SEVERN Valley Railway will begin work on a £4.5million visitor centre, which will display up to 10 steam locomotives, in March.

A £3.3million grant has been awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund - HLF - to help build The Engine House - Severn Valley Visitor Centre at Highley.

The centre will be erected on part of a 10-acre yard at the southern end of Highley goods yard and will display cosmetically restored SVR locomotives awaiting their turn for overhaul at Bridgnorth Locomotive Works.

Work will begin in March on the new facility, which is also to be developed as an educational resource for visitors as well as school parties.

The rest of the funding for the project will be covered by grant aid from the European Regional Development Fund.

Alun Rees, SVR general manager, said: "This will be a top-drawer loco display facility and will bring an end to the days of dead engines untidily dotted around the railway in sidings and goods yards, waiting their turn in the queue for overhaul or restoration."

Anne Jenkins, HLF's regional manager, said: "I'm delighted that this award will allow the display of the locomotives as a prime example of our industrial legacy. The work will ensure that our children and their children can learn about the impact of the Industrial Revolution on our heritage."

The Engine House, which is due to open in 2007, will also feature a gallery caf, gift shop and meeting and lecture rooms, as well as public viewing galleries giving an overview both of the locomotives and the river valley setting at Highley.