Books by Kevin (Author) Robertson

Since the original publication in 2005, a considerable amount of new material has been unearthed, both from official and private sources. This is all included in this revised and updated edition of the definitive history of these fascinating trains.

The story of O V Bulleid''s ''Leader'' class is one that simply refuses to lie down, continuing to be a source of debate and controversy. Was this the great innovation that would have taken the steam locomotive to unheard of levels of sophistication and efficiency, or a folie de grandeur on the part of an undoubtedly creative, charismatic yet maverick engineer, which should never have been countenanced or financed by his superiors? Seventy years after the last examples of these ill-fated locomotives were scrapped, the controversy surrounding them still rumbles on and fascination with the project among railway enthusiasts is unabated.Having written previously on the subject, author Kevin Robertson has continued his research into the ''Leader'' class and unearthed much new material from a variety of sources which is presented here for the first time. Whilst not likely to have changed the end result, much new light is shed as to how that decision was arrived at. New sources have been explored that were not available previously and these add greatly to our understanding of how the project was managed, adding flavour and at times even comedy to the events recounted.

The Southern Way continues to be the definitive journal for all those interested in the history and heritage of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region of British Railways. Edited by Kevin Robertson, whose many publications on the railways of the south of England are well known to SR enthusiasts, each volume contains a series of authoritative articles on a fascinating range of topics, copiously illustrated with a wealth of photographs.As always four new issues of The Southern Way will be released during 2021

The Southern Way continues to be the definitive journal for all those interested in the history and heritage of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region of British Railways. Edited by Kevin Robertson, whose many publications on the railways of the south of England are well known to SR enthusiasts, each volume contains a series of authoritative articles on a fascinating range of topics, copiously illustrated with a wealth of photographs.As always four new issues of The Southern Way will be released during 2021.

We are pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of the next issue of The Southern Way, the journal of record for all those interested in the history and heritage of the Southern Railway, its constituent companies and the Southern Region of British Railways. Edited by Kevin Robertson, whose extensive knowledge of all things SR and whose many publications on the railways of the south of England are well known to SR enthusiasts, each volume contains a series of authoritative articles on an always interesting range of topics, copiously illustrated with a wealth of photographs. Four issues of The Southern Way are published annually, usually in January, April, July and October and the regular issues of the journal are supplemented by occasional Southern Way Specials which focus in much greater depth on specific area of SR history, operations or traction.

Four issues of The Southern Way are published annually, usually in January, April, July and October and the regular issues of the journal are supplemented by occasional Southern Way Specials which focus in much greater depth on specific area of SR history, operations or traction.

Four issues of The Southern Way are published annually, usually in January, April, July and October and the regular issues of the journal are supplemented by occasional Southern Way Specials which focus in much greater depth on specific area of SR history, operations or traction.

Four issues of The Southern Way are published annually, usually in January, April, July and October and the regular issues of the journal are supplemented by occasional Southern Way Specials which focus in much greater depth on specific area of SR history, operations or traction.

Four issues of The Southern Way are published annually, usually in January, April, July and October and the regular issues of the journal are supplemented by occasional Southern Way Specials which focus in much greater depth on specific area of SR history, operations or traction.

Four issues of The Southern Way are published annually, usually in January, April, July and October and the regular issues of the journal are supplemented by occasional Southern Way Specials which focus in much greater depth on specific area of SR history, operations or traction.

Edited by Kevin Robertson, whose extensive knowledge of all things SR and whose many publications on the railways of the south of England are well known to SR enthusiasts, each volume contains a series of authoritative articles on an always interesting range of topics, copiously illustrated with a wealth of photographs.

Luxury train travel - Pullman style - was a feature of the railways until the 1970s and in the south several regular services bore the name Pullman. One, the ''Bournemouth Belle'' was destined to become the last regular steam hauled train of its type to operate. As the name implies the service served the Dorset town, running a daily service each way from Waterloo. This was also an all-Pullman train with no ordinary coaches where smartly dressed stewards would welcome the passengers, show them to their seats with aplomb and no doubt also hope for the occasional gratuity. To travel on the service an additional supplementary fare applied whilst meals were similarly extra. On the basis of the additional cost alone it might be thought the service would hardly survive but far from it, and apart from an interruption due to war, the train operated daily from the 1930s until the end of steam in the south in July 1967. Packed with fascinating facts and a plethora of images we see the service at its peak and in its decline and well as recording its passage throughout the route from Waterloo to Bournemouth and return.

A chance opportunity in late 2008 enabled the author to access several hundred hitherto unseen views of the Southern Railway in the period 1939-45. A collection which taken as a whole reveals damage and destruction on a scale it is hard to imagine. Yet through all this the railway continued operating, providing a vital link in a national system, which had it failed, could well have been the precursor to unimaginable horror. The Press cameras of the period recorded what they were allowed to take; these photographs show what actually occurred.The book presents no romantic approach. Graphic scenes of damage together with contemporary records of tragedy and heroism blend together to reveal what can only be described as ''The British Spirit.'' The photographs are unbelievable, the story breathtaking. Wartime Southern looks in greater detail at the railways in this period than ever before.

The Meon Valley Railway (MVR) was a cross-country railway in Hampshire that ran for 22.5 miles between Alton and Fareham, closely following the course of the River Meon. At its northern (Alton) end, it joined with the Mid-Hants Railway to Winchester, the Alton Line to Brookwood and the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway. At Fareham it linked with the Eastleigh to Fareham Line, the West Coastway Line and the line to Gosport. The railway was authorised in 1896 and opened in 1903, making it one of the last railways of any size to be built to main-line standards in the United Kingdom.This informative new book contains the first full set of construction photographs for any railway in the South of England. Taken from the perspective of the surveyor; Navvy, his family, and the local populace, this is an amazing record displaying the impact of building a new railway had on an otherwise untouched landscape. The images are also seen in their original sepia form, without recourse to modern day toning. The 64 pages portray what is intended to be the first of three part work on the Meon Valley Railway. This first volume covers the early years from 1899 through to 1903.