‘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"
Hello everyone, I've just signed up. I'm a lifelong railway enthusiast originally from Dorset; my earliest memory is of being on the train from Wareham to Swanage. I see a few familiar names on here so some of you may know me from the Scalefour…Continue
Started by Simon Stevens. Last reply by Simon Stevens 31 minutes ago.
Please find attached a copy of the OS 6" map 1888 - 1913 series that illustrates the subject cable-way (called a tramway on the map) and also the Burton Dassett sidings. This cable-way is mentioned by Arthur Jordan in hos book on the SMJ at pp45, he…Continue
By any chance does anybody have a reasonable photograph of Banbury Merton Road Loco Shed? If so I would like to include into some private research I am intending to share with a small informal group of enthusiasts, it would be greatly…Continue
Started by Dave Hayward. Last reply by Colin Franklin Dec 30, 2020.
In 1833 Robert Stephenson was appointed chief engineer of the
the first railway into London, the London & Birmingham line.
One of the most difficult sections was to be at Blisworth.
Stephenson had to cut his way through1.5 miles of rock. Underneath
the top layer of stone was a layer of clay, under which was found
large amounts of water. Steam engines were used to pump out the
water While this was going on, 800 men were busy digging and
blasting and by the time the cutting was finished, over 3,000
barrels of gunpowder had been used. It was calculated that over a
million cubic yards of material was dug out at Blisworth
Cutting.
The London and Birmingham Railway, under Robert Stephenson,
bypassed Northamptonshire’s capital town, Northampton due to the
limitations of the technology of the day over the counties
inclines.
The company first opened a station at Blisworth in 1839. In
1842, a new "first class" station was planned. 'First Class' meant,
‘all trains would stop there’, Ford Lane, Blisworth became Station
Road and the location of Blisworth station. Blisworth became a
junction station when in 1845 a branch line on to Peterborough was
completed via Northampton, and in 1866 a single-track, 4 mile
branch line was built to Towcester with grand ideas to run onto
South Wales. Starting as the Northampton and Banbury Junction
Railway, this short branch was to become the SMJ.
Blisworth station closed in January 1960 and today both branches
lines have also long since gone. The ‘Walnut Tree Inn’, formerly
the Blisworth Hotel, the station hotel remains and over-sees what
once was Blisworth station.
The main railway line is now part of the West Coast Main Line,
having been electrified in the 60s.
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