- SR V "Schools" class
The SR V class, more commonly known as the "Schools" class, is a class of steam locomotive designed by
Richard Maunsell for the Southern Railway. It represents the ultimate development of the British4-4-0 type, the last in a long line operating on the Southern Railway. The class was based upon Maunsell's "Lord Nelson" class, and had some interchangeable components with this class. It represented the last utilisation of this wheel arrangement in Britain, and was regarded as the most powerful class of 4-4-0 in Britain.Swift, p. 11]All 40 of the "Schools" class were named after English
public school s, and were designed to provide a powerful class of express passenger locomotive for the heavily restricted Tonbridge to Hastings line. Subjected to various modifications to improve performance, the class operated until 1963, when mass withdrawals took place. Three examples are now preserved on heritage railways in Britain.Background
A new express passenger locomotive was required on the
Tonbridge –Hastings line inSouth East England as there were severe restrictions imposed by thetunnels on the route.Townroe, section: "Schools class"] In order to improve performance over this stretch of line, Maunsell had to design a new locomotive that could operate within the loading gauge of the tunnels and navigate sharp curves. For this reason a short wheelbase was needed, with the 4-4-0 arrangement being favoured.Winkworth, pp. 30-31]Construction history
The basic layout of the class was heavily influenced by the existing Lord Nelson class 4-6-0 design.Swift, p. 10] The design utilised many of the same parts for standardisation, but the design brief called for a smaller engine suitable for use on the Eastern Section's more restricted Tonbridge–Hastings line.Herring, pp. 124-125]
In anticipation of this, Maunsell specifically designed the cab's curved profile to fit the gauge of bridges and tunnels on the Hastings line.Swift, p. 12] The resultant short frame length of the 4-4-0 locomotive also meant very little overhang on the line's tight curves.Scott-Morgan, p. 57] In order to maintain the high power rating required of express passenger engines, Maunsell opted for a three-cylinder design.Swift, p. 10] This was a compromise, as a large two-cylinder layout was regarded as being out-of-gauge for the width restrictions of the Tonbridge–Hastings route.
The resultant design had a higher
tractive effort than the "King Arthur" class, at the cost of high axle-loading, which weighed in at 21 tons (21.38 tonnes).Swift, p. 54] The trackwork on the Hastings line therefore had to be upgraded to accept the new locomotive.Swift, p. 13] The first batch of ten locomotives was released for service fromEastleigh in 1930. Thirty more were constructed between then and 1935 as the locomotive's excellent characteristics were recognised and uses for it were found on other parts of the Southern Railway network.Naming the locomotives
The Southern Railway continued its 1923 naming policy for express passenger locomotives with this class. As several public schools were located in the vicinity of Hastings and further afield on the Southern network, the locomotives were named after the schools.Swift, p. 78] This was another marketing success for both railway and schools concerned, continuing in the tradition of the N15 "King Arthur" and "Lord Nelson" classes' relevance to the people of the Southern's Western Section.
Where possible, the Southern sent the newly constructed locomotive to a station near the school after which it was named for its official naming ceremony, when pupils were allowed to view the cab of "their" engine.Swift, pp. 78-79] Extension of the class meant that names from "foreign" schools outside the Southern Railway catchment area were used, including Rugby and Malvern.
Operational details
:"For location details and current status of the preserved locomotives including surviving artifacts of scrapped class members, see:
List of SR V "Schools" class locomotives "The "Schools" Class was regarded as the most powerful 4-4-0 ever built in Britain, and was well liked by crews.Swift, p. 11] When the first ten of the class were built they did not sport smoke deflectors; the remaining thirty were fitted with them from new, and the original ten were retro-fitted with them by the end of 1932. They were modified by Bulleid with
Lemaître multiple jet blastpipes. However no discernible improvement to draughting was experienced with this modification.Swift, p. 22] The class was frequently regarded by locomotive crews as the finest constructed by the Southern Railway up to 1930, and could turn in highly spectacular performances for its size.Haresnape, section: "Schools class V"] The fastest recorded speed for these locomotives was 95 mph (160 kph), achieved by "Repton" in 1938, pulling four coaches. However there was a drawback with such high power and relatively low weight; when starting the locomotive from a standstill, wheelslips frequently occurred, calling for skilled handling on thefootplate .The reception given by footplate crews was such that more of the class were constructed for other parts of the network, although the electrification of the Southern's Eastern Section meant that they were dispersed from their original stamping grounds.Haresnape, section: "Schools class V"] When operated by British Railways, two locomotives (30902 and 30921) were supplied with "Lord Nelson" tenders for use on the longer runs in the Western Section.Swift, p. 35]
Livery and numbering
Southern Railway
When built, the "Schools" Class were outshopped in Maunsell's darker version of the LSWR passenger sage green livery lined in black and white, with cabside numbers and "Southern" on the tender in yellow. Swift, pp. 38-40] During the
Second World War the locomotives were painted black with yellow lettering and numbers.Scott-Morgan, p. 56] Later adaptations of the Southern Railway livery following Bulleid's arrival asChief Mechanical Engineer entailed Malachite Green livery, again with "Sunshine Yellow" picking out the numbers and "Southern" on the tender. The smoke deflectors – a later addition – were also treated with this livery.Swift, p. 40] Numbers allocated to the locomotives were 900–939.Swift, p. 40]Post-1948 (nationalisation)
Initial livery after nationalisation in 1948 was modified Southern Railway malachite green and sunshine yellow with '
British Railways ' on the tender, and the Southern numbering system was temporarily retained with an "S" prefix, e.g. S900.Swift, p. 43] Initially the locomotives were repainted British Railways mixed traffic lined black and given thepower classification 5P, though the choice of livery proved an unpopular decision considering the locomotives' duties.Scott-Morgan, p. 56] They were subsequently outshopped in British Railways brunswick green livery with orange and black lining as they became due for overhaul.Swift, pp. 46-47] By this stage the class had been renumbered under standard British Railways procedure, from 30900 to 30939."Ian Allan ABC" 1958–59]Preservation
Three locomotives have been preserved:
*Engine 928, "Stowe", was built in 1934 at a cost of £5,000 by the Eastleigh locomotive works of the Southern Railway. It recorded more than a million miles of passenger service operation during 38 years of Southern main line use. [ Maunsell Society website [http://www.maunsell.org.uk/virtual%] , retrieved May 16, 2007. For information on Stowe's preservation history.] It was purchased from
British Railways for Lord Montagu'sNational Motor Museum when it was withdrawn for scrapping in 1962. It was moved to theEast Somerset Railway , and then to theBluebell Railway where it was put into running order. It was purchased from the motor museum by the Maunsell Locomotive Society, which intends to comprehensively rebuild the locomotive in the near future. [ Southern E-Group (2003) [http://www.semgonline.com/steam/v_class3.html] , retrieved May 16, 2007. For further information on Stowe's preservation history.] It is currently on static display at Sheffield Park.*Engine 926, "Repton", is owned by the
North Yorkshire Moors Railway . It was completed in May 1934 and entered service on the Bournemouth route, with some time operating between Waterloo and Portsmouth before that line was electrified. It was one of the last of the class to be overhauled by British Railways in 1960, so was considered a good choice for preservation. In December 1963 the engine was withdrawn from service, and in 1966 it was purchased and overhauled at Eastleigh, before moving to the USA. [North Yorkshire Moors Railway (2000) [http://www.nymr.demon.co.uk/steam/steam_1.htm#No_30926] , retrieved May 16, 2007. For information on "Repton's" post-British Railways history.] It was donated by the purchaser toSteamtown in Vermont, USA. Steamtown loaned the engine to the Cape Breton Steam Railway in Canada, where it operated a regular passenger service. In 1989 it was sold again, and returned to the UK to the NYMR, where it was again overhauled and found to be in good condition. It now runs on the NYMR.*Engine 925, "Cheltenham", is owned by the
National Railway Museum atYork .See also
*
List of SR V "Schools" class locomotives Footnotes
Bibliography
*Haresnape, Brian: "Maunsell Locomotives - a pictorial history" (Ian Allan Ltd, 1977)
*Herring, Peter: "Classic British Steam Locomotives" (Abbeydale Press: London, 2000) Section "V ('Schools') Class" Pages 124 to 125 ISBN 1861470576
*"Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives", Winter 1958–59 edition
*Scott-Morgan, John: "Maunsell Locomotives" (Ian Allan Publishing: Hinckley, 2002), ISBN 0711028729
*Swift, Peter: "Maunsell 4-4-0 Schools Class (Locomotives in Detail series volume 6)" (Hinckley: Ian Allan Publishing, 2007), ISBN 0711031789
*Townroe, S.C.: "'Arthurs', 'Nelsons' & 'Schools' at work" (London: Ian Allan, 1973)
*Winkworth, D.W.: "The Schools 4-4-0s" (London: Allen & Unwin, 1982)External links
* [http://www.semgonline.com/steam/v_class1.html Southern e-group page]
* [http://www.railuk.co.uk/steam/getsteamclass.php?item=V Railuk database]
* [http://www.nymr.demon.co.uk/steam/steam_1.htm#No_30926 NYMR locomotives, "Repton"]
* [http://www.maunsell.org.uk/virtual%20shed/928/928profile.htm Maunsell Locomotive Society, "Stowe"]
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