Colne & Trawden Light Railway Company 3 was one of a batch six Milnes 22/28 seat open-top cars on Milnes 4-wheel trucks built to open the system in 1903.
This postcard (posted in 1905) shows the first line which commenced on 28th November 1903, running from their depot at Heifer Lane to this location, being the nearest stop for Colne Railway Station (just behind the photographer) and the line was extended to the Nelson boundary two days later. Because they shared the 4ft track gauge with Nelson and Burnley, through running was possible at various stages, including this example heading for Nelson although, according to some reports, passengers were forced to change cars at the boundary until 1911.
This card was hand-coloured which often obliterates or blurs image details like the tramway overhead, so I always scan as black and white. However, apart from showing the incorrect car livery, this publisher (Skipton Stationery) retained the overhead wire details very well.

This scene is still recognisable today, and the house with the bay windows on the left is where Titanic's Bandmaster Wallace Hartley lived from 1890 until 1895.

Photo taken by Commercial postcard, Paul Haywood collection, circa 1903, Albert Road/Guysyke, Colne

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