TODAY celebrates 70 years since the last tram was driven through Blackburn with Darwen.
It would have been a dark day for many, as it was a delight for the masses as the green and ivory coloured vehicles whizzed around the town centre, delivering passengers to work, on trips out, or to catch up with friends.
According to a souvenir book handed out by the Blackburn Corporation on Saturday September 3, 1949, kindly shown to the Lancashire Telegraph by reader Richard Croasdale, the last tram was driven from the town centre to Intack Depot by Cllr R Weir, who was chairman of the transport committee.
He was accompanied by others including the mayor of the time, Cllr R Horne, the mayoress, Mrs S Buckley, the manager of the transport depot and members of staff, past and present, who had more than 40 years’ service.
The first tram route in Blackburn was between the Boulevard and the Blackburn-Darwen borough boundary, a distance of two-and-a-half miles.
This was opened in 1882 by the Blackburn and Over Darwen Tramway Company.
In 1885 permission was sought to lay a tram system in the borough, this included eight miles of tramway which was laid down.
Seventy horses, eight horse cars, 16 steam cars and 14 steam engines were bought to run on the lines, ooperated by 50 men.
These men worked 14 hours a day, six days a week, 12 hours on a Sunday and one day off in 10 - when they were expected to give the tram a thorough cleaning.
As time went by the services slowly began to be electrified, at the cost of £150,000 - almost £19million in today’s money.
48 double-deck open-topped trams and 12 single-deck trams were bought for the new lines.
During the first six years of operation, the Blackburn Corporation lost around £34,000, the equivalent of £4.3million today between 1899 and 1905, however after began to progress and it became one of the corporation’s most valuable assets.
During the Second World War, the tram service was still put on to great effect, despite many other trams across Britain being removed to save on resources.
With only four tram routes during the period, the number of passengers grew throughout the war, with 14,777,598 carried in 1939, and an impressive 17,868,623 carried in 1945.
Within the farewell souvenir, a Blackburn Corporation spokesman said: “I am sure that the public of Blackburn would be greatly surprised if they knew how many times visitors to the town have expressed their pleasure in riding on the vehicles and also the dignity of their appearance.
“The colour scheme and the freedom from advertising matter was a pleasure to behold.
“So Blackburn bids farewell to its trams and turns towards the more modern type of transport- the motor omnibus.
“We have a fine fleet of these vehicles and there is no reason why we should not receive from them even a greater service than we have received from those magnificent trams.”
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