Blackburn Corporation Tramways

Blackburn Corporation Tramways
Operation
Locale	Blackburn
Open	28 May 1887
Close	3 September 1949
Status	Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge	4'0" (1219 mm)
Propulsion system(s)	Horse, steam then electric
Statistics
Route length	14.73 miles (23.71 km)

Blackburn Corporation Tramways operated a tramway service in Blackburn, Lancashire, England between 1887 and 1949. ^[1]

History

Blackburn Corporation Tramways Act 1887
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to extend the time for construction of Tramways authorised by the Blackburn Improvement Act 1882 and for other purposes.
Citation	50 & 51 Vict. c. xlvi
Dates
Royal assent	23 May 1887
Other legislation
Repealed by	County of Lancashire Act 1984
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Blackburn Corporation Tramways Company, Limited, was established in 1886 by Cosh & Cramp, a partnership of a London-based tramway contractor and engineer, Charles Courtney Cramp and Richard Lawrence Cosh. It was set up to operate the tramway on behalf of Blackburn Corporation.

Blackburn Corporation operated a tramway from 28 May 1887. There were two routes operated by steam power, and two by horse-drawn trams. Fourteen steam engines were obtained from Thomas Green & Son at a cost of £700 (equivalent to £98,000 in 2023 ^[2] ) each.

In 1888, Robert Walter Cramp, brother of Charles Courtney Cramp, was appointed manager.

On 24 August 1898, Blackburn Corporation purchased the company for £77,210 (equivalent to £10.9 million in 2023 ^[2] ), and undertook a programme of modernisation and electrification. The power station was at the junction of Bridge Street, and Jubilee Street.

The company acquired 48 tramcars from G.F. Milnes & Co. and 12 from United Electric Car Company which were decorated in an olive green and ivory livery.

The company had a through running arrangement with the cars of the Darwen Corporation Tramways system.

Closure

The last service ran on 3 September 1949.

References

1. The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
2. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 7 May 2024.