This new title, compiled by railway expert Kevin Robertson, forms the second of a three-part series covering the construction, life, and demise of the Meon Valley Railway. It focuses on the operational years of what was a rural backwater, again using much previously unseen material. The years featured are from 1904 to 1955, although right from the start the owning company, the LSWR, must have realized that the line could never attract business on its own. Indeed, economy started as early as 1922, after which came a slow decline tempered with a brief respite when Droxford became the scene of a high-level conference in preparation for D-day. All these, and many more aspects of what was a truly charming railway are covered in detail. This informative new title also includes extracts from official paperwork, snippets of local news from the stations themselves and a variety of mono and color illustrations.
Kevin Robertson had his first article on the local railway published when he was just fourteen. He took up full-time writing in 1982 and since then has had numerous books on the railway scene published, including The Leader Project: Fiasco or Triumph? which was published by Ian Allan Publishing in 2007 to critical and commercial acclaim. He has written a wide selection of books for the Ian Allan list, and is a particular expert on all things relating to the Southern Region. Kevin also runs his own publishing company, Noodle Books, and currently lives in Corhampton in Hampshire.