Steam engine restoration remembers Gandhi visit

A steam engine has been given a new look to preserve reminders of a town's industrial heritage.

The Cross Compound Steam Engine outside India Mill in Darwen has been repainted to reflect the town's links to the cotton industry, its historical relationship with India and Mahatma Gandhi's visit to Darwen in September 1931.

The restoration used three colours, each selected for a specific historical reason, and together they also recreate the colours of the Indian flag, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Leader of Darwen Town Council, Anthony Shaw, said: "It is vital that we protect our heritage for future generations of Darweners to enjoy and interact with."

The main colour used was "Invisible Green", a colour commonly used on Victorian ironwork and machinery.

The council said it became a familiar sight in mill towns, often because surplus paint from country estates was used on industrial equipment.

White detailing was added using an authentic 19th Century shade known as "Natural White", chosen to symbolise the quality and purity of Lancashire cotton.

A third colour, "Burnt Saffron", reflects the town's historical links with India.

Built between 1859 and 1871, India Mill became one of the most important textile sites in North East Lancashire and was closely linked to the cotton trade with India.

When Gandhi visited Lancashire in 1931, he travelled to Darwen to see the impact the Indian boycott of British cotton goods was having on local communities.

Despite the economic hardship facing mill workers, thousands of people turned out to welcome him.

Gandhi is remembered for his leading role in India's movement for independence from British rule, particularly for his methods of non-violent resistance.

Shaw said: "The engine now looks absolutely superb and the symbolism behind the colours and the links to India is something that all people from Darwen are proud of."

"Our industrial past has shaped us as a town and as a community and we must celebrate it now and forever," he added.

Further groundwork and improvements to railings around the engine are due to be completed later.

The town council said its next heritage restoration project would be the tram turning point at Whitehall.

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