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[[File:Engine_House_20210718.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The view of the Engine House as a Bridgnorth bound train approaches Highley]]
[[File:SVR Engine Shed - geograph.org.uk - 864988.jpg|thumb|300px|right|View of The Engine House from Highley Station (Wikimedia Commons)]]
'''The Engine House''' at Highley opened in 2008 and is the SVR's main museum, Visitor and [[SVR Education Services|Education Centre]]. It is situated approximately 200 yards from [[Highley | Highley Station]] on the site of the former sidings of [[Collieries served by the Severn Valley Railway#Highley Colliery | Highley Colliery]]. The other major museum on the railway, [[Kidderminster Railway Museum]], is run by an independent charitable organisation.
The Engine House is also home to the [[SVR Archives]].
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" />
==Items on display==
{{As of|20212024}}, [[Steam Locomotives |steam locomotives]] on display while awaiting overhaul are:
*[[GWR Small Prairie 4566]]
*[[GWR Pannier 5764|LT Pannier L95 (GWR 5764)]]
*[[BR Riddles 4MT 80079]]
*[[LMR 600 Gordon]]
[[Carriages]] and [[Goods Wagons | goods wagons]] on display include:
*[[LMS 798 Royal Coach | Royal Coach 798]] (Internal viewing may be available, ask staff for details)
*[[BR 80300 Post Office Sorting Van | Travelling Post Office (TPO) 80300]] (interior accessible)
*[[LNER 223162 Mineral Wagon]] (#) (#)Temporarily removed from display in summer 2021
===Locomotives formerly on display===
| GWR ||4-6-0 || 4900 Class Hall|| [[GWR 4930 Hagley Hall |4930]] ||Hagley Hall || 1929|| [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC | SVR(H)]]|| data-sort-value="1/3/2008" | March 2008 || data-sort-value="6/10/2013" | October 2013 ||
|-
| GWR ||2-6-0 || 4300 Class Mogul|| [[GWR Mogul 7325|7325]] || || 1932|| [[Great Western (SVR) Assoc.Association]] ||data-sort-value="1/3/2008" | March 2008 || data-sort-value="5/3/2019" | March 2019|| The 'footplate' was accessible to allow visitors to climb aboard and learn how to operate a steam locomotive, and for weddings and civil ceremonies.
|-
| LMS ||4-6-0 || 5MT Black Five|| [[LMS Stanier Class 5 45110|45110]] || || 1932 || [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC | SVR(H)]] || data-sort-value="6/10/2013" | October 2013|| data-sort-value="4/8/2018" | August 2018||
|-
| Manchester Ship Canal Railway || 0-6-0T || Hunslet 'Chest' class || [[686 The Lady Armaghdale | 686]] || The Lady Armaghdale || 1898 || [[Warwickshire Industrial Locomotive Preservation Trust | Warwickshire Industrial Locomotive Preservation Group]]||data-sort-value="1/10/2009" | October 2009 || data-sort-value="1/6/2021" | June 2021|| Moved to 'temporary storage' in [[Kidderminster Carriage Shed]], not returned {{As of|2022|lc="y"}}.
|-
| Corris Railway ||0-4-2ST || || 3 || Sir Haydn || 1878 || Talyllyn Railway || data-sort-value="6/10/2013" | 2013|| data-sort-value="1/1/2014" | 2014|| 2 ft 3 in gauge. ‘Sir Haydn’ travelled the line as part of the freight workings at the 2013 [[Autumn Steam Gala]] and would later spend the winter on display in The Engine House.
|-
|-
| MR || 4-4-0 || Johnson 4P Midland Compound || [[MR Midland Compound 1000 | 1000]] || || 1902 || [[National Railway Museum|NRM]] ||data-sort-value="1/1/2007" | 2007 || data-sort-value="1/1/2011" | 2011 || On loan from the NRM for display in the Engine House.
|-
| RHDR || 4-6-2 || Greenly Pacific || [https://www.rhdr.org.uk/locomotives/typhoon/ 7] || Typhoon || 1927 || Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway || data-sort-value="1/3/2019" | 2019 || data-sort-value="4/4/2022" | 4 April 2022 || 15 in gauge. On loan from the RHDR for display in the Engine House.
|-
|}
==Current exhibitions==
{{As of|20202024}} current exhibitions are:
*'Severn Valley Railway – Journey Through Time' (2019-) – A timeline of the Severn Valley and its railway from 1760 to the present day, funded and created by the [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd|Charitable Trust]].
*'L95, A Locomotive History from London to the Severn Valley Railway' (2019) - a display of pictures and documents relating to [[GWR Pannier 5764|L95]] in London Underground service and preservation on the SVR.
*Peter’s 'Triumph over tragedy - building the Severn Valley Railway Young Engineers’ Centre (20142022- ) - An exhibition that explains – Information about railway engineering and how a steam locomotive works, for "any young steam fans and budding engineers." It is based on the Peter’s construction of the Severn Valley Railway series of children's books written by Christopher Vine, a Chartered Engineer, about Peter and his Grandpa building and operating a miniature steam railway on a farm.<ref>[http://petersrailwaythose who built it.com/ Peter's Railway website] (retrieved 7 January 2017)</ref>*[[Falling Sands Viaduct]] exhibition (2020-), part of The [[:Category:Lottery funding#National_Lottery_Heritage_Fund|National Lottery Heritage Fund award]] for its repair.*Exhibition of railway and aircraft photographs by Scott Lee (2020-)
A small area on the ground floor recreates the interior of the Cooper's Coopers Arms where the [[Severn Valley Railway Society]] was formed in 1965. A short video gives a history of that era. There are numerous other exhibits, video features and interactive items.
<gallery mode=packed heights=200px style="text-align:left">
Engine_House_Coopers_Arms_20190422.jpg | The 'Cooper's Coopers Arms' area. A portrait of [[John Garth]] is on display.
</gallery>
*An exhibition on [[LMS Stanier Class 5 45110]] and the end of steam on British Railways (2018)
*'Bewdley Ducks' – an exhibition of work by local artist Nick Ashby (2019)
*Peter’s Railway Young Engineers’ Centre (2014-c.2020) - An exhibition that explains about railway engineering and how a steam locomotive works, for "any young steam fans and budding engineers." It is based on the Peter’s Railway series of children's books written by Christopher Vine, a Chartered Engineer, about Peter and his Grandpa building and operating a miniature steam railway on a farm.<ref>[http://petersrailway.com/ Peter's Railway website] (retrieved 7 January 2017)</ref>
*[[Falling Sands Viaduct]] exhibition (2020-2021), part of The [[:Category:Lottery funding#National_Lottery_Heritage_Fund|National Lottery Heritage Fund award]] for its repair.
*Exhibition of railway and aircraft photographs by Scott Lee (2020-2021)
*'From Railways to Royalty' - photographic exhibition by Jack Boskett (2022)
*'Hagley Hall, The SVR's Flagship Locomotive (2020-2023) a small display of pictures and information relating to [[GWR 4930 Hagley Hall]].
==Events==
Other events held at The Engine House include:
*Children's 'Family Fun' events are held during half-terms and school holidays.*Open House Weekend*Events have featured appearances by characters including 'Peppa Pig and George'*, 'Paw Patrol', 'The Gruffalo' and 'Bluey'*[[Open House Weekend]]*[[Model Railway and Tramway exhibitions]]*Craft fairs, such as the Christmas Gift Fayre
*Christmas Carol Trains
*Christmas carvery
==Facilities==
===Restaurant===
Until 2012 ‘Buffers’ 'Buffers' restaurant offered a table service. In 2012 a refurbishment took place with the creation of a self-service restaurant, 'The Flag & Whistle Food Stop'.<ref>SVRLive</ref>. In addition there is a [[List of shops | gift shop]] and an outdoor children's play area. The restaurant balcony and outdoor picnic areas overlook the line and give good views of trains leaving and arriving at Highley. {{As of|During 2021}} the buffet has been was temporarily moved to the ground floor in the former gift shop area.
===Commemorative Garden===
In October 2017 the [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd|Charitable Trust]] announced it was establishing an In Memory Garden for SVR supporters, close to the Engine House. The area garden is situated directly beneath the gallery, on level ground below the retaining slope. Its design has been was generously donated by Arup’s landscape architecture team. It will also feature an indoor commemorative area on the balcony inside The Engine House. This will be a screened-off area, with scrolls of honour and a memory book.<refname=Platform4>[https://svrtrust.org.uk/downloads/Platform%202018%20web%20version-1.pdf 'Platform' magazine, 2018 Issue 4, p.16]</ref> Initial work involved fencing off the area and creating a set of access steps, before landscaping and designing the garden layout and planting scheme.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/memorial-garden Memorial Garden - Landscaping garden design expertise needed, SVRLive, 16 October 2017] (Retrieved 14 July 2018</ref>. By July 2018 vegetation clearance was underway. The garden was completed in summer 2019 and is normally accessible during The Engine House opening hours, although for safety reasons it may not always be open during special events.<ref>SVR News 207, Autumn 2019</ref> The Trust's proposal also featured a screened-off indoor commemorative area on the balcony inside the Engine House, with scrolls of honour and a memory book<ref name=Platform4/>.
===Anderson shelter===
==Links==
[httphttps://www.svr.co.uk/EngineHouse.aspx visit-us/the-engine-house/ The Engine House on www.svr.co.uk]
[[Category:Lottery funding]]