A range of books about the transport heritage of Kent including Maidstone and District and The Bluebell Railway

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	The Heyday of Maidstone and District One of the best-known names in the British bus industry, Maidstone & District was founded in 1908 as the Maidstone, Chatham, Gravesend & District Omnibuses, becoming Maidstone & District three years later. Over the years the nature of the company’s operations altered. It lost its services in south east London to the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933. This was balanced by the acquisition of further routes in Kent and also by control of a number of other local operators, including Chatham & District and Hastings Tramways. A subsidiary, latterly, of British Electric Traction, Maidstone & District passed to the National Bus Company when this was formed in the late 1960s. The Heyday of Maidstone & District records, through some 85 colour images accompanied with detailed captions, the evolution of the company and its fleet from the late 1950s, when it was still a subsidiary of BET, through to the mid-1970s, when the NBC‘s corporate identity started make an impact on its former constituents. This book will be of interest to the countless thousands who knew and used the services of M&D during the period covered by the book and will bring back many nostalgic memories for bus enthusiasts. Price: £12.74


	An Ilustrated History of the Kent & East Sussex Railway Constructed under the terms of the Light Railways Act of 1896, the Rother Valley Railway from Robertsbridge to Tenterden opened in April 1900. Extended north to Headcorn in 1905, its name was changed at that time to the Kent & East Sussex Railway. Surviving as an independent line through to nationalisation, passenger services were withdrawn in January 1954 when the Tenterden to Headcorn section was also closed completely. The southern part of the line survived until 1961. There then followed a long struggle to preserve the line. Today services operate as far as Bodiam although there are plans to restore the connection to the main line at Robertsbridge. The line will be forever associated with the redoubtable Colonel Stephens, that great advocate of light railways who ran this line and a number of others for several decades using second hand locos and rolling stock. With the KESR now firmly established as a leading heritage railway, this detailed examination of its history in the era before preservation will find a ready audience amongst those who have visited the railway in recent times, the many fascinated by light railways and those interested in the local history of this part of Kent and Sussex. Price: £16.99


	The Bluebell Railway Terry Gough takes us on a photographic journey through beautiful Sussex countryside, following the old railway route from East Grinstead via Horsted Keynes to Lewes. He includes the celebrated Bluebell Railway, Britain's first standard-gauge preserved line, and the Horsted Keynes - Haywards Heath branch, which the Bluebell has long-term plans to re-open. The photographs of the line cover the old British Railways days, as well as the early preservation period and the present-day scene. Each photograph is accompanied by helpful captions providing details about the locos and rolling stock, people and landscapes. The contrasts are often striking yet sometimes the scene remains virtually unchanged. The comparisons of 'past' and 'present' will intrigue railway enthusiasts, locals and holidaymakers alike. Locations covered include: * St Margaret's Junction * East Grinstead * Imberhorne * Kingscote * West Hoathly * Horsted Keynes * Ardingley * Copyhold Junction * Horsted Keynes to Sheffield Park * Sheffield Park * Newick & Chailey * Barcombe * Culver Junction * Lewes Price: £12.74


	Kent - Past and Present In this second volume on Kent, are over 200 photographs featuring the main lines and branch lines open and closed throughout the county. Price: £13.59


	Kent and East Sussex Past and Present ‘British Railways Past and Present’ is a nationwide series of books featuring photographs of railway locations taken several decades ago and comparing them with the same scene today. The contrasts are often dramatic, while sometimes hardly anything had altered in 30 or 40 years. Whatever the change, the comparison of ‘past’ and ‘present’ will intrigue not only the railway enthusiast and historian, but also anyone interested in our recent history. In this volume covering Kent and East Sussex there are over 260 photographs in black & white and colour featuring: * Lines to the Kent coast - Margate, Ramsgate, Folkestone and Dover * The East Sussex coast - Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings * The North Downs, Oxted and Medway Valley lines * Closed routes to Gravesend, Whitstable, Westerham and Groombridge * Preserved lines - the Bluebell Railway, the Lavender Line, the Kent & East Sussex Railway and East Kent Railway. Price: £14.44


	Kent and East Sussex Railway "Terry Gough undertakes a fascinating 'past and present' photographic exploration of the entire length of the original Kent & East Sussex Railway, from Headcorn in Kent to Robertsbridge in East Sussex. British Railways closed the line in 1961, but happily a flourishing preservation group now operates the section between Tenterden and Northiam, with plans to extend to Bodiam. This absorbing book features evocative photographs of both the open and closed line, showing numerous railway locations in their heyday, each paired with a photograph showing the same scene today. It comes as a pleasant surprise to see the preservation group's beautifully turned-out locomotives, rolling stock and smart stations! Extended captions provide a wealth of informative detail, making Terry Gough's book the ideal companion for all visitors. * Headcorn * Frittenden Road * Biddenden High Halden Road * Shoreham Tunnel * St. Michael's Halt * Tenterden Town * Towards Rolvenden * Rolvenden * Wittersham Road * Northiam * Bodiam * Junction Road Halt * Salehurst Halt * Robertsbridge " Price: £12.74


	Kent Shipwrecks The Kent coast has had it's fair share of shipwrecks. Here local author and journalist, Alan Bignell tells the stories behind the most spectacular and unusual ones. Illustrated. A5 (softcover) 128 pages Price: £6.75
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	Lost Railways of Kent Traces the history of Kent's railway lines from their opening in the mid 19th century to, in many cases, their closure during the 20th century. Written in a very readable style and profusely illustrated with photographs from the age of steam, together with modern photos showing some of the track and station remains that can still be seen today. A5 (softcover) 160 pages Price: £8.45


	Lost Tramways of Kent There must be many who recall with nostalgia the elecric tramway systems of South and South-East England. Memories of the earlier days can be many and varied - from the grind of a car at full power up a hill or possible the motion of a fast run along a reserved section of track. Others may recall the familiar clang of a gong to alert traffic in a tram's path or perhaps a time when a conductor might shout 'All Change' at a terminus and then crash the seat backs forward to face a new direction. In this excellently, written and researched book, LESLIE OPPITZ tells the story of Kent's golden age of trams. Modern photographs accompany those taken when the tramways were busy and at their peak. There are also notes for those who wish to explore some of the relics that have survived. A5 (softcover) 128 pages Price: £7.64

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