‘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
Bridge sign 3 Replies
An East and West Junction and Stratford-On-Avon, Towcester and Midland Junction Railways bridge weight notice, cast iron, 16½"x11¾", the front repainted. As is usual, the company title has been altered to Stratford-On-Avon and Midland Junction…Continue
Started by Graham Ward. Last reply by Russ Firth 14 hours ago.
SMJ Bridge number for sale.
Stratford & Midland Junction Railway bridge number 42. This is a very rare bridge number, which hardly ever comes up for sale! 28cm x 20cm. It was from a cattle creep between Byfield & Morton Pinkney. £500. PayPal payment required and I can…Continue
Started by Russ Firth on Wednesday.
SMJ Postage stamps 1911 and 1924
A couple of items recently up for auction.GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY COMPANY AND STRATFORD-UPON-AVON & MIDLAND JUNCTION: 6…Continue
Started by Graham Ward May 21.
More building at Towcester 3 Replies
I hear there has been more building at the station site in Towcester.Anyone know what they've dug up?…Continue
Tags: Towcester
Started by Andy Thompson. Last reply by John Evans Apr 19.
SMJ photos
Super D passing Blakesley
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Comment by Dick Bodily on June 19, 2011 at 13:35
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Hello Barry again
Have spoken to Rex who tells me he saw the down working passing through Byfield station on its way with empties to the ironstone exchange sidings, whereas my picture is of the return laded train en route for Blisworth. This would seem to suggest that it was most likely a round trip from the Blisworth end for the Super D. Rex remembers the Nuneaton working you mentioned through Banbury and adds that its ultimate destination was Oxford with coal for the town's gasworks.
Best wishes
Dick
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Hello Barry,
Good to hear from you,
That's quite possible as I only saw it travelling towards Blisworth (as illustrated) on the daily Byfield ironstone. If this was a substitution at Byfield for a failed loco it might also explain the unconfirmed report of a Stanier Mogul on the SMJR as Nuneaton had several of these. Mind you it would have made more sense to substitute a loco off Woodford shed rather than Banbury. Stanier Moguls regularly came through Northampton on freights as well, so its equally likely that it was on a round trip to Byfield. I know Rex Partridge saw it at Byfield on the same day, but I don't know if he saw it come in from the Blisworth directiion, so next time I speak to him I shall ask.
Dick
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Comment by Barry Dunwoody on June 8, 2011 at 23:23
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These locos were always known as "Duck-8's" in Banbury. In the late 1950's Nuneaton locos - these, Black-5's and Crabs - all worked freights into Banbury. Could it have got to Byfield via Woodford on the GC link?
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I had always assumed that the engine seen on a Byfield to Blisworth iron ore working on 29th Dec 1960 was a Bletchley engine commandered at Blisworth for a return trip, possibly having arrived on a chalk tipper train from Totternhoe Quarry on the Leighton - Dunstable line. The plot thickens as I've recently discovered that the engine 49415 was allocated to Nuneaton 2B at the time.
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