The Railways of the Isle of Sheppey (Hardback)
Imprint: Pen & Sword Transport
Pages: 176
Illustrations: 200 colour integrated
ISBN: 9781399095099
Published: 25th April 2024
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The Isle of Sheppey sits just off the north coast of Kent, where the Medway and Thames estuaries flow into the North Sea. Over centuries this was a place that was home to farmland, castles, a dock yard, an air station, industrial instalations, calm beaches and a population of islanders who have taken a pride in their home. To serve the needs of all of this a small railway network was built up and even an urban tram network. Included in this was a fixed link that was the first to ever link the island to the mainland. From 1860 the network grew as the importance of the island grew. Continental boat passengers, dockyard workmen and day trippers, they were all caried on the trains and trams that shuttled about to, from and across the flat terrain of this often overlooked island. Being an island can create its own unique set of challenges and the railways on the island were certainly challenged by missfortune and circumstances, but the little network kept going until economics got the better of it and from there on it becomes a story of contractions and closure. The Island can still boast a railway today but it is far removed from the story of its past. This work seeks to tell the story of the railways on the island, how they came to be built, how they were run and how times changed over the following decades.
The author brings together the significance of the history of Sheppey’s railways using his knowledge and fondness for the area, where he worked for 17 years. It is particularly rich in colour photos of developments over the past 50 years. Overall this is a satisfactorily broad commentary on the utility of railways to this relative backwater of the ‘Garden of England’.
Tenterden Terrier - Kent & East Sussex Railway
"...this book on the history of the area’s railways is far from routine if you dig deep, because fascinating nuggets are hidden amongst its pages... Today, the former South Eastern Railway line from Sittingbourne has a thriving electrified passenger service and carries a substantial volume of goods over the modern but temperamental Kingsferry lifting bridge. All this is recorded in a well constructed volume that covers an already well-known subject, but it combines past and present in an most readable way, and certainly encourages a personal visit. Recommended."
Steam World - July 2024
"The book's ten chapters and appendix are supported by numerous black and white and colour photo's, they not only cover all the railways of the Isle of Sheppey, but also offer an informative history of an island that has had many ups and downs over the years."
Swanage Railway Magazine 001
"The book will both inform and surprise."
The Eltham Society Newletter no 237 (August 2024)
"The author brings together the significance of the history of the Island railways using his knowledge and fondness for the area where he worked for 17 years. This work is a satisfactorily broad commentary on the utility of railways to this little-known corner of the 'Garden of England'."
Journal of the Railway & Canal Historical Society
"In a comprehensive study, Graeme Gleaves explores the variety of railways that once graced this 36-square-mile island where the Medway meets the Thames. With many photos, this book serves as a local history of the Island as well as an account of its railways past and present."
Rother Valley Railway's The Phoenix magazine
"This book will inform and surprise many readers."
Heritage Railway Magazine - June 2024
"Its good to see a book devoted purely for the railways on the Isle of Sheppey. Nicely presented and full of information, all Southern Railway enthusiasts' (especially those living in Kent), will find this book hard to resist. Highly recommended."
Branch Line and Light Railway Publications
About Graeme Gleaves
Graeme Gleaves was born in Kent in a house that backed onto the Main line between London and the coast and had trains passing by every few minutes. It was only natural that he should develop a keen interest in railways, then join the railway industry from school and eventually become involved in writing books on trains. He was the founder of the Suburban Electric Railway Association and the Electric Railway Museum and remains very involved in the preservation of British electric trains to this day.
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