Swanscombe cement works in Kent operated for nearly 165 years and was one of the longest-lasting cement works in the world; for many decades it was also one of the largest.
From the mid-1820s through to the late-1920s, the works employed a unique narrow gauge railway, using outside-flanged wheels. At its peak, the railway was home to over thirty locomotives, some of which were entirely unique.
Following modernisation in the late-1920s, the narrow gauge line was replaced by a more regular standard gauge railway. This standard gauge railway soon became one of the busiest and most efficient in the cement industry.
In this book, author Chris Down tells the story of these two fascinating railways and looks at their history in the context of the factory as a whole. Chapters are included on the origins of the works and its railways, the narrow gauge locomotive fleet, the modernisation, rolling stock and what became of the railway after closure.
Well illustrated throughout with archive black & white photographs, maps and diagrams. Hardback. 412 pages.