London, Chatham & Dover Railway

Despite its cramped position in one of the corners of England, the London, Chatham & Dover Railway was always more than just another railway company. At first it was merely the dream of a few local aristocrats, then it became the tool with which a few eminen t Victorians sought to engineer further fortunes for themselves. Within a few years a small local line had grown into a major route carrying exotic international traffic to Paris and beyond. Dogged by scandal, bankrupted once and permanently penniless, the LCDR emerged as a railway with a highly individual flavour. This book chronicles the rise, fall and subsequent recovery of the old 'Chatham', detailing the facts and figures of its history and assessing the autocratic control of James Staats Forbes, the man who almost made the LCDR into his own personal railway. It is a story packed with corruption, intrigue and human endeavour, ranging from the heart of London to Thanet, Dover and beyond the Channel.

Hardback 244 pages 130 illustrations and maps

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