Locomotive Class

Schools Class V

Schools Class V Class: Schools Class V
Type: Steam
Designer: Richard Maunsell
Weight: 114 tons (including tender)
Purpose: Regional Passenger

Information: Designed and built under the direction of Richard Maunsell by the Southern Railway (SR) for intermediate passenger services. The Schools Class became the last locomotives built in Britain to use a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement. The Class earned the distinction of being the largest and most powerful locomotives to ever operate in Europe using this wheel arrangement.

Details: The SR Class V locomotive, familiarly known as the Schools Class eventually numbered 40-locomotives all named after public schools, primarily located in areas served by the SR. The three cylinder Schools Class were designed to provide high power in a compact package using components previously proven on larger Lord Nelson and N15 King Arthur designs. Although they had high axle loading, their over-all profile permitted route availability over the heavily restricted Hastings Line. Locomotives were constructed at Eastleigh Locomotive Works, entering revenue service between 1930 and 1935.
In traffic the Schools performed well and not subject to many modifications or changes. Outwardly, the biggest change was addition of smoke deflectors, which were added after the first ten were already in service. Experimentations with firing made to 20-locomotives offered little improvement over the original design.
During their careers the Schools were subjected to many livery variations. Olive Green gave way to Malachite Green and Wartime Black, all while the class was operated on the Southern Railway. Later in their careers, under British Railways ownership they were painted lined black Mixed Traffic livery in accordance with an edict in which locomotives of Class 5, or less were not to be painted in full passenger livery. This rule was later relaxed, as the Schools Class was still seen by many as a front line passenger locomotive. Consequently they were ultimately repainted in lined Brunswick Green.
Later in their working careers, electrification was destined to take the place of steam locomotion on many routes to which the Schools were allocated. As more modern steam motive power was readily available, the Schools Class was quickly retired. Between 1961 and 1962 the entire class was gone. Three locomotives were destined for preservation. Currently, only locomotive number (30)926 “Repton” remains operational. Exported to Steamtown USA in 1966 in fully operational condition, “Repton” spent the next twenty-five years operating excursion services in the United States and Canada. She was repatriated to Britain, through efforts of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 1990. Work to restore (30)925 “Cheltenham” to operational status are currently being undertaken at Eastleigh Locomotive Works, sponsored by the National Railway Museum.

John Faulkner

Schools Class V Releases (23)

MODEL NO. LIVERY
Schools Class Locomotive - Blundells
Released: 2008 2009 2010
30932 B.R. Black
Schools Class Locomotive - Brighton
Released: 2008 2009
30915 B.R. Green
Schools Class Locomotive - Charterhouse
Released: 1989 1990 2008 2009 2011
903 S.R. Olive Green
Schools Class Locomotive - Cheltenham - National Railway Museum Collection - Special Edition
Released: 2009
925 S.R. Malachite Green
Schools Class Locomotive - Dulwich
Released: 2009 2010
907 S.R. Olive Green
Schools Class Locomotive - Eton
Released: 1986 1987
900 S.R. Olive Green
Schools Class Locomotive - Shrewsbury
Released: 1991 1992
921 S.R. Malachite Green
Schools Class Locomotive - St Lawrence
Released: 2009 2011
30934 B.R. Black
Schools Class Locomotive - St. Pauls (DCC Locomotive with Sound)
Released: 2010
30909 B.R. Black
Schools Class Locomotive - Tonbridge (Royal Doulton)
Released: 1996
905 S.R. Malachite Green
Schools Class Locomotive - Wellington
Released: 2008 2009 2010
902 S.R. Malachite Green
Schools Class Locomotive - Winchester
Released: 2009 2010 2011
30901 B.R. Green
Schools Class V Locomotive - Clifton
Released: 1984 1985
30927 B.R. Black
Schools Class V Locomotive - Cranleigh
Released: 1994 1995
936 S.R. Olive Green
Schools Class V Locomotive - Dover
Released: 1983
30911 B.R. Green
Schools Class V Locomotive - Dulwich
Released: 1999 2000
907 S.R. Malachite Green
Schools Class V Locomotive - Radley
Released: 1997 1998
930 S.R. Malachite Green
Schools Class V Locomotive - Repton
Released: 1983 1984 1985
926 S.R. Olive Green
Schools Class V Locomotive - Sevenoaks
Released: 2000 2001
30935 B.R. Green
Schools Class V Locomotive - Stowe
Released: 1981 1982
928 S.R. Malachite Green
Schools Class V Locomotive - Westminster
Released: 1996
30908 B.R. Green
Southern Suburban 1957 Train Pack (Schools Class - Haileybury)
Released: 2009 2010 2011
30924 B.R. Black
The Kentish Belle (Schools Class - Downside)
Released: 1998
30912 B.R. Black

Schools Class V Images (23)

Schools Class Locomotive - Blundells
Schools Class Locomotive - Blundells 30932

Schools Class Locomotive - Brighton
Schools Class Locomotive - Brighton 30915

Schools Class Locomotive - Charterhouse
Schools Class Locomotive - Charterhouse 903

Schools Class Locomotive - Cheltenham - National Railway Museum Collection - Special Edition
Schools Class Locomotive - Cheltenham - National Railway Museum Collection - Special Edition 925

Schools Class Locomotive - Dulwich
Schools Class Locomotive - Dulwich 907

Schools Class Locomotive - Eton
Schools Class Locomotive - Eton 900

Schools Class Locomotive - Shrewsbury
Schools Class Locomotive - Shrewsbury 921

Schools Class Locomotive - St Lawrence
Schools Class Locomotive - St Lawrence 30934

Schools Class Locomotive - St. Pauls (DCC Locomotive with Sound)
Schools Class Locomotive - St. Pauls (DCC Locomotive with Sound) 30909

Schools Class Locomotive - Tonbridge (Royal Doulton)
Schools Class Locomotive - Tonbridge (Royal Doulton) 905

Schools Class Locomotive - Wellington
Schools Class Locomotive - Wellington 902

Schools Class Locomotive - Winchester
Schools Class Locomotive - Winchester 30901

Schools Class V Locomotive - Clifton
Schools Class V Locomotive - Clifton 30927

Schools Class V Locomotive - Cranleigh
Schools Class V Locomotive - Cranleigh 936

Schools Class V Locomotive - Dover
Schools Class V Locomotive - Dover 30911

Schools Class V Locomotive - Dulwich
Schools Class V Locomotive - Dulwich 907

Schools Class V Locomotive - Radley
Schools Class V Locomotive - Radley 930

Schools Class V Locomotive - Repton
Schools Class V Locomotive - Repton 926

Schools Class V Locomotive - Sevenoaks
Schools Class V Locomotive - Sevenoaks 30935

Schools Class V Locomotive - Stowe
Schools Class V Locomotive - Stowe 928

Schools Class V Locomotive - Westminster
Schools Class V Locomotive - Westminster 30908

Southern Suburban 1957 Train Pack (Schools Class - Haileybury)
Southern Suburban 1957 Train Pack (Schools Class - Haileybury) 30924

The Kentish Belle (Schools Class - Downside)
The Kentish Belle (Schools Class - Downside) 30912


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