The Trust is an unincorporated Registered Charity No.1039409. Its aim is the “preservation of historic railway engines, carriages and ancillary items, education of the general public as to the historical significance of preserved railways through the promotion of actual rolling stock and scale models.”
Its Trustees include Dr Pete Waterman OBE DL. In 2016 Dr Waterman became a vice-president of the Transport Trust, a UK charity dedicated to the preservation of the nation’s transport heritage. In 2018 he became President of Peak Rail plc.
Dr Waterman auctioned around a tenth of his collection of railway models in April 2015 for more than £600,000, in order to “raise enough money to secure the future of the Waterman Railway Heritage Trust.”
In a press release in May 2015 it was announced that: “Dr Pete Waterman OBE DL is delighted to announce that he has reached an agreement with Peak Rail to base his Waterman Railway Heritage Trust assets at its Rowsley South site”.
Most of the Trust’s collection is now based at Peak Rail and include, amongst others:
- GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T No. 5553, built in 1928 – Moved in 2015 from Crewe Heritage Centre. Undergoing overhaul
- GWR 5205 Class 2-8-0T No. 5224, built in 1924 – Moved in 2015 from Crewe Heritage Centre and will be overhauled on site
- GWR 5600 Class 0-6-2T No. 6634, built in 1928. Moved in 2017 from the Severn Valley Railway following its restoration from scrapyard condition never commencing, is due to be restored to working order
- BR Class 46 – 46035 (D172) “Ixion” – Stored
- BR Class 25 – D7659 (25309/25909). Undergoing overhaul
- BR Class 08 – 08830 – Undergoing overhaul
- BR 21T – Steel open mineral wagon – No B313014 – Operational
- BR Pallet Van – No B769951 – Operational
- GWR – Hawksworth 12 wheeled Sleeping Coach – Stored
- LMS Staffs Area Managers – Inspection Saloon – Stored
The Trust employs a number of people on site as part of a mechanical engineering team tasked with restoring the locomotives in the collection to running order over time.
