Preserving and restoring historic vehicles and machinery.
Occupational Profile
Heritage Engineering Technicians perform a vital role in the preservation, restoration, re-manufacture, service and repair of historic UK and International engineering achievements. The range of heritage sectors include veteran, vintage and classic; agricultural engineering, aviation, bus and coach, commercial vehicle, marine, military vehicle, motor cycle, motor vehicle and steam, working in organisations as diverse as Global Manufacturers, Museums and small operators to small voluntary groups and individual owners .
Heritage Engineering Technicians
- Work on heritage artefacts which are unique “sole survivors” of significant value, but with little or no supporting documentation or procedures.
- Research the artefact to find out as much information as possible about its history to ensure accurate restoration.
- Survey artefact and classify damage or deterioration as: negligible, repairable or requiring replacement
- Take a project (or part of a bigger project) and strip it down to minimum components, recording the parts and methods meticulously in a variety of ways.
- Evaluate components for quality, wear and ensure solutions for replacement are fit for purpose and compliant with relevant legislation
- Use their own initiative to develop novel ways around complex and unusual engineering issues.
- Often carry out forensic work, routinely requiring reverse engineering techniques to be employed in order to understand the reasons and methodologies used by the original designers and manufacturers, to develop robust, credible and safe repair schemes.
At all times, Heritage Engineering Technicians ensure that provenance is established and that the heritage of engineering innovation, evolution, design and manufacture is maintained for future generations.
This is a core and options standard and the job titles are: Heritage Engineering, Aviation, Marine, Steam or Vehicle Technician, these are referenced as Option 1 – 6 and they will be reporting directly to the Master technicians, Supervisors and Engineers, dependant on the organisation. The main duties and tasks for each role are as follows:
Option 1 – Heritage Engineering Aviation Technicians: Work with all aircraft types and technologies both Civil and Military from the very earliest wood and fabric aircraft and associated artefacts from the pioneering days of aviation through to the latest exotic composites used in prototypes donated to Museums. They employ the tools, technologies, techniques, practices and procedures appropriate to either the date of original manufacture or the point in time that a conserved, restored or replica aircraft or associated artefact represents.
Option 2 – Heritage Engineering Marine Technicians: Maintain, service, operate, repair, restore and conserve traditional and historical vessels. They can be propelled by sail, oar or, powered by electric, steam, petrol or diesel prime movers and where the fabric of the vessel may be constructed of wood, iron, steel or composites. They carry out routine maintenance and restoration understanding the importance of retaining historic fabric as well as the original design and functionality of the vessel. Also when using modern materials, they must to be able to apply their use in a sympathetic manner ensuring the original vessel structure, design and functionality.
Option 3 – Heritage Engineering Steam (Mechanical Overhaul) Technicians: Restore, conserve, repair and remanufacture the wheels, bearings, motion, frames and associated equipment and fittings including valves, cylinders and pistons, brake systems, pipework, and similar features of the steam engine as found in a range of designs of locomotive created over the last 150 years and in steam ships, road locomotives and stationary engines, including modern replicas.
Option 4 – Heritage Engineering Steam (Boiler-smith) Technicians: Restore, conserve, repair and remanufacture heritage steam boilers and associated equipment and fittings including pipework, boiler mountings, safety valves and fusible plugs, washout plugs, mud doors and similar, working with a range of boiler designs created over the last century or more, including modern replicas, and found in steam road and railway engines, steam ships and boats and stationary engines.
Option 5 – Heritage Engineering Vehicle Mechanical Technicians: Due to the complex nature and range of the vehicles and the risks they present, must comply with a significantly more complex range of legislation than those for conventional modern vehicles. The nature of the mechanical work could range from maintaining a historic vehicle in its unrestored condition to a complete mechanical restoration back to original build state.
Option 6 – Heritage Engineering Coach-building & Trim Technicians: The nature of the work for a Coachbuilder and Trimmer could range from the repair of a single panel to the re-manufacture of a complete chassis and handmade body. The materials used range from delicate fabrics to wood, metal and composites.
Summary of Standard
Full Standard
