RailScene Focus: "Cheltenham" returns in BR Brunswick - 15/9/2019

Enthusiasts have longed to see (at least, Southern ones have) a "Schools" in BR Brunswick Green for many years. "Repton", based on the NYMR, has appeared in that livery but (a) it hasn't ventured south at all and (b) that tender makes it look faintly strange, even though it is similar to that modified by Bulleid for use behind "Blundells". Anyway, "Cheltenham" is the NRM loco and has, up until now, only run in that same man's - Bulleid's - Malachite Green livery which always sat awkwardly on Maunsell locomotives.
So now it's happened, to great rejoicing and thanks to fund-raising efforts that include Neil Cave's Timeline Events which has organised charters to underwrite the costs. Here we see no. 30925 "Cheltenham" in the magnificent livery in which it adorned the cover of the RCTS' "Railway Observer" from the mid 1950s. The engine is based on the Mid-Hants Railway today and we see it in action on Sunday 15th September 2019, starting at Medstead & Four Marks station where it backs down onto its train to give us a detailed look at the new coat of paint. It then takes the train down the bank to Ropley where it crosses with the also newly returned to traffic Urie S15 no 506. we see the train depart - still downhill - to Alresford before retuning light engine at the end of the day.
At present the loco can only be seen working smokebox first downhill as the works to replace Butts Bridge at Alton - in order to accommodate a new housing development, of all things! - is running late (of course) so the Watercress Line has been returned to its mid-1980s state of working only from Alresford to Medstead. this means uphill work is tender-first, normally a no-no as far as I'm concerned when showing my filming efforts.
However, sometimes even tender-first can be whorthwhile when the light id just-so and I've dared to include one shot at the end which I think justifies its inclusion. Let me know if you agree!

[@rich392117]

Great footage of a good day, thanks for sharing. That's me feeling around the loco at Medstead (0:50).
Its actually the second BR green Schools that I have had the pleasure of driving on the MHR, as we had 30926 "Repton" down for a gala weekend in September 2007. I can see the benefit of the big tender on 926, but it does spoil the lines of an otherwise very handsome design.

[@Railscenevideo]

I'm delighted to hear from you Richard - you and your engine crew colleagues give us all such pleasure and it's nice to know I can repay you a little in this small way. I do agree with you about "Repton's" ghastly tender, even though it's a pretty faithful replica of that attached to "Blundells" but which remained black, I believe, to the end.

[@balmesh]

Three cheers for the Southern, especially for the work of Maunsell! Tender-fist is always OK if you have no option!!