‘The Stratford Upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway’ (or S.M.J.) was a small independent railway company which ran a line across the empty, untouched centre of England. It visited the counties of Northamptonshire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and a little of Buckinghamshire, only existing as the SMJ from 1909 to 1923. In 1923 the S.M.J.became a minor arm of the London Midland and Scottish (L.M.S.), then in 1948 'British Railways' 

Gone but not forgotten: "the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth"


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SMJ Forum

Evesham Redditch & Stratford-upon-Avon Junction Railway 8 Replies

Did this railway (as opposed to the East & West Junction Railway) go into receivership - if so, when. And when did it come out of receivership?Continue

Started by Richard Maund. Last reply by Richard Maund Feb 11.

Bidford-on-Avon 5 Replies

Shall we bring this discussion under the proper heading!So far as the OS plan surveyed 1885, published 1886, is concerned: the OS liked - wherever they could  - to have text running parallel to the top and bottom borders. When they came to add the…Continue

Started by Richard Maund. Last reply by Richard Maund Feb 10.

North End and Warwick Road stations? 57 Replies

Some time ago we ahd an interesting and lively discussion on the mystery station at Tiffield, which added quite a lot to our collective knowledge.I've recently been looking closely at two of the other mystery stations- at North End (sometimes…Continue

Started by Barry Taylor. Last reply by Richard Maund Jan 27.

1873 timetable 4 Replies

Page 12 of Arthur Jordan's book features a full page reproduction of the E&WJ public timetable handbill for August 1873. Does anyone know where the original of that handbill is preserved?Incidentally, the timetable itself formed the basis of…Continue

Started by Richard Maund. Last reply by Barry Taylor Jan 25.

SMJ photos

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At last! I have now finally sorted out my thousands of 35mm slides, located the remaining SMJ ones, scanned the better/more interesting photos and put them into three new Albums: SMJ Steam in the Sixties, HCRS Steam Special 7-3-1965 and SMJ Stations & Structures in the Sixties.

I must apologise for the quality of many of these of these pictures as they were taken in winter with slow film speeds, lenses that were not at their best wide open and poor weather! However, Photoshop can hide a thousand sins and they are better than no pictures at all...... 

Please let me know if you spot any errors in the captions or have any useful additional information or if you would like more information from me.

Cheers,

John

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John

Your series of photographs really took me back to the sixties.

I was stationed at CAD Kineton from JAn 62 to Feb 64 and then again from Dec 66 to May 69. I can recollect the freights on the SMJ passing through all the time during my first tour but all had gone when I came back.

Two photographs of particular interest to me is that of Burton Dassett YArd, this must be rarity to actually have a photo of that yard. I remember happy days spent running around the seventy miles of track in the depot on old Bill's Wickham car during my first stay there. The other photo that takes me back to an even earlier stage of my life is the photo of the locos on the railtour. A Q1 in Northamptonshire must have been a real rarity, I remember these back in the fifties at my home town of Chichester in West Sussex.

Thanks

Dave Hayward

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the info on CAD Kineton/Burton Dassett. When my mates and I visited the area in the early sixties, the depot did not appear on the OS map nor was it signposted from any of the roads that we travelled. As a result we never knew that the place existed until much much later!

When you were there between 62 and 64, were they still using steam locos within the depot? I ask only because I raised the question in an earlier discussion and no-one seemed to have any definitive information. I was actually trying to find out where the depot's steam locos went when they need a heavy overhaul as I assume that could not be done on site.

As for the Q1 loco, I only have one other photo of a Q1 which was taken on the line between Redhill and Guildford. Although there were 40 in the class, I think they must have been very shy (because they were so ugly) and so we hardly ever saw one on our forays into Southern Region territory! Putting one on the HCRS special at least gave us the opportunity to see, hear and ride behind one.....

Cheers,

John

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