European Railroad Discussion > Winter was slow to release it's grip

March has seen two snow events across Britain, not wholly unknown but certainly not very usual and even when it wasn't snowing it's been unseasonably cold. The saying about March coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb hasn't been applicable this year, it's been a lion at both ends!

The cold weather arrived during the last week of February, we were treated with a few days of quite bone numbing temperatures with a strong dry easterly wind and clear skies, until the snow started on Feb 27th and continued until March 2nd. We fled to Prague on the 28th, returning on March 4th so escaped the worst.

Further snow fell two weeks later on Sunday March 18th, there wasn't as much as earlier but with the strong wind what snow there was drifted quite significantly, but it was literally only a 24 hour phenomenon, by Monday afternoon the thaw had set in. Depending on which of our neighbours you speak to this has been the coldest, snowiest winter since either 2013 or 2010.

1: Friday Feb 23rd was the first really cold day. I got up early to shoot the Chirk to Baglan Bay empty timber, the exterior temperature was -6C when I parked the car, it was -4C when I returned about 30 minutes later. There wasn't much frost in evidence because the air was unusually dry.
2: The following day was equally cold, I was standing on my steps swathed in four layers, a scarf and a woolly hat for this East Usk Yard (Newport) to Crewe extra, carrying coal for the steelworks at Scunthorpe.
3: The first flurries of powdery snow fell on Monday night / Tuesday morning 26th / 27th Feb, this is the morning Holyhead to Cardiff 'Gerald of Wales' passing Pandy

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4: Later that same day (Feb 27th) I went down to Newport and later Portskewett, on the banks of the Severn estuary. DBS had run an extra train of coil steel to the steel terminal at Round Oak near Birmingham, it was due to return mid afternoon with a 60 at its head. Being a sucker for a 60 I had to go out, glad I did as I caught it amid some snow flurries and sun!
5: The following day we were due to leave for Birmingham Airport in the evening, before then the only train of interest on the Marches Line was this move by Rail Operations Group, one of our smaller freight operators, of Trans Pennine Express 68019 Brutus to Portbury Docks, near Bristol, where it was to meet up with 68021 which had just returned from testing in Spain, and together they were off to the Velim test track in the Czech Republic.
6: And this was the scene near us in the Black Mountains later the same day, our neighbour is leading his sheep to be fed..

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7: On Monday 5th the 6V51 passing Llanvihangel Crucorney a couple of days late! I guess the crew ran out of time in the snow and it recessed in Hereford Yard over the weekend, running as on an STP (Short Term Planning) schedule on Monday.
8: On Tuesday 6th I went down to Newport to a new bridge which has been erected over the west end of Alexandra Dock Junction Yard, little snow in evidence but this is another train delayed by the weather, Thursday night's 6V40 carrying metallurgical coal from North Blyth in the NE of England to the steelworks at Port Talbot
9: In the flatlands between Newport and Cardiff snow is in evidence where it had drifted against the hedgerows on the field edges, the 11:22 Cardiff to Holyhead overtakes the 6H25 Margam to Llanwern, carrying steel coil.

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10: On March 7th the Gerald of Wales passing Pandy, it's one TSO (Tourist Second Open) short today, thanks to a track fault which damaged a number of wheelsets the previous week. More snow is evident at this higher elevation.
11: Later the same day one of the irregular flows of gritstone from Neath Abbey Wharf to Washwood Heath, Birmingham passing Penpergwm on the outskirts of Abergavenny
12: In the opposite direction a train of empty steel coil carriers from Dee Marsh with Blorenge Mountain in the background.

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13: On March 16th I had to drive to London. There was some disruption on the Marches Line caused by the previous night's 6V40 York to Grange Sidings (Port Talbot) carrying metallurgical coal which had failed near Leominster in Herefordshire and was running some 288 minutes late, with 66559 piloting disgraced 66508 on the descent to Abergavenny
14: Also delayed was the empty timber, it passed Abergavenny 105 late at 09:37
15: Onward to London and a stop in the border town of Chepstow for diesel when I realised that I would just be in time for the morning tanks from Robeston oil terminal in West Wales to the distribution depot at Westerleigh, near Bristol. Always a 60 turn, 3000 tonnes is too heavy for a 66, today it was 60001, I took this from the walkway on the M48 bridge across the Severn

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16: It snowed on Sunday 18th for much of the morning, but by Monday it was already thawing rapidly, the 10:40 Holyhead to Llanelli approaching Abergavenny.
17: The 6M86 to Dee Marsh, which as well as being heavily loaded with steel had 66531 in tow, approaching the summit at Llanvihangel very, very slowly. Unfortunately 66559 gave out at Pontrilas (the next block post) and had to be assisted by 66531. The return train was cancelled that evening.
18: Instead 66531 with disgraced 66559 tucked in behind passing Great Triley Wood the following lunchtime on an extra 6V75. Snow is still apparent on the top of Hatterall Hill but for the rest of us the snow events were over (hopefully....)

Nick

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Very nice, thanks for braving the weather. It's good to be reminded that the UK railway scene is not totally dominated by EMU/DMUs as you get further away from Greater London.

Gordon

Excellent series of photos! I look forward to seeing your Spring shots.

Steve Zahn
Glenview, IL

Excellent !!! Thank you for sharing ! You never disappoint with your photos !!! :):):)

Some of those locations look familiar! I like the view in #8.

Outstanding photo series! Like them all very much but am especially partial to the Class 66 photos.
Thanks for posting your photos.
ALLEN

Thanks, I'm afraid there's still no real sign of spring like weather at the moment

dwatry Wrote:
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> Some of those locations look familiar! I like the
> view in #8.

That bridge has only been open a few months, I think when we did Newport it was still a construction site. Of course when the catenary goes up the angles will be limited.

krm152 Wrote:
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> but am especially partial to the Class 66 photos.
> Thanks for posting your photos.
> ALLEN

Thanks Allen.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/18 16:41 by 86235.