Books and Magazines for Enthusiasts
Buses
The Malta Bus Fleetbook 2008
This new fleetbook was published in March 2008 by Stuart Harvey under the Q-Nimb banner. It provides a comprehensive fleetlist of all route buses and unscheduled coaches in Malta and Gozo, along with open toppers, the education and police fleets, and other non-psv vehicles such as welfare, training and hospitality buses. The list includes the VIN of each vehicle, along with body numbers where known, and previous UK registrations where appropriate. This is complemented by 48 colour photographs, background information, a list of the main routes, and maps of the bus routes in Malta and Gozo. This full-colour publication runs to 48 pages plus cover and is available for £10 (includes UK postage) from Stuart Harvey, 18 Windrush Court, Windrush Drive, High Wycombe, Bucks HP13 7UL.
Malta Bus Handbook
This excellent book by Tom Johnson was published by British Book Publishing in 2003 at £14.95. As well as an overview of public transport operations, it provides a full fleet list of the buses and coaches of Malta and Gozo (as at early 2003) including the name of the owner. There are numerous colour photographs, and detailed descriptions of the main bus routes and places served. Essential reading for all bus enthusiasts interested in Malta. Available from specialist bookstores, the Malta Bus Handbook can also be purchased online from the following UK websites: British Bus Publishing, Amazon UK (sourcing fee payable), and Ian Allan. I have not seen it for sale in Malta.
Maltese Transport News
This high-quality quarterly magazine has been published by Buses Worldwide in the UK since June 2005. It contains the latest news on the scheduled and unscheduled fleets, together with articles covering all aspects of the Maltese bus scene, whether it be topical or historical, and occasional articles on other transport subjects. Subscriptions are very reasonably priced (£10 per annum for UK delivery) and can be arranged through the subscription form on the Buses Worldwide website or by writing to Stuart Harvey, 18 Windrush Court, Windrush Drive, High Wycombe, Bucks HP13 7UL. Back issues can also be purchased from Stuart. An index to the articles will be added to this website in due course.
Maltese Buses of Yesteryear
Another publication from Buses Worldwide, this superb 64-page full-colour booklet is bristling with priceless colour images from the 1960s, showing the variety of pre-grouping liveries, as well as detailed maps. Priced at £7.00, this 2006 publication is highly recommended and is available post free from Stuart Harvey, 18 Windrush Court, Windrush Drive, High Wycombe, Bucks HP13 7UL. Alternatively look out for it at the Buses Worldwide stand at Showbus in September.
PSV Circle Fleetlist of Malta and Gozo
The latest version of the PSV Circle's fleetlist of Malta and Gozo (reference OG299) was published in September 2004, and consists of 50 pages with 39 black and white photos. Further details are on the PSV Circle website (click on "Publications" for details of how to order); price is £8.00 plus £0.80 postage to the UK. Previous fleetlists were published in June 1980 (publication O54), July 1987 (OF1), March 1998 (OG99) and March 2001 (OG199) - these older editions are now all out of print.
The Malta Buses
Written by Joseph Bonnici and Michael Cassar, and published in Malta in 1989, this interesting book was reprinted in 2006 and is readily available in Malta for about 17 euros. It covers the history of bus operations in Malta, and includes many historical photographs. A large part of the book consists of a photo file with almost every post-war bus up until 1980. It is sometimes available from antiquarian bookshops in the UK, but it's much easier (and cheaper) to buy the latest reprint in Malta, for example from the tourist bookshop with the large red awning at Sliema Ferries, or from A.C. Aquillina & Co at 58d, Republic Street, Valletta. It is also available online from Aquillina's website www.maltabook.com (click on "other Malta books" and type "bus" in the search field).
Malta Bus Album
Written by John A Senior and published in 2004 by Venture Publications at £16.95, this book is a pictorial record of buses in Malta and Gozo spanning fifty years. It also contains a potted history of buses in Malta. Available from specialist bookstores, the Malta Bus Album can also be purchased from the PSV Circle and online from Amazon UK and Transport Diversions amongst others.
Malta The Bus Kingdom
Published by Rakutensya Publishing of Tokyo in 1999, Malta the Bus Kingdom contains excellent photographs and is available in both Japanese and English editions, which differ slightly in content and the selection of photographs. The only place I have seen this book for sale is in the bookshop of St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
Railway and Tramway
The Malta Railway (Bonnici & Cassar)
Another book by Joseph Bonnici and Michael Cassar, this well produced and comprehensive history of Malta's railway (1883 to 1931) was originally published in 1987, with a revised edition in 1992. Like The Malta Buses above it was reprinted around 2006 and is readily available in Malta once again (see The Malta Buses for likely outlets). It is also available online from Aquillina's website www.maltabook.com (click on "other Malta books" and type "railway" in the search field). A rare hard cover version from 1988 can sometimes be obtained from specialist dealers.
The Malta Railway (Oakwood Press)
Published in the UK by Oakwood Press in 2004, this book by B.L. Rigby covers the history of the railway and its rolling stock, and also includes a section on exploring the remains of the railway. Available through the booktrade, and also online from Transport Diversions for £9.95 plus postage.
Also available from Amazon UK but a £1.99 sourcing fee applies. An earlier edition appeared in 1970.
The Malta Tramway and the Barracca Lift
Another book by Joseph Bonnici and Michael Cassar published in Malta, this one dates from 1991 and is now sadly out of print. Second-hand copies are rare and very expensive (I have seen copies online for £40 and £42). The trams ran from 1905 to 1929 and linked Valletta with Hamrun, Birkirkara, Cottonera and Zebbug.