Widely considered to be Maunsell’s greatest design and the finest 4-4-0 ever built in Britain, the first of the 40-strong 'Schools’ class emerged from Eastleigh works in 1930. Named after famous British public schools, the new locomotives were able to run on the Tunbridge Wells to Hastings route whose restricted loading gauge precluded the use of a 4-6-0 and led to the building of a 4-4-0 instead. The distinctive shape of the 'Schools’ class cabs was also necessitated by restrictions imposed by the loading gauge on this route. Highly successful, they remained in front line service until 1961/62. On withdrawal, three were preserved; one, initially sent to the USA, has been subsequently repatriated to the UK.
The book includes detailed 4mm scale drawings along with a comprehensive selection of both colour and mono photographs that illustrate the considerable variety of liveries carried by the locomotives during their careers. The book also identifies the detail differences that marked out individual locomotives at particular dates.
Author: Peter Swift
Title: LOCOMOTIVES IN DETAIL 6: Maunsell 4-4-0 Schools Class
Format: HB 96 pages
Publisher: Ian Allan Ltd
Pub date: Nov 2006
ISBN 10: 0711031789
ISBN 13: 9780711031784
List Price: £16.99
