‘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
Would the GCR have gone via Towcester? 14 Replies
Looking through Mac Hawkins book on the GCR then and now, he mentions that the GCR were thinking of running a line connecting Brackley to Northampton and had provisionally made a mound ready for a platform to be later constructed but they dropped…Continue
Started by Gary. Last reply by Andrew Emmerson 6 hours ago.
EWJR Portland Cement Wagon 13 Replies
Hello All,I found this item on ebay, although it's a model, what I'd like to know is, was it actually based on the real thing? As you can see it has the initials EWJR and return empty to Ettington, which all fits in with the real world.It was listed…Continue
Started by Jim Goodman. Last reply by Jim Goodman 9 hours ago.
MORTON PINKNEY LEVEL CROSSING 14 Replies
There was a public level crossing between Blakesley and Morton Pinkney, complete with a gatehouse.Does anyone know how this was operated?Presumably the gates must have been manual and kept closed against road traffic.Early Working Timetables mention…Continue
Started by Barry Taylor. Last reply by Andrew Emmerson 22 hours ago.
Byfield station woodwork colour 1 Reply
Hi, as anyone any idea what colour the doors would have been on the station building. I have a vague recollection that they were a maroonish/brownish colour, similar to the signal box.Thanks in advanceCliveContinue
Started by Clive. Last reply by Andrew Emmerson yesterday.
SMJ photos
All Pages (68)
I went on 'The Wandering 1500 Tour' - Bob Hodson 1 Comment
The Wandering 1500 Railtour traversed the SMJ from Blisworth to Stratford upon Avon on Saturday 5th October 1963. It was, I believe, the last passenger train to pass through Towcester - but I'l… View »
S&MJR Model Railway Layouts 6 Comments
As model railway clubs and enthusiasts often dismantle layouts in order to produce new projects there is no guarantee that all of these layouts are still in existance Broom Junction (O gauge) Warley… View »
Extracts from Blakesley Signalbox registers (kindly supplied by Robin Cullup) 2 Comments
Robin Cullup has kindly allowed me to put these extracts from a Blakesley Signalbox register, which came into the possession of himself from the late Ian Lyman, onto this webpage. The ori… View »
Visits to Towcester Station in its last days remembered by Graham Campion 1 Comment
Northampton's 44524 seen at Towcester during the early '60s Just noticed that it will be fifty years on 3rd February 2014 since the Woodford West-Blisworth Ironstone Mine section c… View »
The Blakesley Miniature Railway 1 Comment
NB. The Blakesley Hall site is completely private land and there is no public access at all so please don't trespass. This pioneering 15” gauge line, which was never officially known in its time as… View »
How the SMJR was linked to Gayton and Blisworth Ironstone Quarries 2 Comments
This webpage is primarily concerned with how the Gayton and Blisworth quarries were linked to the SMJR system, but for reasons of clarity I have also described the nearby link to the LNWR (West Coast… View »
Rubio - from Towcester Station to Aintree Legend
When Foinavon won the Grand National back in 1967 at 100-1 my dad’s cousin, a ex-Woodford driver in the passenger links, had backed it at an earlier price of 500-1 simply because he had drawn it… View »
Firing the Steel Trains – ex-Woodford fireman Albert Fennell
Albert on the footplate of the Gresley N2 tank at Loughborough During the 1950’s previous to the closure of Stratford – Broom Junction of the SMJR, five trains each way ran nightly alon… View »
East & West Junction and SMJR liveries 3 Comments
East & West Junction Railway (revised with extra information fromSimon Dunkley) According to J M Dunn’s revised 1977 edition of The Stratford & Midland Junction Railway (Oakwo… View »
Ironstone links to the SMJR and LNWR at Gayton & Blisworth 4 Comments
I've drawn up this map with reference to Tonks' maps and also to evidence found when Andy & I visited the area in 2010. There were three main phases to the movement of ore by main line rail. Fir… View »
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