Preserved at Bideford

Following up on my recent comments about my lost Bideford Westward Ho! and Appledore 2‑4‑2T model, Alan Wilkinson wrote to remind me that this year marks the centenary of the closure of the BWHAR, which was requisitioned for the war effort in 1917. He also pointed out that a unique survivor, the SS Freshspring, a 1946-built Royal Navy water tender, is under restoration at Bideford.

Peter Lewis of Ivybridge sent me this photo of his lovely ‘O’ gauge Hunslet 2‑4‑2T, based on the BWHAR locomotives. It’s built from plastic, wood, brass and stainless steel, and it runs on an Atlas mechanism. It’s named Westward Ho and carries a pair of ‘OO’ Bulleid nameplates.