IT IS full steam ahead for a permanent tribute to the former Vulcan Works at Newton-le-Willows as permission has been granted to display an old locomotive at the site.
The Newton and Earlestown Community Group (NECG) had submitted a planning application after raising £25,000 for the tribute to the Vulcan Works.
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And the plans have received formal approval from the local authority for the commemoration to go ahead.
The NECG reached its fundraising target to restore and bring home the Walter Urwin Loco to be displayed at the Vulcan site after a year's campaigning.
The Walter Urwin Loco was made at the Newton-le-Willows works in 1976.
The Vulcan Works was one of the biggest locomotive manufacturers and exporters in the world before its eventual closure in 2002.
The land is now home to a housing development and sports clubs.
The old loco is to be situated on a grass verge in an open space at the junction of Wargrave Road and Vulcan Park Way.
The Walter Urwin loco
The planning application, now approved, had said: "In tribute and homage to this great company, the people who worked there and the over 6,000 number of locomotives produced for the world in Newton-le-Willows this application is to 'bring back home' the locomotive named ‘Walter Urwin’ that left the Vulcan Works in 1976 and originally named after local engineer who was the lead in the design of the locomotive, but sadly passed away before the batch was completed.
"The locomotive was then named in his memory".
They added: "Following a search for a suitable site this was considered the most appropriate as it is within the boundaries of the original works and paired with the smartly restored Vulcan workers village bookends the original work site.
"The locomotive is 9460mm long x 3610mm high x and standard loading gauge wide and originally weighed 76 tons with engine. "The locomotive for display will be refurbished and 'sanitised' before delivery and any glass replaced by clear plastic. The loco will be sited on rail track donated by Network Rail.
"The site will be dressed with rail ballast adjacent to the loco along with a low bow topped fence and some low 'defensive' type shrub planting.
"A sign replicating the Vulcan Halt - the original station close to that site will be situated to display information".
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