There is something to be said for the road bridge between St Budeaux and Saltash - it makes for a good platform from which to photograph Brunel's masterpiece of 1859, as 4-6-0 7022 Hereford Castle brings the relief to the 1650 Penzance - Manchester across in subdued evening light on 4 August 1962.

Steam On West Of England Main Lines
© Peter W. Gray

Expectant seagulls gather round the fishermen gutting their catch below, as 0-6-0PT 6410 takes a 'sandwich' auto onto the Royal Albert Bridge. This is the 1640 from Saltash to Plymouth on 29 September 1959, composed of three ex-GWR and one BR built trailers, No's W163W, W229W, W167W and W189W. The Royal Albert Bridge was celebrating its centenary that year and was floodlit each evening for that summer only.

Steam Around Devon And Cornwall
© Peter W. Gray

From the fields above Coome-by-Saltash viaduct on 25 July 1959 the second part of the summer Saturday 'Cornish Rivera Express' can be seen crossing the Royal Albert Bridge into Cornwall. The train, headed by 4-6-0s 7816 Frilsham Manor and 1021 County Of Montgomery is observing the 15mph speed restriction over the bridge. This train left Paddington at 1035 carrying portions for Penzance and Falmouth, and, after leaving Plymouth was booked to stop at Truro, Gwinear Road and Penzance Only. The steam chain ferry, which then maintained the road link with a half-hourly service between Saltash and St. Budeaux, is in mid-passage across the River Tamar. After over 700 years, this service closed in October 1961 with the opening of the new road bridge.

Steam In Cornwall
© Peter W. Gray

On the banks of the River Tamar, across which strides Brunel's masterpiece, the Royal Albert Bridge (floodlit in 1959 to celebrate its centenary), then alone dominating the river as it had done for the past 100 years.

Steam In Cornwall
© Peter W. Gray

.On 29 September 0-6-0PT 6400 enclosed by pairs of postwar auto coaches forming the 1610 Saltash - Plymouth will take these school children home to tea on the St. Budeaux side. Bus services to East Cornwall terminated near Saltash Station so that passengers could either transfer to the train or walk down to the river and take the chain ferry across the river and the bus into Plymouth. On the down platform the station nameboard is rather lost in a sea of advertisements including 'Part Outings By Rail' and under the canopy is Cuneo's poster of the bridge, painted to celebrate its centenary that year.

Steam In Cornwall
© Peter W. Gray

.An auto-saloon stands in Saltash station on a cold and wet November afternoon in 1959. The car is on of those built by the GWR in the 1929-33 period and, fortunately, the double sliding doors to the driver's vestibule are open, enabling us to see the regulator leaver (hanging down), hand and vacuum brake controls. The interior panels were grained and varnished wood contrast with the black and white photographs which were a feature of every GWR coach interior.

Steam In Cornwall
© Peter W. Gray