£4.50
Author: Peter Harding
Published: 2016
Edition: Paperback
Pages: 32
Condition: New
Genre: Peter A. Harding Collection
Status: In Stock
Synopsis
The Hawkhurst Branch Line by Peter Harding. For a small country branch line, the Hawkhurst branch had everything – delightful scenery with hop gardens, orchards, narrow valleys, woods and period farm buildings.
The branch is probably best remembered for its association with hop pickers as the tank engines and pull and push sets of two carriages would climb the steep line, through the Wealden Hills, arriving exhausted by the effort at the terminus.
With photographs and illustrations the book includes the history of the line, the motive power and rolling stock, hop-pickers’ specials, tickets and timetables, closure and the present scene.
Peter A. Harding has been writing and publishing his booklets since 1982 when the first edition of the Hawkhurst Branch Line was published. This title was meant to be a one off, but owing to demand he has now produced and published twenty five books in his series. The majority of the titles have since been updated and re-published as second editions, with the Hawkhurst Branch Line updated three times.
Enthusiasts of Southern branch lines and light railways have long been well served by Peter Harding’s excellent series of booklets. Each title is well researched by Peter and illustrated with images and personal drawings, making this series popular with rail enthusiasts and those interested in local history. Peter has previously mentioned that he has a tendency to focus on obscure lines which are often overlooked by other writers, such as the Hellingly Hospital Railway, making sure that such abandoned lines are not forgotten.