To preserve the site of the former Heilbronn locomotive depot, part of which is under historic building protection.
The museum is located in the former Deutsche Bundesbahn locomotive depot at Heilbronn in the Böckingen district of the town.
As well as the SEH museum's own locomotives, express train steam engines belonging to the Ulm Railway Friends are also stationed here.
The robust MaK, side-rod driven locomotive is operational and is used for transportation and industrial railway duties across the length and breadth of Germany.
There is a collection of valuable Prussian and Saxon passenger coaches, that have still to be refurbished because, before they had been bought by the SEH, they had stood in the open for many years and fell into disrepair as a result.
In the wagon shed a historical saloon coach belonging to the last crown prince of Prussia is on display.