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PostPosted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:17 am 
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Burnley & District Tramways Co Ltd. 1881-1900

Authorised under the Burnley & District Tramways Order of 1879, this steam tramway was promoted by the Tramway & General Works Co Ltd, of London and owned and operated by the Burnley & District Tramways Co Ltd. The tramway, constructed to 4ft 8½ ins gauge, ran from Padiham, west of Burnley, via Burnley town centre and along Colne Road and Manchester Road through Reedley and Brierfield to the terminus in Nelson town centre to the north.

The tramway opened on the 17th September 1881, when five Kitson steam locomotives (Nos. 1-5), hauling Starbuck trailers, in a black and cream livery, began services. The Board of Trade were uneasy about the trams using the narrow Church Street, but relented after the company agreed to a 4mph speed limit on this section and 8mph on the rest of the system. The Kitson steam locos proved unsatisfactory, incurring the displeasure of Burnley Council who were concerned about the amount of smoke and noise from the engines. On the 1st March 1882, they were withdrawn and horses were used to haul the trailers. Falcon locomotives were purchased to try to alleviate the problem and by March 1883 services were again steam hauled, although problems with the locos meant that the horses were kept on standby until 1885. Burnley Corporation had widened some of the thoroughfares by this time and the steam trams, which until this time had been confined to the Queensgate (where the company had its depot) to Nelson section, were able to operate throughout the route.

The Tramways Act of 1870 provided for the purchase of the steam tramway in 1900, and, on 1st March of that year it was purchased for £53, 000 by Burnley Corporation. It continued to be operated by its new owners until 17th November 1901 when it was closed to enable the relaying of track for electrification, bringing the steam era to an end.

http://www.petergould.co.uk/local_trans ... rnley1.htm


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:20 am 
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Colne Corporation Transport 1914-1933

In 1817, horse-drawn coaches were recorded as providing a service from Manchester to Burnley and Colne on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and, in 1824, the 'John Bull' was recorded running to Skipton, Burnley and Colne every Saturday and Sunday afternoon and every Tuesday evening through Rawtenstall. 'The Union' ran to Colne every Sunday, Thursday and Friday afternoon, every Monday evening, every Tuesday evening and every Wednesday and Saturday evening, passing through Rawtenstall and Burnley. By this time Colne was well served by stage coaches.

Horse omnibuses appeared in Colne as early as 1850, when an infrequent service to nearby Burnley, travelling via the main roads, commenced. The service was apparently not a commercial success and part of it (between Nelson and Burnley) was later replaced by the steam trams of the Burnley & District Tramways Company, although the horse drawn omnibus presumably continued to ply between Colne and Nelson.

The first tramway in Colne was constructed under the Colne and Trawden Light Railway Order of 1901, and operated by the Leeds firm of Batley and Greenwood (trading as the Colne and Trawden Light Railway Co. Ltd) .

On the 24th March 1914, Colne Corporation purchased the entire system (even though part was within the boundary of Trawden UDC), changing the tramways title to Colne Corporation Light Railways. The company had already fitted canopy top-covers to half of the fleet and Colne fitted canopies to the remainder.

Unfortunately, the advent of World War 1 shortly afterwards, left the fleet and track in a rundown state and a programme of renovation had to be commenced in 1919. In 1921 three second-hand Tilling-Stevens chassis were purchased and fitted with new bus bodies, but, because the Corporation lacked running powers, except in the case of tramway breakdowns, they were little used and were soon withdrawn. New tramcars were delivered in 1921 and 1926, liveried in royal blue and white until 1923, then maroon and white thereafter, and a new larger depot opened in Standroyd Road, adjacent to the original one in Heifer Lane.

In January 1923, the first bus route running from Skipton Road to Earby, via Foulridge commenced, and the old tram depot began to be used for the Corporation's growing bus fleet.

Colne was heavily involved in the textile industry and in the 1920's suffered from a slump in trade. The tramway saw its small profits used by the Council to support other areas. Competition from private bus operators increased, and, with the state of the track declining, economy measures were sought. This resulted in the conversion (in 1924-1925) of two of the tramcars to single-deck by the removal of their upper decks and staircases, for one-man operation.

On 19th October 1926 the Laneshawbridge tram route was closed, to be replaced by a bus service. This was followed on 3rd June 1928 by the Heifer Lane to Trawden section, Trawden being served by motorbuses from Colne town centre. Now only the section of tramway track from the tram shed to Nelson remained in use.

In April 1927, a fourth bus service was inaugurated. The route ran from Cumberland Street in Colne to Keighley, via Cowling and Crosshills, and was an extension of the Laneshawbridge route. It was operated jointly with Keighley Corporation and Ezra Laycock of Cowling (later bought out by the Joint Committee), who had been running between Laneshawbridge and Keighley.

On the 1st April 1933 (under the Colne Corporation Act of 1933), Colne, along with the neighbouring towns of Burnley and Nelson, amalgamated their transport departments to form the Burnley, Colne and Nelson Joint Transport Committee. The remaining section of tramway passed to the new authority, along with Colne's motorbuses and services, bringing to an end the short 19 year history of Colne Corporation Transport.

http://www.petergould.co.uk/local_trans ... colne2.htm


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:22 am 
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Colne & Trawden Light Railway Co. Ltd. 1903-1914

The Colne and Trawden Light Railway Order of 1901 authorised the construction of a tramway between the two Lancashire towns of Colne and Trawden, to be built and operated by the Leeds firm of Batley and Greenwood.

The first section to open was that between Heifer Lane (where the depot was situated) and the Albert Road/Queen Street junction, via Keighley Road, Market Street and through the town centre, on 28th November 1903, with other sections opening in stages; to the boundary with Nelson at Bott House Lane on 30th November 1903; to the Rock Hotel, Trawden on 22nd January 1904, and to the Zion Chapel on Lane House Lane, Trawden by December 1905. A branch line from Heifer Lane to Laneshawbridge was operating by the end of December 1904.

The gauge chosen was 4ft, which coincided with that of neighbouring systems. The company traded under the name the Colne & Trawden Light Railway Co Ltd, although, despite the title, it was a conventional street tramway, apart from a short stretch of reserved track towards Trawden, which removed the need to climb steep sections of roadway on Cotton Tree Lane and Church Street. The cars were liveried in a light green and cream.

Although the tracks connected with those of neighbouring Nelson at the borough boundary, passengers could not travel through and had to change cars to continue their journey. Arrangements were made for through running in 1911, but passengers were still required to re-book at the boundary (a practice which continued for several years). In the same year half of the fleet was canopied to make travelling in the inclement weather more comfortable and attractive.

On the 24th March 1914, Colne Corporation purchased the entire system (even though part was within the boundary of Trawden UDC), changing the tramways title to Colne Corporation Light Railways.

http://www.petergould.co.uk/local_trans ... colne1.htm


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PostPosted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 3:45 am 
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A History of the British Steam Tram
http://www.ahg-books.com/html/steam_trams.shtml


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