Locomotive70013OliverCromwellNNR11March2010

Heritage Railway Association (HRA) is an

umbrella organisation An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and ofte ...

representing the majority of the

heritage Heritage may refer to: History and society * A heritage asset is a preexisting thing of value today ** Cultural heritage is created by humans ** Natural heritage is not * Heritage language Biology * Heredity, biological inheritance of physical c ...

and tourist railways, railway museums, steam centres and railway

preservation Preservation may refer to: Heritage and conservation * Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible * ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...

groups in the UK and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. Groups and individuals involved with the preservation of stations and other railway buildings, and private individuals are also welcomed to join as Friends of the Association. The HRA organises several annual awards and competitions to further railway preservation in the UK, and also maintains various databases, such as that of preserved locomotives — currently numbering over 2500 items — and others holding the details of every known heritage carriage and wagon. The trophies awarded for three awards are lent to the HRA by the

National Railway Museum The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historically significant ...

(NRM), based at

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

. The trophy for the Annual Award is a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

from the locomotive of a royal train on the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. The Small Groups Award is a carved panel from a coach provided for

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

by the Great Western. The

John Coiley John Arthur Coiley (1932–1998) was an English museum curator, principally associated with the National Railway Museum in York from its formation in the 1973-5 period, through to his retirement as keeper of the museum in 1992. Biography Coiley wa ...

Award, for locomotive preservation, is a Hackworth-designed locomotive spring safety-valve, as used on the original

Stockton and Darlington Railway The Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) was a railway company that operated in north-east England from 1825 to 1863. The world's first public railway to use steam locomotives, its first line connected collieries near Shildon with Darli ...

in the 1830s. Although the HRA is not a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

, many of its 250 member organisations are.

Mission statement

The aims and objectives of the HRA are set out in eight items:Mission statement taken fro
www.heritagerailways.com

Member services

The HRA provides a number of services to its members, including FEDECRAIL (European Federation of Museum & Tourist Railways) Representation, Overseas and Tourist Board Liaison, information on suppliers, and a regular newsletter. The HRA also offers advice and guidance on a wide range of topics, such as Catering, Education, Engineering, Funding, Legal matters, Operating Railways and Safety.

Notes

External links

*{{official website, http://www.heritagerailways.com
FEDECRAIL Web Site

Mission statement

Member services

See also

Notes

External links