most steam engines, they could be driven from either end, though in practice in Blackburn they were usually driven with chimney trailing.

Livery was ivory around the windows and olive green on the main panels of two slightly differing shades. The condensers were painted black. A gold shaded fleet number was carried on each side panel. The only alterations to these engines was in 1890 when, as per Board of Trade regulations, life protectors were fitted to each end.

All had been withdrawn from service by 1901, those not sold, being either scrapped or sold for scrap. Four engines were sold to Accrington Tramways and one to Rossendale Tramways.

SECOND-HAND LOCO'S
Ex-BLACKBURN & OVER DARWEN TRAMWAYS COMPANY ‘GREEN’S’ LOCO’S
On the take-over of the Blackburn & Over Darwen Tramway company by both Blackburn and Darwen Corporation’s, 3 engines were acquired by Blackburn. These engines were also constructed by Thomas Green’s & Son’s Limited, but to their later design, which incorporated the Charles Burnell & Son’s (Thetford) 18 tube type condenser. These engines had been built and delivered to the Blackburn & Over Darwen Tramways around 1896. There is unfortunately no record of the fleet numbers of these locos, either their original numbers or their re-numberings at Blackburn, if indeed they were re-numbered.

‘BAYER PEACOCK’ LOCO’S No.’s 15-21
Due to the age and deterioration in the condition of the original Blackburn ‘Green’s’ loco’s several were withdrawn from service in 1899 and scrapped. To keep an efficient service operating until full electrification of the Church and Cemetery routes, 7 locos were purchased from the North Staffordshire Tramways Company in July1899, who also operated a 4ft. gauge system

These engines had been built in 1884 by Bayer Peacock Limited of Manchester to the ‘Wilkinson’ patent design. This design incorporated a vertical boiler of 3ft. 6ins diameter and 5ft. 1ins in height, with cylinders of 7¾ins diameter and an 11ins stroke. The exhaust was not condensed in the usual way, but was superheated in the firebox and emitted through the chimney. Wheels were the same 2ft. 6ins diameter as the ‘Green’s’, but were fitted on a 5ft. 6ins wheelbase.

Dimensions:
Length...........13ft. 6ins.
Width..............5ft. 6ins.
Height............11ft. 1½ins.

The bodies of these engines were open at the front and side except for a central iron ‘curtain’. These engines were given the numbers 15-21, and their short working life in Blackburn was mostly spent on the Cemetery route. All were withdrawn in 1901 and were scrapped.

TRAILERS
‘ASHBURY’ BOGIE CARS No.’s 1-12
For the opening of the system in 1887, 8 trailers were ordered from the Ashbury Railway Carriage & Wagon Company Limited of Manchester at a cost of £200 each. These trailers were double-deck bogie cars with open platforms and stairs. Seating on the upper-deck, to seat 30 passengers, consisted of 2+1 transverse wooden ‘garden bench’ seats, then newly introduced by tramcar manufacturers. In the lower saloon seating was also for 30 passengers, but on cushioned longitudinal seating.

On arrival, these cars were numbered 1-8.

The middle window section of the upper-deck could be lowered as one to give a seem-open appearance, a feature much appreciated by passengers, especially in the Summer months. A door at each end of the saloon led out onto 90 degree turn stairs.

Dimensions:
Length...............30ft. 9ins.
Width..................5ft. 9ins.
Height...............14ft. 0ins.

The livery of these trailers was ivory around the windows on both decks and on the ‘rocker’ panels. The decency panels, dash panels and side panels above the ‘rocker’ panels and stair side were painted olive green. A gold shaded fleet number was placed on this panel and the title ‘BLACKBURN CORPORATION TRAMWAYS COMPANY Ltd’ in gold shaded lettering was placed on the ‘rocker’ panels’.

In December 1887 and January 1888, 4 further trailers, No.’s 9-12 arrived from Ashbury’s, dimensions and livery being the same as No.’s 1-8

In 1890 these trailers were fitted with independent brakes, so that the conductor could halt the car in the case of an emergency, such as separation from the engine.

All had been withdrawn from service by July1901, one being sold to Accrington Tramways Two of these cars had been withdrawn in early 1899 and sold to Rossendale Tramways.

‘FALCON’ BOGIE CARS No.’s 13-16
For work on the Cemetery route 4 trailers were ordered from the Falcon Engine & Car Works Limited of Loughborough. Again they were double-deck enclosed top, open platforms and stairs, and were given the numbers 13-16. It had been anticipated that the Cemetery route would not be as well patronised as the Church section, and so smaller cars were required. These cars were considerably shorter than the ‘Ashbury’ cars, carrying only 42 passengers in total, 24 in the lower saloon on longitudinal seating and 18 on the top deck on the more conventional, for the time, ‘knifeboard’ seating. The upper deck end bulkheads had two doors to allow for the free flow of passengers, these led out onto a small balcony, which originally had simple wire railings, though these were covered with a metal plate in later years. each saloon side had six windows, the upper-deck being of the individual drop-framed type.

Dimensions:
Length................26ft. 5ins.
Width....................5ft. 9ins.
Height.................14ft. 0ins.

The livery of these cars was the same as the ‘Ashbury’ cars, with the addition of the upper-deck balcony panels, which were painted olive green. All cars had been withdrawn by early 1901 and scrapped.

‘OLDBURY’ 4-WHEEL CARS No.’s 17-22
For use on the Billinge horse tram route, six 4-wheel open top trailers were ordered from the Oldbury Carriage & Wagon Company Limited and arrived in July and August 1888, and were allocated the numbers 17-22.

Longitudinal seating in the lower saloon was for 18 passengers, and for 14 ‘outside’ on the upper-deck on ‘knifeboard’ seating. The livery was the same as the bogie cars, though these vehicles also had large gold shaded fleet numbers on each end dash panel, and the stair sides were painted ivory instead of olive green.

It was soon discovered that these cars were too heavy for the steep slopes of Preston New Road, so on the opening of the Witton route they were transferred to that section. After electrification of the Witton route in 1899 they were withdrawn from service and scrapped at Simmons Street depot.

‘FALCON’ 4-WHEEL CARS No.’s 23-27
To replace the ‘Oldbury’ cars on the Billinge route 5 trailers to the same design, but of lightweight construction, were ordered from the Falcon Engine & Car Works Limited in late 1888. They arrived in time for the opening of the Witton route and were given the numbers 23-27.

Seating arrangements, livery etc.. were identical to the ‘Oldbury’ cars, as were the dimensions which were as follows:

Length.................……....22ft. 0ins.
Width....................……....5ft. 7ins.
Height to top of rails........11ft. 8ins.
Height of saloon...............9ft. 2ins.

The lettering on the ‘rocker’ panels differed marginally from the bogie cars, in so much as, due to the lack of space ‘Co.’ was used instead of ‘Company’.

After the opening of the Preston New Road route for electric operations, these cars were transferred for a short time to the Cemetery route, alternating the service with a steam car, until the arrival of the ‘Bayer Peacock’ loco’s in the Summer of 1899, when all were taken out of service. They were offered for sale but no buyers were found, eventually they were all scrapped at Intack depot.

SECOND-HAND TRAILERS
Ex-BLACKBURN & OVER DARWEN TRAMWAYS ‘MILNES’ BOGIE CARS No.’s 17-21
On the part acquisition of the Blackburn & Over Darwen Tramways, 3 trailers were also taken as well as the ‘Green’s’ loco’s. These trailers were enclosed top, double-deck bogie cars built by George F.Milnes Limited. After the withdrawal of the ‘Oldbury’ cars, these trailers were given the numbers 17-19 and were the only trailers to carry the ‘BLACKBURN CORPORATION TRAMWAYS’ title on the rocker panels.

Seating was for 28 on 2+1 ‘garden bench’ seats on the upper-deck and for 28 in the lower saloon on longitudinal seating.

Dimensions: (approx.)
Length...................29ft. 6ins.
Width.....................5ft. 10ins.
Height....................14ft. 0ins.

These cars only spent a short time in Blackburn, usually being used on the Cemetery route along with the ‘Bayer Peacock’ loco’s, all were withdrawn in July 1901 and scrapped at Intack depot.

AUTHORS NOTES- Some of the aspects of the ‘Company’ fleet and second-hand stock we have been unable to find catogoric proof of, but we feel these should be mentioned in an attempt to clarify certain details.

As mentioned in the text, it was not recorded as to any re-numberings that may have taken place with the ‘Green’s’ loco’s once the 3 extra engines arrived from the Blackburn & Over Darwen Tramways Company. The loco that hauled the ceremonial ‘last run’ from Darwen through Blackburn to Accrington and beyond in June 1900 has been accredited by many historians over the years as being Blackburn No.6. However, photographic evidence shows this loco as having tube condensers, not the box type as on Blackburn’s original ‘Green’s’ loco’s. However, none of the Blackburn & Over Darwen Company’s ‘Green’s’ were numbered 6, that number being allocated to a ‘Kitson’ loco.