Last month on Saturday 8th June 2019, Bachmann Europe Plc visited the Bluebell Railway during its Atlantic House Open Weekend to present a cheque for £10,617.50 to the Bluebell Railway Atlantic Group.  This follows the release of the excellent Bachmann Branchline OO scale model of the H2 Class Atlantic locomotive in 2018, my review of the model can be read here.

The donation was made in recognition of the assistance provided by the group during the development of the Branchline model. The model was first announced during the 2013 Bachmann Collectors Club Members Day which was held at the Bluebell Railway and during which club members were able to see the development of the full size locomotive for themselves.

In October 2000 the Bluebell Railway announced its intentions to build a new H2 Atlantic locomotive, based on No. 32424 ‘Beachy Head’ (the original ‘Beachy Head’ had been withdrawn in 1958), at which point it had already amassed several key components including a boiler (from a GNR Atlantic), a tender chassis (from a LBSCR B4) and tender wheelsets and axleboxes (from a LBSCR C2X). The project continues apace, and it is hoped that the locomotive will enter service on the Bluebell Railway during 2021. More information on the H2 Atlantic Project can be found here 

A video of the presentation can be watched here.