Peter kerslake says "There were both inner and outer basins within the Millbay Docks complex at Plymouth , and I suspect that Laira's little 1363 is seen here running along the outer basin , the docks not only being an important centre for incoming and outgoing freight but also handling large amounts of Trans Atlantic mail and many passengers disembarking in Plymouth Sound from the liners from New York and bound non stop from here to Paddington on the Ocean Mail expresses.
Those passengers and mail came into Millbay on large tenders from the Sound , my father who worked for the G.P.O. and my grandfather , a Great Western Railwayman , both seeing service within Millbay Docks.
A small sub shed between here and Millbay station had for many years housed the " 13XX " class of locomotives used within the docks until it closed in the 1930's , following which the engines ran daily to and from Laira.
Today Millbay is the terminal for Britanny Ferries services to Northern France and Santandar in Spain as well as being the starting point for yacht races."