Our Policy & Criteria
The Heritage Electric Trains Trust is concerned with the preservation, restoration, conservation and operation of electric trains in a purely heritage context.
To guide the trusts work the following policy is set down to ensure an even and consistent approach is taken to any future acquisitions consideration.
1. Overview
The Trust shall limit the scope of its collection to the preservation of examples of electrically powered multiple units, locomotives or vehicles from British electrically operated railways and the preservation of documents and other artefacts relevant to the design, construction, operation, closure and socio-economic impact of British electrically operated railways and rolling stock.
2. Criteria for Consideration
These items are chosen on the basis that they fully meet one or more of the following criteria that cannot be defined by any other item already in the collection of the Trust.
A. The representation of a specific geographical electrified network of lines for which they were specifically built or had, for a lengthy period, come to be in everyday use and are thus typical of an era of operation upon that specific network.
B. The traction equipment is typical of a stage of development within the technological evolution of electric traction and train control or the equipment represents a significant stage of innovation that led to advancement of traction and control equipment.
C. The vehicle styling is typical of design practice for a specific era or geographic standard or represents significant attempt at innovation in styling that had become everyday and was not a one off experiment.
D. The vehicle or equipment is representative of a manufacturer or construction method.
E. The vehicle is representative of a specific method of operation, traction current supply or any other individual feature that is regarded as historically interesting and worthy of retention in a heritage environment.
3. Purpose of Collection
The collection is intended for conservation of individual items so as to ensure they remain in a condition ‘typical’ of a period of their working life. Their future use is for heritage purposes and the Trust will not make items from the collection available for commercial re-use.
4. Presentation of Collection
The presentation of such items in a manner that offers best interpretation of their individual historic merits for the benefit of education and study. The Trust will aim to ensure they are kept available to the general public to view and experience at times when not undergoing heavy engineering and subject to the safety of the public being paramount.