In 2004, during my first visit to Alang, I had some 20 minutes to race through the beautiful SALONA a day or two after her beaching. As I stood in the wheelhouse and took in my final view of its brass and mahogany finery, I promised myself I would try and save the entire space, save for the relatively modern and expensive radar equipment that was added later in the ship's career. I knew this was the very last traditional wheelhouse created for Cunard Line's transatlantic service, skillfully put together by the John Brown and Company craftsmen at Clydebank. My hopes were to see the space recreated in its entirety at some point in the future but my ability to convince entities like the current Cunard Line and various U.K. maritime museums has been lacking, at best.



In order to make room for one of the EMPRESS OF BRITAIN's Chadburn telegraphs, I have decided to part with this remarkable treasure and begin breaking up my collection of IVERNIA/FRANCONIA's bridge equipment.



This fantastic bit of history was situated on the starboard side of the wheelhouse and transmitted orders to the engine room throughout the ship's career as IVERNIA (1955 -- 1963), FRANCONIA (1963 -- 1971) and FEDOR SHALYAPIN (1975 -- 2003). It has endured the stormy North Atlantic, balmy cruises to the Caribbean and Bermuda, round the world charter service and even duties transporting Cuban troops to Angola. It retains its original gray enamel paint from the Cunard era (on the ship's three sisters, SAXONIA/CARMANIA, CARINTHIA and SYLVANIA, the telegraphs were eventually stripped down to the solid brass framework and polished). Even the QUEEN MARY's telegraphs remained painted in a similar color until the ship was delivered to Long Beach when subsequent caretakers decided the brass would look more "nautical".