‘SCHOOLS’ OUT!
Cheltenham gets the BR green look.
Cheltenham – the National Railway Museum’s ‘Schools’ class 4-4-0 – is back in British Railways green.
After it spent the first seven years of its current boiler certificate in Southern Railway Malachite green, its custodian, the Mid-Hants Railway, has overseen its recent transformation into its final livery as No. 30925. The specialist preparation and repainting work was executed by Lancashire firm Heritage Painting, while MHR volunteers added the finishing touches to the cab interior and beneath the running plates.
The transformation has been jointly sponsored by photo-charter organiser Timeline Events, which has booked Cheltenham for a number of dates at the ‘Watercress Line’ in early November, featuring a mixture of passenger and goods train formations.
Before then, the Maunsell ‘V’ will make one of its first public rostered appearances at the MHR autumn gala on October 18-20. It will line up alongside recently overhauled Urie ‘S15’ No. 506 and retiring ‘9F’ No. 92212, making for a smaller event than usual because of the overrunning engineering works that have severed the line between Medstead & Four Marks and Alton (see separate story).
The repaint is far from the only work carried out on the ‘Schools’ during its recent absence from operation.
Mechanical attention by Ropley workshop staff has included:
●● A selection of firebox patch screws replaced.
●● Flue tube ferrules replaced.
●● Driving wheelsets removed and horn liners shimmed.
●● Middle big end and eccentric strap re-whitemetalled and machined.
●● Tender axleboxes re-metalled to remove excess clearance.
●● Cab floor renewed.
The engine’s current boiler certificate will be valid for another 2½ years. Its future beyond that is still to be confirmed.
●● For details of how to join one of the Timeline Events photo-charters, visit www.timelineevents.org