‘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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Blisworth - Towcester ETS working

Electric train staff equipment had been brought into use between Blisworth and Towcester by 9 August 1910 (date of SMJR minute 451 (TNA file RAIL 674/3)) and presumably the new signal box at Blisworth appeared at the same time. In that this was so…Continue

Started by Richard Maund on Saturday.

Blisworth 1920

SMJ board minute 1474 of 13 April 1921 (TNA file RAIL 674/4) approved that “the following expenditure be charged to Capital” for year 1920: “Blisworth: Signalling and alterations to Permanent Way, Improvements and additional signalling: £800”. In…Continue

Started by Richard Maund on Saturday.

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.

SMJ photos

Bletchley shed workings over the SMJ

I have just discovered a short reference in A E Grigg's "Bletchley - Town of Trains" to the fact that during LMS days there were Saturday Northampton Town football specials that ran from Banbury (Merton Street) to Northampton when the Cobblers had a home match. What's strange is that Bletchley provided train, engine and crew for these workings.

Does any one have any further details?

Previous to this I thought that only Northampton, Stratford upon Avon, Bedford and Woodford crews manned SMJ workings.

Dick

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Permalink Reply by alwyn sparrow on February 20, 2012 at 8:08

During the B.R. era of the S.M.J.R. Banbury men worked over the line with iron ore trains.Working through the Fenny Compton-Stratford section to be relieved at Gloucester.Once the line closed the workings continued via Hatton West thence to Stratford.This information was given to me by a friend who was a fireman at Banbury

Alwyn.

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Permalink Reply by Dick Bodily on February 20, 2012 at 10:03

Cheers Alwyn,

I'd forgot about those workings, does your friend know if any loco types that are not on the SMJ list (Hymeks for instance) were ever used on them?