Sowa Bridge

Postcard, Sowa Bridge, Sierra Leone, depicting Hunslet side-tank locomotive and three coaches passing over the bridge, inscribed on front 'Very many thanks for Mr C letter + map. Will write more soon. Hope you are having a good time there.' Addressed to F A Meck Esq, 11 Priory Avenue, Hastings, England. The bridge is the longest in Sierra Leone. Construction commenced in November 1903, and it was opened on the 1st August by the Acting Governor, Brigadier General Graves, when a bottle of Champagne was hung at the centre of the bridge to be smashed as the engine steamed over. This postcard is part of the collection of the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum which was founded in 2004. The Museum is based in Cline Town, Freetown, Sierra Leone and tells the story of the construction, development and operation of the railways in Sierra Leone.