‘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

National Archives, Donation and Kineton Photograph

Not sure if others are aware of the significant amount of documents held by the National Archives on the SMJ. The collection consists mainly of Directors Minutes etc. There is also a collection of early 20th C timetables, handbills etc. which I have…Continue

Started by Dave Hayward yesterday.

Model Railways

HiI'm selling my collection of SMJR related 00 gauge modelsIf of interest for any of you please contact me by mail atjfreuville@gmail.comand I will send you the list and photosKind regardsJackContinue

Started by Jack Freuville Feb 23.

BLAKESLEY and an SMJ stamp

This item has come up in an auction recently and is a glimpse of the practice of carrying mail by train. Apart from the SMJ…Continue

Started by Graham Ward Nov 14, 2025.

Further about Ravenstone Wood Junction 1 Reply

Firstly a belated thanks to Barry for his excellent research that has returned these signal lever plates to their rightful home! [Perhaps their place of residence on the website needs changing!] Apologies for starting s new Forum discussion on this…Continue

Started by Dave Hayward. Last reply by Barry Taylor Oct 23, 2025.

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Gary
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  • North Aston, Oxfordshire
  • United Kingdom
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Gary's Discussions

Line Speed
5 Replies

Started this discussion. Last reply by Peter S Lewis Feb 23, 2019.

Would the GCR have gone via Towcester?
14 Replies

Started this discussion. Last reply by Andrew Emmerson Apr 18, 2021.

Station Totems / running in boards
9 Replies

Started this discussion. Last reply by Rob Davidson Nov 4, 2016.

 

Gary's Page

Latest Activity

Andrew Emmerson replied to Gary's discussion 'Would the GCR have gone via Towcester?'
"Jim, I totally agree that there was plenty of room for an extra track, not only on the down side as you point out but also on the up side, which was built as a siding on which the redundant Starlight Special coaches were stored in the early…"
Apr 18, 2021
Jim Goodman replied to Gary's discussion 'Would the GCR have gone via Towcester?'
"Hi Andrew, It's always interesting to get a new, and different, view on an old subject. The only point I'd like to make is the unusually large gap between the buildings and the platforms, as seen in this photo by HC Casserley. There…"
Apr 18, 2021
Simon Dunkley replied to Gary's discussion 'Would the GCR have gone via Towcester?'
"That’s rather a dismissive statement. I have seen references occasionally to this - it would fit with the politicking associated with building new lines (“Give us running powers between A and B, and we will drop our…"
Apr 17, 2021
Andrew Emmerson replied to Gary's discussion 'Would the GCR have gone via Towcester?'
"The Northampton line was a fanciful notion spread in the early 1960s by a boy in the same school as me in Brackley. The so-called 'platform' was just a storage area used by the P. Way people and could not be reached from upstairs. The only…"
Apr 17, 2021
Gary replied to Nicholas Hemming's discussion 'Single track?'
"It was single track yes, although engineered to double, apart from Goldicote Cutting. Towcester to Greens Norton Junction was originally a double track section but was later remodelled to parallel single lines with no connection other than at…"
Dec 7, 2020
Tony Newman commented on Gary's photo
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Towcester - Greens Norton Junction stretch

"That's a nice shot."
Mar 15, 2020
Gary replied to Jack Freuville's discussion 'Aircraft crash'
"I used to know someone who lived at Wood End and they had a bucket of bits that kept turning up in the fields from this tragedy. I have a couple of pieces at home which act as a reminder of such troubled times."
Feb 11, 2020
Gary replied to Jack Freuville's discussion 'Aircraft crash'
"I would indeed be interested thank you."
Feb 11, 2020
Gary replied to Jack Freuville's discussion 'Aircraft crash'
"My two passions in one place - trains and aeroplanes...According to the narrative in "Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses Vol 7" by W R Chorley. "T/o 1955 Wescott for a night cross country. Reported to have landed roughly at 2200,…"
Jan 24, 2020

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Gary's Blog

Line Tour III

Posted on March 14, 2011 at 14:19 1 Comment

Well we completed the tour with all station,s apart from Salcey Forest, and junctions, apart from Ravenstone Wood, visited.

We've covered some miles by road and a few by foot too.

I have finally managed to complete the upload of the photos from the latest one and that has been a task and a half.

In doing so I have tried to give folks the best of the tour and most if not all of the relics we found. As I said last time, we took nothing but photos and all we found was left…

Continue

Line tour thoughts.

Posted on February 28, 2011 at 22:00 3 Comments

I'd know I put some of this on the discussion thread but once again I would just like to thank my fellow "Tourists" for yet another enjoyable day out and to appologise for the 5 minute walk that was just a little longer and involved a bit of a backtrack (no pun intended).

 

Just in case anyone is wondering; we have removed nothing that we have found during our tours to date (save a singular lump of coal) only taking photos of any artifacts in situ as we…

Continue

Comment Wall (8 comments)

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At 11:18 on June 26, 2011, Dick Bodily said…

Gary

 

I've taken off from the site my picture of the diamond sign as there's no point in having two more or less the same.

 

all the best

 

Dick

 

 

At 16:07 on April 3, 2010, Andy Thompson said…
You mean this sign! Andy
http://thesmjr.ning.com/photo/kineton-original-smj-bridge?context=latest
At 14:00 on August 7, 2009, Dick Bodily said…
Gary

Have you seen August's 'Steam Days' ? There's a letter from Rex Partridge which lists the following extra preserved locos as seen by him at Byfield in the 60s
6989 Wightwick Hall, 7903 Foremark Hall. 92207, 92214, 92219, 92240 and 92245. In addition he saw 7927 Willington Hall which is now in pieces.
I don't know Rex, but he's an expert on Woodford and wrote a chapter on Woodford for R Robothams 'The Last Years of the GC Main Line', which I have gleaned much info from.

Dick
At 9:32 on July 13, 2009, Andy Thompson said…
Hey groovy photo man!
Andy
At 10:00 on April 24, 2009, Andy Thompson said…
...cheers me old mucker!
TFC
At 9:30 on April 24, 2009, Andy Thompson said…
Can you do me a favour? I have had some card made to advertise the Rail Tube Network. Can I post you some and you then could hand them out (willy-nilly) on your rail travels!?

Andy
At 23:21 on April 12, 2009, Andy Thompson said…
My thoughts too! I also thought things would be slicker with this platform. Will let you know how its going. Any thoughts and ideas, let me know

A
At 23:15 on April 11, 2009, Andy Thompson said…
Thanks for joining - what do you think of the new site?

Andy
 
 
 

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