SR V Schools Class No. 925 Cheltenham

SR V Class No. 30925 "Cheltenham" is a preserved member of the Southern Railway's V Class of 4-4-0 "Eight-Wheeler" type steam locomotives. It was one of a class of 40 built that were named after British public schools and were designed by Richard Maunsell.
==History==
No. 925 was constructed in April 1934 at Eastleigh Works and was given the name "Cheltenham" after Cheltenham School, an English public school in Gloucestershire, England. It entered service the same year and was sent to Fratton (Portsmouth) where it worked on the Waterloo and Portsmouth direct line. Upon nationalisation of the railways in 1948, it was renumbered and became British Railways (BR) No. 30925. During the early 1960s Cheltenham was used to haul a number of The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society enthusiasts’ rail tours.
After being withdrawn from active service in November 1962, it was stored at various locations. When it appeared unlikely that restoration would be achieved by British Rail it was transferred on loan to the Standard Gauge Steam Trust, Tyseley in September 1970, followed by a further move in January 1973 to the Dinting Railway Centre. It was in steam for the first time in preservation in 1980 when it took part in the Rainhill 150 cavalcade.
Cheltenham is now part of the National Railway Collection. After an overhaul it was featured at Railfest in June 2012 and then returned to the Mid Hants Railway where it is based on long-term loan from the NRM.
Cheltenham's boiler certificate expired in 2022 and is now currently out of service awaiting a full overhaul.
==Trivia==
*No. 30925 "Cheltenham" is one of three surviving members of the SR V class in preservation. It's two other surviving sisters, No. 926 "Repton" is currently operational at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and No. "928 "Stowe" is awaiting an overhaul at the Bluebell Railway.
==Gallery==
File:Schools Class No 925 Cheltenham.jpg|No. 925 "Cheltenham" at the National Railway Museum
File:30925 at Medstead and Four Marks.jpg
File:Cheltenham Schools Class 1 (7172716133).jpg
File:SR V Schools Class 30925 Cheltenham Locomotive Watercress Line (1).jpg
File:1003179.jpg
==References==
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SR_V_class
*https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/30925-cheltenham-sr-e925-sr-925-br-30925/
Category:Maunsell locomotives
Category:Preserved locomotives
Category:Preserved steam locomotives
Category:Mid-Hants Railway
Category:Watercress Line
Category:National Railway Museum
Category:SR V "Schools" Class
Category:Passenger locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain
Category:Built in 1934
Category:4-4-0 locomotives
Category:4-4-0 steam locomotives
Category:Eastleigh Works
Category:United Kingdom
Category:Southern Railway (UK) locomotives
Category:British Rail locomotives
Category:British locomotives
Category:British steam locomotives