Above, the wraparound cover of the soon to be printed Trathens book, A4 in size, soft bound, printed on art paper, colour plus black and white pictures as well as text. 138 pages. To the right above, one of a number of the German made Neoplan double decker coaches within the fleet of the company initially bought in, in the early decade of the 1980s.
Above left, one of many Plaxton bodied coaches Trathens bought until they decided to go "continental" body shapes. Above right, the advert noting precisely what Trathens were about with many of their coaches. Below, Trathen's Spanish Irizar Volvo from the then "1980s" on the left. On the right, the Italian Padane coach built on the Mercedes running gear, seen here in Lucerne Switzeland. block. Click on me to drag me around or click a corner handle to resize me. Click the settings icon (it's the left one, looks like a cog) to change this text. You can type new text into me or cut and paste text from somewhere else. Click outside of me when you're done and any changes will be saved.
For all the uploads of pictures and people's thoughts about the Trathens Holiday company that eventually became a major National Express operator, until now there has never been a book as such detailing how it all started as well as the finish for the two Trathen Brothers.
Hopefully what I have collated together with the help of Mike and David Trathen will go some way in relating the start, the inroads, the problems and pit falls, the changes, the coaches, etc.
The book, although a softbound editorial, A4 in size, it has been produced like this simply because it gives most interested parties the opportunity to buy and keep along with their transport related material.
With over a hundred images and pictures, coupled with an oversee of what was reported at the particular decades, these have been "sprinkled" with comments by the Brothers noting how or why these events happened.
The book, printed on good quality art paper that enhances the colourful images of the coaches the company bought, be they in the house colours of the company, or alternatvely the tourist companies that Trathens operated on behalf.
For any reader interested in the purchase I suggest you contact me as and when. Please note, although I haven't printed a price on the book cover, it will be around £25.00 plus post and packing of £10.00 "Sounds" alot but worth it.