Accrington Train station

[Atarah]

Hi, I am sure someone once told me that Accrington Station ws quite unique, in that it had a "turntable" - where the trains could be turned around. Could this not account for some of the trains appearing to be in the "wrong direction" - they may have been re-routed? What do you think?

[Darby]

Well whatever picture we are refering to is imaterial, as all the pictures are v. good, and serve to remind us of just what Accy is all about.

Interesting stuff. I must go and have a look at what's left of the old Accy station next time I'm over.

[Tealeaf]

I never heard of a turntable at Accy station...there was certainly at least one where the engine sheds and sidings where toweards Lonsdale Street.
However - it was possible to turn trains round at Accy station by virtue of the fact that it was a triangular station (one of only 6 in the country)...so a train coming from Church to Accy, say, would head down the Manchester Line, reverse over & up on the Manchester-Burnley line, then reverse over & down on the Burnley-Accrington line. Train turned round!

[pashley]

Originally Posted by Owd Bert

Not sure which is East or West but you are correct to say that Platform no longer exists. Have been having a look at a few photos (books so can`t post) and am almost convinced that if the goods train was coming in from Huncoat, ie:across the viaduct, then I don`t think there was a cross-over point to get where it is. Would be inclined to think it reversed to get to the water tank.
Wonder if there is anyone around with extensive knowledge of the old track layout ?

Thetrain is standing on the eastbound platform on the Blackburn - Burnley section. If you look at the top of the picture, a figure 6 can be seen. This platform still exists as the eastbound platform today.

[carlsbergaddict]

Ive put together a website for accrington station which will include photos of the current station and will also shortly have some older photos. click on link to viewWelcome to Accrington Station - Home

[wallace potts]

Originally Posted by Atarah

Hi, have done it! Here is the photo, as it should be. Fancy someone printing the photo and not realizing it was the wrong way round! I will certainly be informing the person who lent me the photo. Now its beginning to make more sense!

Wallace potts ( new member) the lower picture is the wrong way around ..not the first one , notice the number on the engine smoke bow ,and the station clock .

[Retlaw]

I've looked at the picture, and on the front of the smoke box cover is 9079, I don't think that can be reversed.
The picture does look as if it has lost some of its width.
The ticket office at the old station was in the entrance hall on the right hand side, don't think you could see the trains from there.

Retlaw

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

Just looking again at the first picture above it appears that the picture has been reversed or alternatively we've got the ticket office location wrong....judging by the location of the footbridge, then the picture was taken from the site where the ticket office now stands..

[Retlaw]

Now Lizzie you've buggered it up, look at the number on the smoke box.

Retlaw

Originally Posted by Atarah

Hi, have done it! Here is the photo, as it should be. Fancy someone printing the photo and not realizing it was the wrong way round! I will certainly be informing the person who lent me the photo. Now its beginning to make more sense!

[katex]

Must admit, can't understand all this ... however, do remember standing at Platform 6 when I was a child waiting to go to Fleetwood at holiday time.. LOL. The trains came in, in the other direction. Just have memories of the flag work on the platform and seem to be in the correct order, as wittled away the time hopping over them. Strange what you remember ..

[Retlaw]

Those three tools are the big spanners they used to tighten the bolts on the fish plates, which join the rails together. The joint make the noise diddly de diddly dum as the train psses over the joints.
The fish plates had elongated holes in them, during summer months the lines expanded, if there wasn't a gap the lines would have buckled. The coefficient of linear expansion for steel is .078 per degree fahrenheit x 10 -4, so a 20 yard length of rail line needs a fair gap
Retlaw

There are 3 tools on the track directly in front of the men to the right of the picture but unfortunatly the clarity is not good enough to make out what they are. Neither can I make out the wording on the sign immeadiatly behind the signal post (NO ROAD possibly)..However, the photograph was taken in Spring/Summer.[/quote]

[John45378]

As a newcomer - can I put in my tuppence-worth on the confusing photo?

The reason why it's causing problems is that it appears to be a most unusual movement - and as one who spent a lot of time at Accrington station in the Fifties and Sixties I can't say I've ever seen the like.

Firstly which hand of the picture is correct. The clue is in the number on the smokebox; and also the platform number. Assuming the train is going forward - ie towards the camera - it's turning to the right - as viewed from its direction of travel.

And that's where the problem is - because it's 'wrong line' - ie facing in the opposite direction to that anticipated. Trains in UK normally run on the left, but this one's on the right. It's standing in the Blackburn - Church - Burnley platform, taking water from the water column that was adjacent to the footbridge, but facing towards Blackburn. There was no water column on the normal platform for Burnley to Blackburn - platform 5 - so it must have reversed on the crossover that about a quarter of the way across the viaduct. Very unusual.

I'm trying to think where the next water column was heading towards Blackburn - probably just before Church station, so they must have run things very low and got desperate.

For completeness: the platforms at Accrington were numbered 1 - 6 from the 'town' side - which is where the booking office used to be.

Plat 1 - bay platform for the Haslingden and Manchester trains.
Plat 2 - thro' platform for Burnley - Haslingden & Manchester trains - also used for parcels trains.
Plat 3 - thro' platform for Manchester & Haslingden - Burnley trains
Plat 4 - bay platform for Blackburn trains
Plat 5 - thro' platform for Burnley - Blackburn trains
Plat 6 - thro' platform for Blackburn - Burnley trains.


I used to catch the 0758 from plat 4 to Blackburn to go to school.
In the 10 mins up to and including that train leaving, all 6 platforms saw departures - and occasionally a parcels train as well.

Your correspondents are correct about the triangular layout at Accrington, which could be used for reversals. But in practice by the late Fifties/early Sixties, there was very little use of the South - west (Baxenden - Blackburn) side of the triangle by longer-distance traffic - though there was a lot of shunting into the goods yard which was in front of Howard & Bullough's


Rgds

45378

[flashy]

oh gosh *please feel free to insert one of Less's confuddled emotes*

[Less]

Originally Posted by 45378

Rgds

45378

Hi 45378, welcome to the site, is it o.k. if we just refer to you by your first name, 4 in future rather than your full name? We don't stand on ceremony here and it makes for easier typing.

http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?p=289074

[cashman]

45378 ? was that not an old "Blinkered" namer? seems to ring a bell.

[Wynonie Harris]

I reckon 45378 was a Black 5.

Right, I'll get me anorak.