SR Class V

932 Blundells at Eastleigh in 1948.

30913 Christ's Hospital in BR days.

The Southern Railway Class V or Schools Class is a class of steam locomotive. It represents the ultimate development of the British 4-4-0 type. All 40 of the class were named after prominent English public schools.

The locomotives were designed by Richard Maunsell, and influenced by his existing design for the SR Lord Nelson Class of 4-6-0 express passenger locomotives, using many of the same parts, but producing a smaller engine. The cab was specifically designed to fit the restricted gauge on the Hastings line. The fastest recorded speed for these locomotives was 95 mph achieved by Repton in 1938, pulling four coaches. Together with tender, the locomotive weighs 110 tons. It 13 ft high, 59 ft long, 8ft 6 in wide. Driving wheels diameter is 6 ft 7 inches, cylinder diameter 16.5 inches and stroke 26 inches. It carries 4000 gallons of water and 5 tons of coal and produces 25,000 lbf of tractive effort, at 85% boiler pressure.

Preservation

30926 Repton at its home on the North Yorks Moors Railway.

Repton again, but here masquerading as sister engine 30925 Cheltenham.

928 Stowe at the Bluebell Railway

Three 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 1 million miles of passenger service operation during 38 years of Southern main line use. It was purchased from British Railways for the National Motor Museum when it was assigned to be scrapped in 1962. It was moved to the East Somerset Railway, and then to the Bluebell Railway, where it was put into running order. It was purchased from the motor museum by the Maunsell Locomotive Society, who intend to comprehensively rebuild the locomotive.

Engine 926, Repton, is owned by the NYMR. 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 engines to be overhauled by British Rail in 1960, so was considered a good choice for preservation. In December 1963 the engines were withdrawn from service, and in 1966 it was purchased and overhauled at Eastleigh, before moving to the USA. It was donated by the purchaser to Steamtown in Vermont. 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 at York

List of engines and their names

Number		Name	Builder	Built	Withdrawn
BR	SR
30900	900	Eton		1930
30901	901	Winchester		1930
30902	902	Wellington		1930
30903	903	Charterhouse		1930
30904	904	Lancing		1930
30905	905	Tonbridge		1930
30906	906	Sherborne		1930
30907	907	Dulwich		1930
30908	908	Westminster		1930
30909	909	St Paul's		1930
30910	910	Merchant Taylors		1933
30911	911	Dover		1933
30912	912	Downside		1933
30913	913	Christ's Hospital		1933
30914	914	Eastbourne		1933
30915	915	Brighton		1933
30916	916	Whitgift		1934	1962
30917	917	Ardingly		1934
30918	918	Hurstpierpoint		1934
30919	919	Harrow		1934
30920	920	Rugby		1934
30921	921	Shrewsbury		1934
30922	922	Marlborough		1934
30923	923	Bradfield		1934
30924	924	Haileybury		1934
30925	925	Cheltenham		1934
30926	926	Repton		1934
30927	927	Clifton		1934
30928	928	Stowe		1934
30929	929	Malvern		1934
30930	930	Radley		1934
30931	931	King's Wimbledon		1934
30932	932	Blundells		1934
30933	933	King's Canterbury		1934
30934	934	St Lawrence		1934	1962
30935	935	Sevenoaks		1934
30936	936	Cranleigh		1934
30937	937	Epsom		1934
30938	938	St Olave's		1934
30939	939	Leatherhead		1934

Engine 923 was originally named Uppingham, but the name was changed following objections from the school. The nameplate from 908 Westminster is now displayed in the science block of that school.

The nameplate from 937 "Epsom" Is now displayed in the main hall of the main building of Epsom College,the school that it served, along with various other memorabilia. [1]

External links

• Southern e-group page
• Railuk database
• NYMR locomotives, Repton
• Maunsell Locomotive Society, Stowe