January and Feb were at times both wet and cold, certainly the coldest we've experienced in recent years. Apart from three days in Latvia in February and a day out in Shrewsbury on February 20th all my activities have been within a 30 mile radius of home, along the Marches Line, the South Wales Mainline and the Cwmbargoed and Onllwyn freight only branches.

For much of the time I focused on the Fiddlers Ferry to East Usk coal empties which convieniently ran down the Marches Line during daylight hours, but they ceased towards the end of February, ironically just before the coldest weather of the winter which, paradoxically, occured in Spring!

There are also a number of pictures taken along the yet to be despoiled South Wales Mainline, between Severn Tunnel Junction and Newport. Supposedly electric services to Cardiff start later this year, but it's difficult to see that electrification will be finished unless Network Rail and their contractors get a move on and start erecting their earthquake / nuclear armageddon proof catenary soon. Personally I'm quite happy with the status quo, but i know it won't last.