‘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

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.

North End and Warwick Road stations? 57 Replies

Some time ago we ahd an interesting and lively discussion on the mystery station at Tiffield, which added quite a lot to our collective knowledge.I've recently been looking closely at two of the other mystery stations- at North End (sometimes…Continue

Started by Barry Taylor. Last reply by Richard Maund Jan 27.

1873 timetable 4 Replies

Page 12 of Arthur Jordan's book features a full page reproduction of the E&WJ public timetable handbill for August 1873. Does anyone know where the original of that handbill is preserved?Incidentally, the timetable itself formed the basis of…Continue

Started by Richard Maund. Last reply by Barry Taylor Jan 25.

SMJ photos

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Found in a 1961 model railway magazine that seems to have gone off the shelves. I love the mis-spelled title. The drawings look accurate and are to the rather "odd" S Scale.

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Comment by Si Donal on May 25, 2011 at 21:27

Ha Ha!  There's nothing like an adverse comment about S Scale to provoke a reaction.  S Scale is a very sensible scale for a line whose stock is going to require scratchbuilding.  The extra color  that you added to these wagons is great.    I look forward to seeing your models.    

Comment by Simon Dunkley on May 23, 2011 at 23:22

Nothing odd about S scale, entirely sensible, if you ask me...

The van is one built on the chassis of old "ballast" wagons (this word was often used for any mineral type traffic in the early days of railways, so it may not refer to track ballast at all!) and being fitted with a through pipe, could be used on passenger services )slightly naughtily as it didn't have automatic brakes itself) to supplement the guard's luggage compartment. I have two made up (in S scale!) from home-made castings I produced many years ago, using copies of the above drawings as a starting point. The use of old brake gear would dictate the somewhat archaic 8'6" wheelbase, but I suspect that very little of the earlier wagons survived, and that the "rebuilding" was an accountancy exercise to charge them out of the revenue rather than capital account.

The open is one of the batch of wagons produced for the EWJR in 1903/4 by the BRCW. The interesting feature is the inside diagonal ironwork, which was usually to be found on the outside. Anyone modelling one of these (I have 3, simple scratchbuilds in plastic card, currently being repainted) needs to remember to put some bolt heads on the outside planks, in line with the internal ironwork.

Being new wagons, they would have been charged to the capital account, but more importantly until they arrived, along with a collection of other vehicles, EWJR goods stock was so decrepit that the wagons were admitted into the Railway Clearing House scheme, and could only be used for internal journeys on the 3 lines under EWJR control - they could not even venture as far as Wappenham or Helmdon on the Banbury line! The new wagons, with steel underframes and Ellis pattern axleboxes (very similar to those used by the Midland Railway) were of sufficient quality and quantity to be allowed off the system with outbound goods traffic, which would have saved the EWJR quite a bit in fees for hiring wagons.

At the moment the railway room (aka garage) is in the final throes of reorganisation, but once it is better organised, I will get some stock out and take photos for posting here.

Comment by Andy Thompson on May 23, 2011 at 8:37
My thoughts too Gary! Andy
Comment by Gary on May 23, 2011 at 8:30

Interesting find that Si.

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