Schools out for autumn!

THE Mid-Hants Railway said farewell to Southern Railway V class Schools 4-4-0 No. 30925 Cheltenham at its successful October 8/9 autumn steam gala.

The event gave visitors a last chance to ride behind the National Collection engine before its boiler ticket expired.

Also in action were LSWR Urie S15 4-6-0 No.506, Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41321 running as No. 41294, BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76017 and Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway 7F 2-8-0 No. 53808.

Sadly, No. 53808 became sidelined with a minor defect and had to withdraw from proceedings so that a superheater element could be replaced.

The Watercress Line reported that ticket sales were 14% up on the corresponding event last year, with more families visiting.

Main attraction

The farewell appearance of Cheltenham was believed to be a star draw. Delivered from Eastleigh Works in April 1934 and initially allocated to Fratton shed at Portsmouth, Cheltenham first worked on the Waterloo and Portsmouth direct line.

Following electrification of that line, the batch of 10 Schools class engines was transferred to Bournemouth where they worked heavy Waterloo trains, including the 108- minute non-stop run of the prewar ‘Bournemouth Limited’.

In April 1945 the locomotive was transferred to Dover and moved to Bricklayers Arms in April 1951, Stewarts Lane in February 1961 and Basingstoke in August 1961. In the early 1960s, Cheltenham hauled several railtours for the Railway Correspondence and Travel Society.

By the time it was withdrawn in December 1962, No. 30925 had run a total of 1,127,788 miles since new – one of the highest mileages for a Schools.

Earmarked for preservation, it was stored at Fratton and then Preston Park, and in September 1970 it was loaned to the Standard Gauge Steam Trust at Tyseley. In January 1973 it was transferred to the now long-closed Dinting Railway Centre at Glossop.

Welcome home

Cheltenham was steamed for the first time in preservation when it took part in the Rainhill 150 cavalcade in 1980.

It was overhauled at Eastleigh Works in 2012 and repainted as No.925 in malachite green livery before attending the Railfest 2012 at the National Railway Museum at York.

Afterwards, it was placed on longterm loan on the Mid-Hants Railway in its original ‘home territory’.

NICK GILLIAM Schools 4-4-0 No. 30925 Cheltenham passes Wanders Curve with the 10.25am from Alresford on October 8.

JAMES CORBEN Left: SDJR 7F No. 53808 heads through Bishops Sutton with a freight working.

JAMES CORBEN SR V class 4-4-0 No. 30925 Cheltenham heads towards Alresford.

NICK GILLIAM S15 4-6-0 No. 506 leaves Alresford with the 9.15am to Alton on October 8.

JAMES CORBEN Crossing paths at Medstead & Four Marks are No. 30925 Cheltenham and SDJR No. 53808.

NICK GILLIAM Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41294 (41312) passes Wanders Curve with the 11am from Alresford.

JAMES CORBEN Above: Amid the changing hues of the autumn foliage, BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 No. 76017 heads towards Medstead & Four Marks.