‘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"
.
SMJ Forum
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
WD on SMJ
A WD 2-8-0 from Newport shed on what appears to be a loaded freight somewhere on the SMJ.
The bridge should be a clue to someone - there is a small stunted telegraph pole right under the arch which must be significant? The line curves to the left behind the train. It MIGHT be Aston le Walls,taken from the west but I am not convinced, and the telegraph pole is not apparent in pics taken from the other side of the bridge
Add a Comment
-
Comment by Barry Taylor on March 29, 2013 at 12:18
-
I'm tempted to plump for Aston le Walls for this one, although not totaly convinced yet. There are not too many photos about of this location from this era, although I do have one of another WD coming under the other side of the bridge. On that one I can't make out the stunted telegraph pole that looks to be under the bridge on the mystery shot, and I think that it should be visible. Also on the mystery shot I cannot see the small loading platform that was just beyond the bridge on the right and that ought to be more visible too. Apart from that Aston fits - the bridge looks right, the curve of the line is OK - and even the two SMJ bridge restriction signs are in the right places (but then they always were on other bridges too) Any other thoughts?
-
Comment by Dick Bodily on March 27, 2013 at 11:30
-
It was allocated to Ebbw Junction from Dec 54 to June 57 so that narrows the date down a bit. The headcode is for Class H Through Freight and it looks like a steel train with the loco returning from Woodford to Wales. Around those years the first evening steel train left Woodford yard at about 7.30pm and I don't think that there were any afternoon ones so presumably this picture was taken quite late in the evening on a sunny summers day.
-
-
Some further thoughts on this one. I think that the train is probably one of the afternoon / evening freights heading to South Wales, which would account for the sun being on the front of the loco - so possibly heading west rather than east. Also on closer examination, the sleepers are concrete. Does anyone know where these sleepers were laid on the SMJ, presumably as part of the 1950's upgrading of the line west of Woodford. I have pics of them variously at Byfield station, Burton Dassett and Aston le Walls - but not at Ettington, Kineton, or Fenny Compton - or were they installed as a rolling programme on most of the line eventually?
© 2024 Created by Andy Thompson.
Powered by
You need to be a member of The SMJ Society to add comments!
Join The SMJ Society