One of the many pleasures of belonging to the Circle is the opportunity to see so many photos relating to Wales' rich railway
history. My personal interest is the Barry Railway and I am grateful to those many photographers in the early days who took
the trouble to stand with their early photographic equipment and take the pictures on which I, among many others, rely today
for my understanding of our companies' histories.
As many of you will no doubt know, the electrification of the line from Paddington to Swansea is due to begin soon and be
completed by 2017, followed by the electrification of the Valley lines by 2020. These will be the first electrified lines
in the history of Welsh railways; so there is an opportunity for us to be its witnesses, both for our own benefit and that of
future generations.
To that end, the Circle committee has decided to launch an appeal for volunteers who would like to be part of a project
documenting the electrification process as it happens. We are looking for anyone with suitable cameras to contact the Circle
so that we can form a team to undertake this challenge. It is envisaged that the Circle committee will appoint a photographic
coordinator, once the level of interest is known, to undertake organising the necessary work.
In the first instance could you contact me so that we can gain an idea of the degree of interest and support among our members.