Heritage Railway Association
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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 dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. 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 r ...
(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 heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...
from the locomotive of a royal train on the
London, Brighton & South Coast Railway The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR; known also as the Brighton line, the Brighton Railway or the Brighton) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its ...
. 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 Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
by the Great Western. The John Coiley 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 Darl ...
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.


See also

*
List of British heritage and private railways This is a list of heritage, private and preserved railways throughout the United Kingdom, the Crown dependencies, and British Overseas Territories whether operational or closed, that are operated for charitable purposes or shareholder profit ...
* List of closed railway stations in Britain *
British narrow gauge railways There were more than a thousand British narrow-gauge railways ranging from large, historically significant common carriers to small, short-lived industrial railways. Many notable events in British railway history happened on narrow-gauge railways ...
*
Great Little Trains of Wales The Great Little Trains of Wales ( Welsh: ''Trenau Bach Arbennig Cymru'') is the name of a joint marketing scheme formed in 1970 to promote some of the narrow gauge railways of Wales and encourage visitors to Wales. As well as marketing the rail ...
*
Railway enthusiasts societies in the United Kingdom A railfan or railway enthusiast and sometimes also called a trainspotter is a person interested, recreationally, in rail transport. Railfans of many ages can be found worldwide. To support the hobby in the United Kingdom, railway enthusiast societ ...


Notes


External links

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