The Elham Valley Railway
Branch railways always interest railway enthusiasts, but few have the elements of drama, human rivalry and even international significance that are woven into the story of the most beautiful branch line in Kent. A story that has waited for Michael Forwood's researches to be revealed and recounted for the first time. Rivalry dominated the early history of the line. Conceived by local land-owners in the wake of the Railway Mania', the Elham Valley became a battle-ground in the 1880s between the South Eastern Railway, who financed the scheme, and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway, who opposed it. Mr. Forwood explains the development of that commercial rivalry and then, from detailed research material, the construction and operation of the Railway. Built to main line specifications it was for years an integral link in the railway network of East Kent and very nearly became a railway of industrial significance. 'Singled' in 1931, the Elham Valley Railway survived competition from road transport for a further 16 years—and the southern end of the line might well have become the entrance to the Channel Tunnel if the plans of the 1950s had been realised. Winston Churchill's 'Boche Buster'—the largest railway gun in Europe—gave the Railway its hour of glory during the Second World War, when it was sited on the line. It could be said that the Elham Valley Railway possessed everything one could expect of a branch line—arguably the most glorious 16 miles of railway in Kent, with a magnificent view to the sea on leaving the summit tunnel at Etchinghill; its fair share of eccentricities; its zenith of usefulness and its final attempt to justify its construction and worth. This is more than just the history of one small branch line—Mr. Forwood has added a valuable sidelight to the published history of Kent.
Hardback with dust jacket, 14x22cm, 85 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9780856401268
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