A term used to describe a locomotive or item of rolling stock that has been restored and returned to service by a heritage group (for example, the NSW Rail Transport Museum). The locomotive or rolling stock has often been repainted into a heritage livery, and is used (in most cases exclusively) on heritage trains for the enjoyment of the public.
Example: Steam locomotive 3642 is preserved in an operational condition by the NSW Rail Transport Museum, and it is used around NSW on tour trains.