| Blackburn and Over Darwen Tramways Company | |
|---|---|
 Plaque marking the turning triangle in Darwen. | |
| Operation | |
| Locale | Blackburn, Darwen |
| Open | 14 April 1881 |
| Close | 31 December 1898 |
| Status | Closed |
| Infrastructure | |
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |
| Propulsion system(s) | Steam |
| Statistics | |
| Route length | 4.9 miles (7.9 km) |
The Blackburn and Over Darwen Tramways Company operated a steam tramway service between Blackburn and Darwen between 1881 and 1898.[1]
The tramway was authorised by the Blackburn and Over Darwen Tramways Act of 1879.
The route started in the centre of Blackburn, and followed Darwen Street, Bolton Road, then through Ewood, Earcroft, Hawkshaw, and terminating in Darwen at Whitehall.
Six steam trams were acquired from Kitson and Company for the inauguration of the service. This fleet was later augmented to 15, with 7 of the additional trams being obtained from Thomas Green & Son.
The initial passenger cars were built by Ashbury on Eades patent reversible trucks. The seating capacity was 20 in the lower saloon and 26 on top. Later passenger cars were obtained from G.F. Milnes & Co. of Birkenhead.
The service came into operation after inspection from General Hutchinson of the Board of Trade.[2]
The company was acquired by Blackburn Corporation for £22,337 (equivalent to £2,647,138 in 2021) [3] and Darwen Corporation for £26,163 (equivalent to £3,100,554 in 2021) [3] on 31 December 1898. Steam tram services continued until 1901.