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The Caledonia Casualty
Sunday 10th April 2016

Report by Andy Pullar

Walking past the old boarded up BRSA* Club (looking totally incongruous in 21st century Bordesley) overlooking the former Great Western London to Birmingham mainline, I reflected on a particularly interesting weekend of gricing that found me on the mean streets of Birmingham. So far that weekend, I had enjoyed my first run over the re-instated section of the Waverley route (new track) behind Deltic D9009. Allegedly it was the only one of its class not to have visited that line when it was a through route from Carlisle to Edinburgh. Additionally, fitting in a 'man of steel' move to Galashiels and back to grice both Tweedbank platforms (the longest two mile bus ride ever; a minus five minute connection - don't try this at home!). Then a first trip to North Berwick since 1975 (didn't stay long) and saw a class of loco associated with my rail fanning youth departing north from Derby (sounding good). Next was Searchlight Lane Jn (more new track) from passing trains and then meeting up with a goodly number of fellow 'BLSians' congregating (loitering with intend to grice?) in Birmingham Moor Street station. (*British Rail Staff Association for our younger members.)



The 'Caldedonia Casualty' just prior to departure from Birmingham Moor Street.
[© Jim Sellens 2016]

This was to be no ordinary BLS fixture (is there such a thing?). The gathered throng had volunteered (for a small donation to charities nominated by Chiltern Railways; 'Home Start' and 'The Brain Tumour Charity'; £645 was raised and split between these two worthy causes) to assist Chiltern Railways in an Emergency Train Evacuation (detraining passengers and nothing to do with retention tanks). I had experience of a staged crash once before when I worked for British Rail. This was many years ago utilising slam door stock at Cannon Street station in London. I decided at the last minute to volunteer for the Chiltern Emergency Train Evacuation exercise to experience such a situation once again as it was a small detour on my way back home (and was cheaper than going to York behind a Western).

With safety briefing formalities over the excitable group gathered around the Fixtures Secretary and were then allowed onto the platform. A last minute change had meant the expected departure from P4 was switched to the far end of P3. Two-car class 168 unit number 322 had just arrived to form 2Z56 scheduled to depart at 17.20 which it promptly did. Passengers were entertained en-route by the Customer Information Screens displaying Great Central Railway destinations such as Brackley Central, Woodford Halse and Sheffield Victoria, (I wish) and wondering when the customary raffle sellers and catering trolley would be touting for trade.We had all been forewarned by advance literature and the briefing at Moor Street that this would be a one way trip to Caledonia Yard in Small Heath. A close encounter with a transit van would be staged on the level crossing at the entrance to the Lafarge Aggregates Terminal siding (where inwards stone traffic has recently restarted) on the western side farthest away from the Snow Hill lines. Once the 'collision' had occurred most of the entourage, except for a few 'casualties', would be detrained from the train by ladder then escorted off the premises into the wilds of Small Heath to make their own way home by bus or on foot; there are no train services from Small Heath station on a Sunday! Interesting complications included the van driver being trapped in his vehicle and having to be cut out and it was carrying 1,000 litres of a 'toxic' liquid which, needless to say, started to leak after the 'collision'.



A picture showing the remarkable skill of our Chiltern driver - the van was there first!
[© Jim Sellens 2016]

In less time than it will take you to read this report the train had run up the Down Snow Hill, up the 'Up & Down Small Heath Goods' and into the approach tracks to Caledonia Yard under the Camp Hill line. Most passengers noted the various sidings out of use in Bordesley Down Yard as we passed. The evocative 'Garden' and 'Shed' roads are currently used by the New Street station refurbishment works trains. In BR days, our friendly Chiltern driver used to drive the yard Class 08 pilot here, (new cars, coal and scrap traffic). In the early 1960s, with the extensive Bordesley Up Yard (now the A45) and multiple running lines, there were around 30 tracks across the complete layout. 2Z56 finally came to a halt after veering off Caledonia Yard Track 7 onto the Lafarge Terminal Siding meeting its nemesis, a blue transit van parked on the level crossing. All change please, this train is out of service and no raffle! At 1m 32ch a new record for the shortest distance travelled by a BLS charter on the mainline was declared, though kissing vans is not the recommended way to reach the parts other railtours fail to reach. (Before anyone says the previous BLS record holder, on 1 Jan 1986 from York to Rowntree Halt was indeed only 1m 24ch, but went back again so a total of 2m 48ch.)

When the 'all clear' was given to evacuate passengers off the train, everyone made their way to the front cab to detrain through the driver's cab door. The ladder turned out to be a rather substantial metal platform with rungs between the legs down which the walking wounded were led to safety (well you have to make the effort in case talent scouts are watching; I feel sure an Oscar for best supporting actor will soon be on my mantelpiece). Does the platform count as a temporary halt whose opening and closure dates should be noted in BLN? All these thoughts slipped my mind as I negotiated Bordesley Circus and contemplated more fine gricing to come in future. Next! Special thanks to Chiltern Trains and Network Rail.