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Further design info from NBI
Before the opening of the Engine House, [[BR 80300 Post Office Sorting Van]] was located at Highley and used as the visitor centre. The Engine House was originally conceived as a simple storage building to house "out-of-ticket" engines under cover in order to reduce the damage done by the weather. However for various reasons, including attracting external funding, the project morphed into the visitor museum and education centre that stands today, whilst still achieving the original aim of storing locomotives. Funding received towards its construction included £3,363k from the [[:Category:Lottery funding#National_Lottery_Heritage_Fund|Heritage Lottery Fund]], £948k from the European Union Regional Development Fund and £200k from Advantage West Midlands.<ref name = "SVR152">SVR News 152</ref>
The "modern" architectural design of the building has attracted polarised comments. Peter Lyons, a Senior Partner at International Architects Peter Hing & Jones of Birmingham was involved. His original proposal was for a traditional engine shed but with the ground unable to support this his re-design involving a contemporarybuilding using lighter material.<ref>Moreton, Barry, Peter Lyons' obituary NBI, December 2022</ref> Prior to construction, the SVR noted that <i>The Engine House will be of modern design, and will use modern materials in its construction. The reasons for this decision are many, but cost was a particular factor as was the stability of the ground on the Landsale Yard site. Geological factors and old mine and quarry workings are all factors here. The ground, the Engineers tell us, is 'challenging' to say the least.</i><ref name = "SVR152" />
The main contractor for construction was George Law & Co. Ltd<ref>[http://www.georgelaw.co.uk/casestudies/actual/highleyenginehouse.aspx Highley Engine House case study on George Law's web site]</ref>, the company who also built Bridgnorth Cliff Railway in the 1890s.<ref name = "SVR154">SVR News 154</ref> Construction of The Engine House began in 2006. The hillside behind the building was graded and stabilised using soil nailing, parts of the old mine workings underneath were grouted, and a large retaining wall was built. More soil nailing was carried out in front of the building to ensure no lateral pressure would be placed on the railway embankment. For the building itself, some 120 piles up to 15 metres deep were sunk and tied together by beams cast in reinforced concrete.<ref name = "SVR154" />
