Welcome to the SMJ index page.

From here you can find your way to all the pages on the website.

General Page Links

• Visit the image library - Click here
• Visit the Albums - Click here
• Visit the video library - Click here
• Get involved with the forum - Click here
• Get to grips with the layout - Click here
• Book me to speak on the SMJ - Click here
• The Last Days of SMJ Pick-up freight - Click here
• The SMJR in Books and Magazine Articles - a list - Click here
• Vists to Towcester Station in its last days - Graham Campion- Click here
• Rubio - from Towcester Station to Aintree Legend- Click here
• SMJR Model Railway Layouts- Click here
• Extracts from Blakesley Signalbox Register ( kindly supplied by Robin Cullup)- Click here
• Locos seen on the line - Click here
• I went on the Wandering 1500 Tour - Bob Hodson- Click here
• Gary's List of Surviving Locos - Click here
• The SMJ Remembered - various photographers' pictures of the railway when it was working - Click here
• Bridge detail download - Click here (excel spreadsheet)
• Maps and plans of the line - Click here
• SMJ nick-names - Click here
• East and West Junction and SMJ Liveries - Click here
• Firing the Steel Trains - Albert Fennell (ex Woodford fireman ) - Click here
• Clive Boardman remembers trips along the SMJ - Click here
• The Sad Demise of the Stratford Slip Coach - Click here
• How the SMJ was linked to Gayton and Blisworth Ironstone Quarries - Click here
• Blakesley Miniature Railway - Click here
• Tours along the line - Click here
• About the stock - Click here
• The Ro-Railer, A great experiment - Click here
• Your memories - Click here
• Memorabilia - Click here
• Documents from the line - Click here
• Towcester station model - Click here
• Bob Salmons; Signalman - Click here
• Memories of the final day - Click here
• Further reading - Click here
• Easton Neston Quarry - Click here

Mining Index Click here

Mining of the earth’s natural resources in the Blisworth area of Northamptonshire has been evident for many centuries. It was this mining that first sparked the idea of a new railway line to the blast furnaces of South Wales. A direct line, it was thought could be very profitable, independent of the other rail companies such as the London & North Western Railway (L & NWR) ...more

Station Pages - Each station along the line has its own page. Please feel free to sign up and add what you know.

• Northampton & Banbury Junction Railway station pages

The Northampton & Banbury Junction Railway opened a station   on the new main line at Blisworth and on May 1st 1866 ran the first train to Towcester. The following years saw the
line push-on to Banbury, joining the L&NWR's Verney Junction line at Cockley Brake with two intermediate stations:

Blisworth
Towcester
Wappenham
Helmdon
Banbury

• East & West Junction Railway station pages

The East & West Junction railway (E&W) proposed a new line from a junction with the Northampton & Banbury Junction Railway at Greens Norton to Stratford Upon Avon.

• Blakesley

  Morton Pinkney

  Woodford Halse

  Byfield

  Aston Le Walls

  Fenny Compton

  BurtonDassett/Edgehill Light

  Kineton

  Ettington

  Stratford Upon Avon

  Binton

  Bidford

  Broom

   

• The Olney Branch station pages

The joint committee decided to build a single-track railway line between Towcester and the Midland main line near Olney in an attempt to save the two companies. The line to Ravenstone Junction branched off from just north of Towcester station and ran through Easton Neston to continue through Shutlanger and crossed over the L.N.W.R. at Roade where a connection was made. There were two intermediate stations:

• Stoke Bruerne
  Salcey Forest
  Ravenstone Wood

To visit a list of all pages Click here

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