Engineering Timelines - Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash River Tamar, Saltash, Cornwall, UK associated engineer date 1853 - 3rd May 1859 era Victorian | category Bridge | reference SX434588 ICE reference number HEW 29 photo PHEW A bowstring semi-suspension railway bridge built to extend the South Devon Railway into Cornwall (left hand bridge in the picture). It crosses the tidal river Tamar at 100ft from high water to rail level. The Tamar was a formidable obstacle to overcome. Brunel chose a point three miles north-west of Plymouth, where the river narrows, to make the crossing but even so, it is 1000ft wide and 70 ft deep at high water here. A design consisting of two 455ft main spans was settled upon, with a central deep water pier. Seventeen approach spans were required, varying from 69ft to 93ft wide. The main spans consist of two trusses, the top members of which are tubular wrought iron parabolic arches.

They support 72 ft long wrought iron girders carrying the train track. The girders are supported by 20ft suspension chains, one hung from each side of the arches. Many of the suspension chains used here were originally made for the Clifton Suspension Bridge, the construction of which had been held up owing to financial difficulties (it was completed after Brunel's death). The trusses and chains are supported by three towers that rise 50ft above track level. The two side towers are built of masonry. Arches above track level form portals for the trains. The central tower is made of cast iron sections and masonry. It was founded on bedrock 96ft below high water level using a compressed air technique developed by John D'Urban Hughes in the early 1850s and refined by Brunel's assistant, R.P. Brereton. In all, the foundation works for the bridge took 3 years to complete. Brunel survived the completion of the bridge by only four months. The directors of the railway company had his name set over each portal as a memorial.

Renewals and detail modifications have been made to the bridge at various times since 1928 to enable it to carry heavier trains and to counter corrosion-fatigue. Brunel's bridge is still the only semi-suspension bridge in daily use on a main trunk railway. Contractor: C.J. Mare Royal Albert Bridge Royal Albert Bridge The Royal Albert Bridge spans the River Tamar in the United Kingdom between Plymouth, on the Devon bank, and Saltash on the Cornish bank. It carries the Cornish Main Line railway in and out of Cornwall. Royal Albert Bridge Total length 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m) Width 16.83 feet (5.13 m) (inside piers) Height 172 feet (52.4 m) Longest span 2 of 455 feet (138.7 m) Number of spans 19 Beginning date of construction May 1854 Completion date April 1859 Opening date 2 May 1859 It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Surveying started in 1848 and construction commenced in 1854.

The first main span was positioned in 1857 and the completed bridge was opened by Prince Albert on 2 May 1859. Brunel died later that year and his name was then placed above the portals at either end of the bridge as a memorial. Work was carried out during the twentieth century to replace the approach spans and strengthen the main spans. It has attracted sightseers since its construction and has appeared in many paintings, photographs and guidebooks. Centenary celebrations took place in 1959 and further events are scheduled for 2009, 150 years after its opening. пїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅ пїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅпїЅ «Royal Albert Bridge» - Royal Albert Bridge : Wikis (The Full Wiki) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other bridges bearing the name Albert, see Albert Bridge .

Royal Albert Bridge 16.83 feet (5.13 m) (inside piers) Height 2 of 455 feet (138.7 m) Number of spans 50°24′27″N 4°12′12″W﻿ / ﻿50.407575°N -4.203389°E﻿ / 50.407575; -4.203389 Coordinates : 50°24′27″N 4°12′12″W﻿ / ﻿50.407575°N -4.203389°E﻿ / 50.407575; -4.203389 The Royal Albert Bridge spans the River Tamar in the United Kingdom between Plymouth , on the Devon bank, and Saltash on the Cornish bank.

Its unique design consists of two 455 feet (138.7 m) lenticular iron trusses 100 feet (30.5 m) above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives it a total length of 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m). It carries the Cornish Main Line railway in and out of Cornwall. It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel . Surveying started in 1848 and construction commenced in 1854. The first main span was positioned in 1857 and the completed bridge was opened by Prince Albert on 2 May 1859. Brunel died later that year and his name was then placed above the portals at either end of the bridge as a memorial. Work was carried out during the twentieth century to replace the approach spans and strengthen the main spans. It has attracted sightseers since its construction and has appeared in many paintings, photographs and guidebooks. Anniversary celebrations took place in 1959 and 2009.

Contents 8 External links Cornwall Railway Two rival schemes for a railway to Falmouth, Cornwall were proposed in the 1830s. The 'central' scheme was a route from Exeter around the north of Dartmoor , an easy route to construct but with little intermediate traffic. The other, the 'coastal' scheme, was a line with many engineering difficulties but which could serve the important naval town of Plymouth and the industrial area around St Austell . The central scheme was backed by the London and South Western Railway while the coastal scheme was supported by the Cornwall Railway and backed by the Great Western Railway which wanted it to join up with the South Devon Railway at Devonport . The Cornwall Railway applied for an Act of Parliament in 1845 but it was rejected, in part because of William Moorsom 's plan to carry trains across the water of the Hamoaze on the Torpoint Ferry . Following this Isambard Kingdom Brunel took over as engineer and proposed to cross the water higher upsteam at Saltash. The Act enabling this scheme was passed on 3 August 1846.

[1] Design A drawing of one span and its piers The structure was the third in a series of three large wrought iron bridges built in the middle of the nineteenth century and was influenced by the preceding two, both of which had been designed by Robert Stephenson . The two central sections of Brunel's bridge are novel adaptations of the design Stephenson employed for the High Level Bridge across the River Tyne in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1849. Brunel was present when Stephenson raised the girders of his Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait in the same year. [2] From 1849 to 1853 was Brunel erecting an iron bridge of his own. The Chepstow Bridge carried the South Wales Railway across the River Wye and featured a main truss of 300 feet (91 m) with a curving tubular main member, and three conventional plate-girder approach spans of 100 feet (30 m), a similar solution to that adopted for crossing the River Tamar at Saltash. [3] The river is about 1,100 feet (340 m) wide at Saltash.

Brunel's first thoughts had been to cross this on a timber viaduct with a central span of 255 feet (78 m) and six approach spans of 105 feet (32 m) with 80 feet (24 m) clearance above the water. This was rejected by the Admiralty, who had statutory responsibility for navigable waters, and Brunel thus produced a design to give 100 feet (30 m) clearance, with two spans of 300 feet (91 m) and two of 200 feet (61 m). [4] The final design as built consists of two main iron spans of 455 feet (138.7 m) with 100 feet (30.5 m) clearance above mean high spring tide . These two spans are lenticular trusses with the top chord of each truss comprising a heavy tubular arch in compression, while the bottom chord comprises a pair of chains. Each of the trusses is simply supported and therefore no horizontal thrust is exerted on the piers, which is crucial in view of the curved track on either side.

Between these two chords are supporting cross-bracing members and suspension standards which hang beneath the bottom chord to carry the railway deck which is a continuous plate beam. There are also seventeen much shorter and more conventional plate-girder approach spans on the shore.

On the Cornish side there are ten which measure (from Saltash station towards the river): 67.5 feet (20.6 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 72.5 feet (22.1 m), 78.0 feet (23.8 m), 83.5 feet (25.5 m), 93.0 feet (28.3 m), and seven on the Devon side of (from the river towards St Budeaux): 93.0 feet (28.3 m), 83.5 feet (25.5 m), 78.0 feet (23.8 m), 72.5 feet (22.1 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m

).

This gives a total length for the nineteen spans of 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m). [3] History Construction the first span and centre pier under construction in 1854, seen from Saltash The first work was to properly survey the river bed. On 26 April 1848 a 6 feet (1.8 m) iron cylinder 85 feet (25.9 m) tall was launched into the Tamar. From the bottom of this the bed of the river could be examined to identify its nature and the location of solid foundations. The Cornwall Railway at this time was finding it difficult to raise funds and so most operations were suspended that summer, but a small fund was allowed for Brunel to continue the survey. The cylinder was positioned at 35 different places and a total of 175 borings made. [3] In 1853 the tenders for the bridge were considered by the Cornwall Railway Board, and it was decided to let the work to Charles Mare, a shipbuilder from Blackwall who had built the ironwork for the Britannia Bridge.

The fee he sought for building the Saltash Bridge was £162,000, but on 21 September 1855 he filed for bankruptcy. Brunel proposed that the company should take over the works on the bridge without engaging another contractor, to which the company agreed. Mare's first task had been to establish an erecting yard on the Devon shore with a jetty and workshops. He then proceeded to construct a 37 feet (11.3 m) iron cylinder 90 feet (27.4 m) tall which was to form the work base for the construction of the central pier. This was launched in May 1854 and moored in the centre of the river between four pontoons. The bottom had been shaped to follow the rock surveyed in 1848; once it was settled on the river bed the water was pumped out, the mud within it excavated, and a solid masonry pier built up clear of the water. This was completed in November 1856. The landward piers on the Cornish side of the river were completed in 1854 and the girders for these spans were hoisted up to their correct positions.

Next to be built was the main truss for the Cornwall side of the river. The lower ties of the trusses formed of chains made from 20 feet (6.1 m) links. Many were obtained from the suspended works for Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge and others rolled new for Saltash. The Cornwall span was floated into position on 1 September 1857 and jacked up to full height in 3 feet (910 mm) stages as the piers were built up beneath it, the central pier using cast iron octagonal columns; the landward one using ordinary masonry. The second span soon after it was floated onto the piers and had been jacked up the first 12 feet (3.7 m) towards its final posiiton With the yard now cleared of the first truss, work could start on the main Devon span. This was similarly floated into position on 10 July 1858 and then raised in a similar manner; it was in its final position by 28 December 1858.

After this had been removed, part of the yard had to be cleared to allow the construction of the final landward pier and then the Devon approach spans could be raised up to their final position. The work was sufficiently advanced that directors were able to make an inspection by train on 11 April 1859. The Cornwall span had been tested before it was launched. The two ends were supported on substantial timber piers and the remaining scaffolding removed. Static loads of 1.25 and then 2.25 tons per foot were placed on the deck, the deflections measured and any permanent change measured once the road was removed. Now that it was completed, the bridge had its statutory inspection and tests by Colonel Yolland on behalf of the Board of Trade on 20 April 1859. He ran a heavy train over the bridge and measured deflections in the main trusses of 1.14 inches (29 mm) in the Devon truss, and 1.20 inches (30 mm) in the Cornwall one. Overall he described it as 'highly satisfactory'. [3] Opening day Prince Albert had agreed to the bridge being named after him as early as 1853.

He was also invited to perform the opening ceremony and so on 2 May 1859 he travelled down from Windsor on a special train. Several thousand spectators attended that day but Brunel was not there due to illness, [5] and guests from Cornwall failed to arrive in time for the ceremony as their train broke down at Liskeard . [6] Public services commenced on 4 May 1859. [4] Changes since 1859 The words I.K. BRUNEL, ENGINEER, 1859 appear in large metal letters on either end of the bridge, added as a memorial after his death on 5 September 1859. In 1921, new access platforms were added that obscured the lettering but in 2006 Network Rail relocated the platforms, allowing the name to be clearly seen again. [7] The walkways had previously been temporarily removed in 1959 and the bridge floodlit during its centenary year. [3] 401 new cross-girders were fitted in 1905 to allow heavier locomotives to pass over.

In 1908 the two spans nearest Saltash railway station were replaced with wider ones to accommodate a new track layout. The remaining approach spans were replaced on both sides of the river during 1928 and 1929. During the 1930s new cross-bracing and diagonal sway-bracing were added between the vertical standards to further strengthen the bridge and keep the suspension chains hanging in the correct shape. [3] Viewing the bridge Looking out from the view point by the Tamar Bridge office on the Devon bank It is still possible to travel over the bridge by using a train on the Cornish Main Line , and pass below it on the River Tamar. Cruise boats operate between Phoenix Wharf, Plymouth , Saltash, and Calstock . [8] There are also several view points around the bridge. The Devon piers can be reached from the waterfront at St Budeaux. The yard where the spans were constructed was situated alongside the bridge at the foot of the road down the hill.

Panorama of the Royal Albert Bridge and the Tamar Bridge Cultural impact Bench seat at the Brunel Museum , Rotherhithe , London incorporating a model of the bridge The construction of such a large and distinctive bridge soon caught the attention of the general public. The launching of the Cornish span in 1857 attracted a crowd of around 20,000, [5] and many people also came to witness the launch of the Devon span and the opening day. [3] During its construction it was photographed many times and after its opening it was the subject for many paintings, including those by local artist Alfred Wallis . [9] . It has also been the subject of many photographs and postcards . [10] It was already a feature guidebooks in the year of its opening: It is a labour of Hercules , but Mr Brunel has accomplished the feat proclaimed one, and went on to report in detail the design and construction of the bridge that for novelty and ingenuity of construction stands unrivalled in the world. [11] More than 100 years later it continues to appear in many travel guides and features.

[12] John Betjeman summed up its impact on the traveller: The general grey slate and back gardens of Plymouth, as seen from the Great Western made the surprise of Saltash Bridge all the more exciting. Up and down stream, grey battleships were moored in the Tamar and its reaches. Hundreds of feet below, the pathetic steam ferry to Saltash from the Devon bank tried to compete with Brunel's mighty bridge. [13] The bridge has become a symbol of the transition from Devon to Cornwall. In the Great Western Railway's The Cornish Riviera travel guide, SPB Mais regarded it as an almost magic means of transporting travellers from a county , which, if richer than others, is yet unmistakingly an English county, to a Duchy which is in every respect un-English. You shut your eyes going over the Saltash Bridge only to open them again on a foreign scene. [14] However, Cornish people look at it in the other way; in the song "Cousin Jack", English folk duo Show of Hands sing I dream of a bridge on the Tamar, It opens us up to the East.

Special events A new commemorative plaque was unveiled at Saltash station on 4 May 2009 to recognise the 150th anniversary of the bridge Special occasions have been marked over the years by special events: 1859 – the bridge was opened by Prince Albert two days before the railway was opened to the public. he arrived by special train from Windsor , was shown around the bridge and the works yard, and then left aboard the Royal Yacht . [3] 1959 – floodlights lit up the bridge during 1959 in celebration of its centenary. [3] 2006 – Isambard Kingdom Brunel 's 200th anniversary was celebrated by Network Rail permanently removing the access ways that covered his name above the portals. [7] 2009 – 2009 was the 150th anniversary of the opening of the bridge. During the bank holiday weekend of 2-4 May there were many special events to commemorate this, including a guided walk across the bridge and a re-enactment of the opening day. [15] References ^ Ostler, Edward (1982).

History of the Cornwall Railway 1835-1846. Weston-super-Mare: Avon-Anglia. ISBN 0-90546-648-9. ^ Norrie, Charles Matthew (1956). Bridging the Years - a short history of British Civil Engineering. Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd. Building the bridge - Royal Albert Bridge - Saltash Cornwall Royal Albert Bridge - Saltash Cornwall Menu: Contact Building of the bridge It is difficult for us to comprehend the scale and complexity of the construction of a new railway like the Great Western or Cornish Railway today. Among Brunel’s gifts was to understand that, if passengers were to fully appreciate the romance of the railway, its engineering had to be invisible. The trains should float over the landscape with such apparent ease that their passengers did not notice if they were climbing hills or fording water. To achieve this, Brunel and his team designed numerous viaducts, tunnels, embankments and sea defences.

Arguably his greatest challenge – and achievement – was on the Cornish Railway where he designed the Royal Albert railway bridge to cross the River Tamar at its narrowest point of 1,100 feet at Saltash allowing sufficient height for sailing ships to pass underneath. Brunel’s solution was a two-span bowstring suspension bridge with a single rail track. Each of two main spans was a wrought iron tubular arch with a profile in the form of a parabola. Sets of suspension chains hung on each side of the tube in a catenary curve with the tube’s rise equalling the dip of the chains. To create enough room for sailing ships to pass beneath the bridge, Brunel proposed a central pier and two spans each of 465 feet. There were two principal difficulties. First, the creation of the pier in the middle of the river, which Brunel solved by designing a Great Cylinder to be floated into position and to act as a coffer dam. The second was the raising of the main spans. These were built on the Devon foreshore and floated into position.

The Cornwall pier was erected first and jacked up three feet at a time to enable the brickwork on the landward pier and ironwork on the central pier to be erected beneath. ✕ Royal Albert Bridge | bridge, Saltash, England, United Kingdom | Britannica.com Royal Albert Bridge bridge, Saltash, England, United Kingdom THIS IS A DIRECTORY PAGE. Britannica does not currently have an article on this topic. The Royal Albert Bridge (1859) over the River Tamar at Saltash, Eng., designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. © Photos.com/Jupiterimages The Royal Albert Bridge over the River Tamar at Saltash, Cornwall, Eng. Owen Dunn Learn about this topic in these articles: in Isambard Kingdom Brunel ...the Victorian lines in Australia and the Eastern Bengal Railway in India. His first notable railway works were the Box Tunnel and the Maidenhead Bridge, and his last were the Chepstow and Saltash (Royal Albert) bridges, all in England. The Maidenhead Bridge had the flattest brick arch in the world. His use of a compressed-air caisson to sink the pier foundations for the bridge helped gain...

in bridge (engineering): Railway bridges ...to be carried by chain suspension cables, but, during the building, extensive theoretical work and testing indicated that the cables were not needed; thus the towers stand strangely useless. For the Royal Albert Bridge (1859) over the River Tamar at Saltash, England, designer Isambard Kingdom Brunel used a combination of tubular arch and chain cable. The arches rise above the deck and, in... Royal Albert Bridge RAB at Saltash Albert Bridge is now regarded as a national treasure and the predominant landmark of Saltash, but the plan to build a bridge at Saltash had competition. The first plan put forward was a line surveyed by Captain William Scarth Moorsom for the Cornwall Railway (CR) and was to cross the river at Torpoint then follow the path of what is now the A374 towards Polbathic and Trerulefoot. When this bill was deposited for the 1845 session of Parliament the promoters were surprised to find another bill sponsored by the � Devon and Cornwall Central Railway�, supported by the LSWR had also been deposited. This was for a line from Exeter via Okehampton and Bodmin.

(Both companies saw Falmouth as the primary destination, being the third largest deep water port in the world). The Cornwall Railway plan won the day. The D&CCR plan was thrown out by the House of Commons on the ground of �Lack of commercial benefit and difficult to engineer due to high embankments�, they seemed to overlook the engineering challenge the CR would face in crossing the Tamar by ferry and overcoming the tight bends and steep gradients on route. Fortunately for Saltash the Cornwall Railway�s plan was thrown out by the House of Lords who recommended the route be re-surveyed. The CR brought in IK Brunel, the engineer for the Great Western Railway (GWR) and the South Devon railway (SDR) to replace Captain Moorsom. Brunel advocated a line from a junction with the SDR at Devonport crossing the Tamar by a high level bridge at Saltash and then via St. Germans to join the original planned route. The bridge over the Tamar was to have no more than four spans and had to be approved by the Admiralty. The new plan was re-submitted to Parliament and after a fight received Royal Assent on the 3rd August 1846.

Broad gauge was to be used throughout and the existing standard gauge West Cornwall Railway (WCR) lines were to be converted to dual gauge Brunel toyed with a number of ideas for crossing the Tamar but his options were limited by the Admiralty�s requirement for 100ft clearance and the lack of natural rock or hard ground mid stream. He called on his own experience gained when building the bridge over the river Wye at Chepstow and that of his friend, Stephenson who had built the Britannia tubular bridge over the Menai Straights. Brunel finally decided on a suspension bridge of two spans each of 455ft and seventeen approach spans (seven on the Devon side and ten on the Cornwall side) Everything hinged on finding rock in the bed of the Tamar to support the weight of the centre pier and both spans. This Brunel did by standing an 85ft tube vertical in mid stream and carrying out a large number of borings into the river bed to find the best location for the centre pier. This was completed by early 1849 and a trial foundation laid. In 1853 a contract to build the bridge was awarded to the firm of C.J.

Mare but they went bankrupt in 1885 Brunel decided to supervise the building of the bridge himself. Foundations A huge cylinder was constructed on shore, 95ft long, 35ft in diameter and weighing 300tons. By February 1855 the cylinder had been floated into position and stood upright on the river bed. The lower section contained a pressurised work area where, after all the mud had been removed, the rock was excavated for three feet before construction of the foundations began. Construction of the main pier continued until the end of 1856 when it was capped at 12 ft above the high water line, the upper sections of the coffer dam, which had been constructed in two halves, were then removed. Centre Column While the centre column foundations were being built work was progressing on the construction of the western span. This was carried out in a temporary dock built on the Devon bank of the river, each span was to be 455ft long and weigh 1060 tons. These spans were to be supported on granite and limestone pillars on the land sides and in the centre of the river supported on four cast iron octagonal columns (two per span).

When complete each column would weigh 100 tons and be 100ft tall. Each column was constructed in 6ft sections which were lifted into place to support the spans as they were raised by huge hydraulic jacks. As the columns were raised cross braces were fitted so that they would strengthen and support each other. Main Spans The first span to be completed was the Saltash span. Two pontoons with sealed hulls were constructed and floated into docks excavated below each end of the truss, valves were opened and the pontoons flooded until they came to rest on the dock bottom. A timber frame was built on each pontoon capable of supporting the weight of the truss. The date was set for Tuesday 1 September 1857. The night before at low tide valves were opened to drain the water from the pontoons. As the tide came in the pontoons floated and by 1pm the truss was clear, it was slowly towed into the middle of the river and swung round 90�, by 3pm the truss had been edged into position between the centre and western pier and the valves opened allowing the pontoons to sink and the truss to settle onto the piers.

The operation was watched by a large crowd of 30 � 40,000 and many official guests. A public holiday was declared in Saltash, tents and marquees were erected with much food and drink consumed. Raising the Span Raising the Saltash span 100ft took until May 1858 (an average of 6ft per week). Hydraulic jacks were used to alternately raise each end 3ft at a time, the Saltash pier being built up with limestone after each lift while on the centre pier a new 6ft section of hexagonal ironwork was added to each column after every second lift. Constuction of the Devon span took eight months, a lot quicker than the Cornish span but in the time since the Cornish span had been floated out, the base of the Devon span pier had been constructed, making this manouvre more difficult. Constuction was complete by 30 June 1858 and the date for moving the span into position between the piers was set for Saturday 10 July 1858.

Brunel was in poor health and was spending time in the dry heat of Egypt so the whole operation was carried out under the direction of R.P. Brereton who had assumed control in Brunel�s absence. At about 2pm the span was afloat and gradually moved out from its construction stage, it was warped up stream to clear the Devon pier before being turned across the river and gradually inched into place, the ends of the span finally being located on the piers at about 5pm. The lift began on 9 August and by 28 December 1858 the truss had been lifted 98ft to match the Cornish span. The occasion was celebrated by the management and work force unfurling the Royal Standard on top of the arch and giving three cheers. Opening Day The bridge was opened by His Royal Highness Prince Albert (who had given his permission for the bridge to be called �RoyalAlbertBridge�) on Monday 2nd May 1859. In preparation for the opening a platform was built on the Devon side of the bridge. A military band and guard with a battery of artillery were gathered with dignitaries from all over Devon and Cornwall .

Special trains were laid on to bring guests and observers to the bridge, unfortunately the special train from Truro broke down at Liskeard causing the Mayor of Truro and his guests to miss the proceedings. The royal train was due to reach Saltash at 12 noon, the driver given the honour of driving the train was Thomas Tunstall who a few week earlier had driven the first test train over the bridge, Daniel Gooch, the locomotive superintendent of the GWR, was also on the footplate. The train stopped at the specially constructed platform where His Royal Highness was received by the Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and other dignitaries, an address was given by the Mayor of Saltash before His Royal Highness and party boarded the train and slowly crossed the bridge. At Saltash the crowd cheered as the train slowly passed through the station before stopping at Coombe Viaduct where the royal party examined the construction of the timber viaduct before returning to Saltash Station where the royal visitor left his carriage and with specially invited guests walked across the bridge back to the Devon side. He then declared the bridge open to much cheering and applause. Brunel could not attend the opening due to failing health.

The opening ceremony now over the royal party descended to the bridge works on the Devon bank of the Tamar to examine the plans and meet the directors of the Cornwall Railway before retiring to a marquee for lunch. In the afternoon the royal party embarked on the Admiralty yacht Vivid to view the bridge from the river before cruising up the St Germans River. They returned via Mount Edgcumbe Park to re-embarked on the Vivid at Cawsand, crossing to Royal William Yard en route to Millbay Station where the royal train was waiting to return the party to Windsor The Cornwall Railway was officially opened throughout from Millbay to Truro the next day by the directors of the company. The Cornwall Railway had previously purchased the branch line from Millbay to Devonport from the South Devon Railway with the agreement that Milbay Station would become a joint enterprise. Later in May Brunel who was now very weak and failing health returned to Britain and arrangements were made for him to see his completed bridge. His friend Daniel Gooch organised for a coach to be mounted on a flat trolley and a locomotive to pull the trolley slowly across the bridge. Brunel then returned home where he died surrounded by his family on 15 September 1859.

As a tribute to Brunel the directors of the Cornwall Railway decided to have the lettering: Royal Albert Bridge : definition of Royal Albert Bridge and synonyms of Royal Albert Bridge (English) 50°24′27″N 4°12′12″W﻿ / ﻿50.407575°N 4.203389°W﻿ / 50.407575; -4.203389 Coordinates : 50°24′27″N 4°12′12″W﻿ / ﻿50.407575°N 4.203389°W﻿ / 50.407575; -4.203389 The Royal Albert Bridge is a railway bridge that spans the River Tamar in the United Kingdom between Plymouth , on the Devon bank, and Saltash on the Cornish bank.

Its unique design consists of two 455 feet (138.7 m) lenticular iron trusses 100 feet (30.5 m) above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives it a total length of 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m). It carries the Cornish Main Line railway in and out of Cornwall. It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel . Surveying started in 1848 and construction commenced in 1854. The first main span was positioned in 1857 and the completed bridge was opened by Prince Albert on 2 May 1859. Brunel died later that year and his name was then placed above the portals at either end of the bridge as a memorial. Work was carried out during the twentieth century to replace the approach spans and strengthen the main spans. It has attracted sightseers since its construction and has appeared in many paintings, photographs and guidebooks. Anniversary celebrations took place in 1959 and 2009.

Contents 8 External links Cornwall Railway Two rival schemes for a railway to Falmouth, Cornwall were proposed in the 1830s. The 'central' scheme was a route from Exeter around the north of Dartmoor , an easy route to construct but with little intermediate traffic. The other, the 'coastal' scheme, was a line with many engineering difficulties but which could serve the important naval town of Plymouth and the industrial area around St Austell . The central scheme was backed by the London and South Western Railway while the coastal scheme was supported by the Cornwall Railway and backed by the Great Western Railway which wanted it to join up with the South Devon Railway at Devonport . The Cornwall Railway applied for an Act of Parliament in 1845 but it was rejected, in part because of William Moorsom 's plan to carry trains across the water of the Hamoaze on the Torpoint Ferry . Following this Isambard Kingdom Brunel took over as engineer and proposed to cross the water higher upsteam at Saltash. The Act enabling this scheme was passed on 3 August 1846.

[1] Design A drawing of one span and its piers The structure was the third in a series of three large wrought iron bridges built in the middle of the nineteenth century and was influenced by the preceding two, both of which had been designed by Robert Stephenson . The two central sections of Brunel's bridge are novel adaptations of the design Stephenson employed for the High Level Bridge across the River Tyne in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1849. Brunel was present when Stephenson raised the girders of his Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait in the same year. [2] From 1849 to 1853 was Brunel erecting an iron bridge of his own. The Chepstow Bridge carried the South Wales Railway across the River Wye and featured a main truss of 300 feet (91 m) with a curving tubular main member, and three conventional plate-girder approach spans of 100 feet (30 m), a similar solution to that adopted for crossing the River Tamar at Saltash. [3] The river is about 1,100 feet (340 m) wide at Saltash.

Brunel's first thoughts had been to cross this on a timber viaduct with a central span of 255 feet (78 m) and six approach spans of 105 feet (32 m) with 80 feet (24 m) clearance above the water. This was rejected by the Admiralty, who had statutory responsibility for navigable waters, and Brunel thus produced a design to give 100 feet (30 m) clearance, with two spans of 300 feet (91 m) and two of 200 feet (61 m). [4] The final design as built consists of two main iron spans of 455 feet (138.7 m) with 100 feet (30.5 m) clearance above mean high spring tide . These two spans are lenticular trusses with the top chord of each truss comprising a heavy tubular arch in compression, while the bottom chord comprises a pair of chains. Each of the trusses is simply supported and therefore no horizontal thrust is exerted on the piers, which is crucial in view of the curved track on either side.

Between these two chords are supporting cross-bracing members and suspension standards which hang beneath the bottom chord to carry the railway deck which is a continuous plate beam. There are also seventeen much shorter and more conventional plate-girder approach spans on the shore.

On the Cornish side there are ten which measure (from Saltash station towards the river): 67.5 feet (20.6 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 72.5 feet (22.1 m), 78.0 feet (23.8 m), 83.5 feet (25.5 m), 93.0 feet (28.3 m), and seven on the Devon side of (from the river towards St Budeaux): 93.0 feet (28.3 m), 83.5 feet (25.5 m), 78.0 feet (23.8 m), 72.5 feet (22.1 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m), 69.5 feet (21.2 m

).

This gives a total length for the nineteen spans of 2,187.5 feet (666.8 m). [3] History Construction A tide recorder designed by Brunel as part of his survey The first work was to properly survey the river bed. On 26 April 1848 a 6 feet (1.8 m) iron cylinder 85 feet (25.9 m) tall was launched into the Tamar. From the bottom of this the bed of the river could be examined to identify its nature and the location of solid foundations. The Cornwall Railway at this time was finding it difficult to raise funds and so most operations were suspended that summer, but a small fund was allowed for Brunel to continue the survey. The cylinder was positioned at 35 different places and a total of 175 borings made. [3] In 1853 the tenders for the bridge were considered by the Cornwall Railway Board, and it was decided to let the work to Charles Mare , a shipbuilder from Blackwall who had built the ironwork for the Britannia Bridge .

The fee he sought for building the Saltash Bridge was £162,000, but on 21 September 1855 he filed for bankruptcy. Brunel proposed that the company should take over the works on the bridge without engaging another contractor, to which the company agreed. The first span and centre pier under construction in 1854, seen from Saltash Mare's first task had been to establish an erecting yard on the Devon shore with a jetty and workshops. He then proceeded to construct a 37 feet (11.3 m) iron cylinder 90 feet (27.4 m) tall which was to form the work base for the construction of the central pier. This was launched in May 1854 and moored in the centre of the river between four pontoons. The bottom had been shaped to follow the rock surveyed in 1848; once it was settled on the river bed the water was pumped out, the mud within it excavated, and a solid masonry pier built up clear of the water. This was completed in November 1856.

The landward piers on the Cornish side of the river were completed in 1854 and the girders for these spans were hoisted up to their correct positions. Next to be built was the main truss for the Cornwall side of the river. The lower ties of the trusses formed of chains made from 20 feet (6.1 m) links. Many were obtained from the suspended works for Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge and others rolled new for Saltash. The Cornwall span was floated into position on 1 September 1857 and jacked up to full height in 3 feet (910 mm) stages as the piers were built up beneath it, the central pier using cast iron octagonal columns; the landward one using ordinary masonry. The second span soon after it was floated onto the piers and had been jacked up the first 12 feet (3.7 m) towards its final position With the yard now cleared of the first truss, work could start on the main Devon span.

This was similarly floated into position on 10 July 1858 and then raised in a similar manner; it was in its final position by 28 December 1858. After this had been removed, part of the yard had to be cleared to allow the construction of the final landward pier and then the Devon approach spans could be raised up to their final position. The work was sufficiently advanced that directors were able to make an inspection by train on 11 April 1859. The Cornwall span had been tested before it was launched. The two ends were supported on substantial timber piers and the remaining scaffolding removed. Static loads of 1.25 and then 2.25 tons per foot were placed on the deck, the deflections measured and any permanent change measured once the road was removed. Now that it was completed, the bridge had its statutory inspection and tests by Colonel Yolland on behalf of the Board of Trade on 20 April 1859.

He ran a heavy train over the bridge and measured deflections in the main trusses of 1.14 inches (29 mm) in the Devon truss, and 1.20 inches (30 mm) in the Cornwall one. Overall he described it as 'highly satisfactory'. [3] Opening day Prince Albert had agreed to the bridge being named after him as early as 1853. He was also invited to perform the opening ceremony, and on 2 May 1859 he travelled from Windsor on a special train. Several thousand spectators attended that day, but illness prevented Brunel's attendance, [5] and guests from Cornwall were late for the ceremony as their train broke down at Liskeard . [6] Public services commenced on 4 May 1859. [4] Changes since 1859 The words I.K. BRUNEL, ENGINEER, 1859 appear in large metal letters on either end of the bridge, added as a memorial after his death on 5 September 1859.

In 1921, new access platforms were added that obscured the lettering but in 2006 Network Rail relocated the platforms, allowing the name to be clearly seen again. [7] The walkways had previously been temporarily removed in 1959 and the bridge floodlit during its centenary year. [3] 401 new cross-girders were fitted in 1905 to allow heavier locomotives to pass over. In 1908 the two spans nearest Saltash railway station were replaced with wider ones to accommodate a new track layout. The remaining approach spans were replaced on both sides of the river during 1928 and 1929. During the 1930s new cross-bracing and diagonal sway-bracing were added between the vertical standards to further strengthen the bridge and keep the suspension chains hanging in the correct shape. [3] Viewing the bridge Looking out from the view point by the Tamar Bridge office on the Devon bank It is still possible to travel over the bridge by using a train on the Cornish Main Line , and pass below it on the River Tamar.

Cruise boats operate between Phoenix Wharf, Plymouth , Saltash, and Calstock . [8] There are also several view points around the bridge. The Devon piers can be reached from the waterfront at St Budeaux. The yard where the spans were constructed was situated alongside the bridge at the foot of the road down the hill. Panorama of the Royal Albert Bridge and the Tamar Bridge Cultural impact Bench seat at the Brunel Museum , Rotherhithe , London incorporating a model of the bridge The construction of such a large and distinctive bridge soon caught the attention of the general public. The launching of the Cornish span in 1857 attracted a crowd of around 20,000, [5] and many people also came to witness the launch of the Devon span and the opening day. [3] During its construction it was photographed many times and after its opening it was the subject for many paintings, including those by local artist Alfred Wallis . [9] It has also been the subject of many photographs and postcards .

[10] It was already a feature in guidebooks in the year of its opening: It is a labour of Hercules , but Mr Brunel has accomplished the feat proclaimed one, and went on to report in detail the design and construction of the bridge that for novelty and ingenuity of construction stands unrivalled in the world. [11] More than 100 years later it continues to appear in many travel guides and features. [12] John Betjeman summed up its impact on the traveller: The general grey slate and back gardens of Plymouth, as seen from the Great Western made the surprise of Saltash Bridge all the more exciting. Up and down stream, grey battleships were moored in the Tamar and its reaches. Hundreds of feet below, the pathetic steam ferry to Saltash from the Devon bank tried to compete with Brunel's mighty bridge. [13] The bridge has become a symbol of the transition from Devon to Cornwall.

In the Great Western Railway's The Cornish Riviera travel guide, SPB Mais regarded it as an almost magic means of transporting travellers from a county , which, if richer than others, is yet unmistakingly an English county, to a Duchy which is in every respect un-English. You shut your eyes going over the Saltash Bridge only to open them again on a foreign scene. [14] However, Cornish people look at it in the other way; in the song "Cousin Jack", English folk duo Show of Hands sing I dream of a bridge on the Tamar, It opens us up to the East. The bridge is also the backdrop of ITV1's The West Country Tonight during the old westcountry region. Special events A new commemorative plaque was unveiled at Saltash station on 4 May 2009 to recognise the 150th anniversary of the bridge Special occasions have been marked over the years by special events: 1859 – The bridge was opened by Prince Albert two days before the railway was opened to the public. He arrived by special train from Windsor , was shown around the bridge and the works yard, and then left aboard the Royal Yacht .

[3] 1959 – Floodlights lit up the bridge during 1959 in celebration of its centenary. [3] 2006 – The anniversary of Isambard Kingdom Brunel 's 200th birthday was celebrated by Network Rail permanently removing the access ways that covered his name above the portals. [7] 2009 – 2009 was the 150th anniversary of the opening of the bridge. During the bank holiday weekend of 2–4 May there were many special events to commemorate this, including a guided walk across the bridge and a re-enactment of the opening day. [15] References ^ Ostler, Edward (1982). History of the Cornwall Railway 1835-1846. Weston-super-Mare: Avon-Anglia. ISBN 0-905466-48-9 . ^ Norrie, Charles Matthew (1956). Bridging the Years - a short history of British Civil Engineering. Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd.

Royal Albert Bridge - Graces Guide Grace's Guide British Industrial History Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 121,920 pages of information and 183,284 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them. Royal Albert Bridge Royal Albert Bridge under construction. 1859. Aug 1935. Great Western Railway GWR Centenary. Cornish end of bridge at start of refurbishment, 2012 2012 2012. The centre pier is entirely assembled from iron castings 2012 2013. Access for this and the subsequent photos was kindly provided by Network Rail 2013. 2013. 2013. 2013. Interior of one of the centre pier columns.Each octagonal box section is an assembly of four castings. Note that the position of the four vertical joints is staggered from one box to the next The Royal Albert Bridge (also known as The Tamar Bridge) spans the River Tamar between Plymouth, on the Devon bank, and Saltash on the Cornish bank.

Its unique design consists of two 455 feet lenticular iron trusses 100 feet above the water, with conventional plate-girder approach spans. This gives it a total length of 2,187.5 feet. It carries the Cornish Main Line railway in and out of Cornwall. It was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel . Surveying started in 1848 and construction commenced in 1854. The first main span was positioned in 1857 and the completed bridge was opened by Prince Albert on 2 May 1859. Brunel died later that year and his name was then placed above the portals at either end of the bridge as a memorial. Work was carried out during the twentieth century to replace the approach spans and strengthen the main spans. Two rival schemes for a railway to Falmouth, Cornwall were proposed in the 1830s. The 'central' scheme was a route from Exeter around the north of Dartmoor, an easy route to construct but with little intermediate traffic.

The other, the 'coastal' scheme, was a line with many engineering difficulties but which could serve the important naval town of Plymouth and the industrial area around St Austell. The central scheme was backed by the London and South Western Railway while the coastal scheme was supported by the Cornwall Railway and backed by the Great Western Railway which wanted it to join up with the South Devon Railway at Devonport. The Cornwall Railway applied for an Act of Parliament in 1845 but it was rejected, in part because of the plan of William Scarth Moorsom to carry trains across the water of the Hamoaze on the Torpoint Ferry. Following this Isambard Kingdom Brunel took over as engineer and proposed to cross the water higher upsteam at Saltash. The Act enabling this scheme was passed on 3 August 1846. The structure was the third in a series of three large wrought iron bridges built in the middle of the nineteenth century and was influenced by the preceding two, both of which had been designed by Robert Stephenson . The two central sections of Brunel's bridge are novel adaptations of the design Stephenson employed for the High Level Bridge across the River Tyne in Newcastle Upon Tyne in 1849.

Brunel was present when Stephenson raised the girders of his Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait in the same year. From 1849 to 1853 was Brunel erecting an iron bridge of his own. The Chepstow Railway Bridge carried the South Wales Railway across the River Wye and featured a main truss of 300 feet with a curving tubular main member, and three conventional plate-girder approach spans of 100 feet, a similar solution to that adopted for crossing the River Tamar at Saltash. The river is around 1,100 feet wide at Saltash. Brunel's first thoughts had been to cross this on a timber viaduct with a central span of 255 feet and six approach spans of 105 feet with 80 feet clearance above the water. This was rejected by the Admiralty, who had statutory responsibility for navigable waters, and Brunel thus produced a design to give 100 feet clearance, with two spans of 300 feet and two of 200 feet.

The final design as built consists of two main iron spans of 455 feet with 100 feet clearance above mean high spring tide. These two spans are lenticular trusses with the top chord of each truss comprising a heavy tubular arch in compression, while the bottom chord comprises a pair of chains. Each of the trusses is simply supported and therefore no horizontal thrust is exerted on the piers, which is crucial in view of the curved track on either side. Between these two chords are supporting cross-bracing members and suspension standards which hang beneath the bottom chord to carry the railway deck which is a continuous plate beam. There are also seventeen much shorter and more conventional plate-girder approach spans on the shore. On the Cornish side there are ten which measure a total length for the nineteen spans of 2,187.5 feet. The first work was to properly survey the river bed. On 26 April 1848 a 6 feet iron cylinder 85 feet tall was launched into the Tamar. From the bottom of this the bed of the river could be examined to identify its nature and the location of solid foundations.

The Cornwall Railway at this time was finding it difficult to raise funds and so most operations were suspended that summer, but a small fund was allowed for Brunel to continue the survey. The cylinder was positioned at 35 different places and a total of 175 borings made. In 1853 the tenders for the bridge were considered by the Cornwall Railway Board, and it was decided to let the work to Charles Mare , a shipbuilder from Blackwall who had built the ironwork for the Britannia Bridge. The fee he sought for building the Saltash Bridge was £162,000, but on 21 September 1855 he filed for bankruptcy. Brunel proposed that the company should take over the works on the bridge without engaging another contractor, to which the company agreed. Mare's first task had been to establish an erecting yard on the Devon shore with a jetty and workshops. He then proceeded to construct a 37 feet iron cylinder 90 feet tall which was to form the work base for the construction of the central pier. This was launched in May 1854 and moored in the centre of the river between four pontoons.

The bottom had been shaped to follow the rock surveyed in 1848; once it was settled on the river bed the water was pumped out, the mud within it excavated, and a solid masonry pier built up clear of the water. This was completed in November 1856. The landward piers on the Cornish side of the river were completed in 1854 and the girders for these spans were hoisted up to their correct positions. Next to be built was the main truss for the Cornwall side of the river. The lower ties of the trusses formed of chains made from 20 feet links. Many were obtained from the suspended works for Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge and others rolled new for Saltash. The Cornwall span was floated into position on 1 September 1857 and jacked up to full height in 3 feet stages as the piers were built up beneath it, the central pier using cast iron octagonal columns; the landward one using ordinary masonry. The second span soon after it was floated onto the piers and had been jacked up the first 12 feet towards its final position.

With the yard now cleared of the first truss, work could start on the main Devon span. This was similarly floated into position on 10 July 1858 and then raised in a similar manner; it was in its final position by 28 December 1858. After this had been removed, part of the yard had to be cleared to allow the construction of the final landward pier and then the Devon approach spans could be raised up to their final position. The work was sufficiently advanced that directors were able to make an inspection by train on 11 April 1859. The Cornwall span had been tested before it was launched. The two ends were supported on substantial timber piers and the remaining scaffolding removed. Static loads of 1.25 and then 2.25 tons per foot were placed on the deck, the deflections measured and any permanent change measured once the road was removed. Now that it was completed, the bridge had its statutory inspection and tests by Colonel Yolland on behalf of the Board of Trade on 20 April 1859.

He ran a heavy train over the bridge and measured deflections in the main trusses of 1.14 inches (29 mm) in the Devon truss, and 1.20 inches (30 mm) in the Cornwall one. Overall he described it as 'highly satisfactory'. 1859 Prince Albert had agreed to the bridge being named after him as early as 1853. He was also invited to perform the opening ceremony, and on 2 May 1859 he travelled from Windsor on a special train. Several thousand spectators attended that day, but illness prevented Brunel's attendance, and guests from Cornwall were late for the ceremony as their train broke down at Liskeard. Public services commenced on 4 May 1859. The words I. K. BRUNEL, ENGINEER, 1859 appear in large metal letters on either end of the bridge, added as a memorial after his death on 5 September 1859. In 1921, new access platforms were added that obscured the lettering but in 2006 Network Rail relocated the platforms, allowing the name to be clearly seen again.

The walkways had previously been temporarily removed in 1959 and the bridge floodlit during its centenary year. 1905 Some 401 new cross-girders were fitted in 1905 to allow heavier locomotives to pass over. In 1908 the two spans nearest Saltash railway station were replaced with wider ones to accommodate a new track layout. 1928/9 The remaining approach spans were replaced on both sides of the river during 1928 and 1929. During the 1930s new cross-bracing and diagonal sway-bracing were added between the vertical standards to further strengthen the bridge and keep the suspension chains hanging in the correct shape. Sale of Construction Equipment, 1859 [1] 'CORNWALL RAILWAY, SALTASH. To Engineers, Contractors, and Others. Messrs.

FULLER aud HORSEY Are instructed TO SELL BY AUCTION, On Tuesday, September 6, and following days, at eleven each day, at the Works, Saltash Bridge, Cornwall, about three miles from Plymouth, and on the banks of the River Tamar,— THE MACHINERY and TOOLS recently used in the construction of the Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash, including two self-acting planing machines by Glasgow , one to take in 12 feet long by 8 feet wide, the other to take in 12 feet 9 in. long by 3 ft. 3 in.

wide; one very powerful sell-acting radial drilling machine (radius 11 feet 6 inches) ; a 10-inch self-acting screw-cutting lathe by Smith, Beacock, and Tannett, with 12 feet break ; 14-inch centre sefl-acting screwcutting lathe, by Parr, Curtis, and Madely ; a very powerful self-acting double lathe, for facing two surfaces at one operation ; self-acting screw-cutting machine, with taps and dies, to screw up to 2 3/4 inch ; self-acting slotting machine, by Glasgow ; three self-acting wall-drilling machines, two drilling machines, with hand feed motion, one small self-acting planing machine, Glasgow ; set of 10 ft. 6 in. plate-bending rolls, four very powerful lever punching and shearing machines, with wrought-iron levers, 11 feet each ; a 15-cwt.

Nasmyth’s steam hammer, two 30-inch Lloyd’s fans, wrought iron and wood post cranes ; an hydraulic chain-testing apparatus, with bed 54 feet long, ram and pumps, three high-pressure steam engines, of 8, 12, and 15-horse power, and boilers, two portable steam engines of 10-horse power, by Clayton, Shuttleworth, and Co. ; 200 feet turned bright shafting, 30 riggers, pattern-maker’s lathe, grindstone, large steam winding machine, by Horn; 14 very powerful crabs, stocks, taps, dies, and steel tools, vices, anvils, weighing machines, small fire-engine, and other effects. To be viewed on Saturday and Monday previous to the Sale (the machinery in motion), when catalogues, at sixpence each, may be had at the Works ; and of Messrs. Fuller and Horsey, Billiter Street, London, Note.- There is every facility for removal of the goods by either land or water carriage, as there is a jetty with crane for loading on the river, and there is a railway station at Saltash Bridge.

The works are also intersected by iron tramways. Freights are very low from Plymouth. Approved Bills at three months’ date will be taken from purchasers to the extent of £50 and upwards. The advertisement continued with other plant and surplus material 'remaining from and used in the construction of the Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash, including powerful hydraulic presses used in raising the tubes, 2 with 22-inch rams, and 4 with 10-inch rams, made on an improved principle by Messrs. Easton and Amos , and only used for the tubes ; 2 sets of hydraulic pumps, a very powerful overhead travelling crane. 1 7-ton wharf crane, 2 portable 3-ton cranes on trollies, 13 smiths’ forges, levelling plates, and slabs, a new air machine, 9 ft. 4 in.

diameter, 3 atmospheric pumps, (2 by Easton and Amos,) 1000 fathoms chain, 30 pairs sheave blocks, with rope and chain falls snatch blocks, 1000 fathoms rope, 20 tons contractors’ rails, trollies, 20 anchors and kedges, barge, 6 boats, mooring buoys, life buoys, sails and rigging, tarpaulings, ladders, wheeling planks, wheelbarrows, carts.

400 loads squared pine timber in logs, 100 loads cut timber, 500 12-foot planks, pile engines and monkeys, 30 tons bar, rod, and plate iron, 10 tons pig-iron, stores of various descriptions, 20 dozen files, ratchets, smiths’ tools, scales and weights, weighing machines, powerful steelyards, iron and wood tanks, erection of plate furnaces, carpenters’ benches, grindstones, three tons gun metal castings, the temporary erection of boarded enclosures, rafters, joists, slating, brick chimney stacks, and numerous other effects......' The advertisement continued with the machinery of the saw mills, including a 30 HP horizontal steam engine, two Cornish boilers, four portable engines and boilers, by Clayton and Shuttleworth , 30 circular saws, four large Kyanising tanks, 97 by 12 by 6 ft., a wrought iron cylindrical Burnetizing tank, 75 ft long, 6 ft diameter, with pressurising pump, etc.

See Also Royal Albert Bridge (C) Oliver Mills :: Geograph Britain and Ireland IMPORTANT: Please read the Buckets Article before picking from this list Royal Albert Bridge A view of I K Brunel's Royal Albert Bridge which crosses the river Tamar. Taken from the Tamar bridge. Saltash can be seen in the background.

Question: The Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash crosses which river?
Answer: Tamar