‘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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Walking the SMJ 2 Replies

Careful scrutiny of the 1:25000 maps on Streetmap suggests that very little of the SMJ trackbed is a public right-of-way. There are short sections near Roade and Kineton and one or two places where there is an adjacent footpath. Can anyone advise of…Continue

Started by Michael Roake. Last reply by Jean Cholerton yesterday.

Beyer Peacock 2-4-0T- As near as you can get to a E&WJR 2-4-0T nowadays!

This is Isle of Man Railway Beyer Peacock 2-4-0T 'Mannin' which is about to be restored to running order so that it can deal…Continue

Started by Dick Bodily May 19.

Planning Application for Binton Station Site 12 Replies

I've just been told by friends from Welford that there's a planning application to redevelop the Binton Station site:Binton Station Planning…Continue

Started by Simon Stevens. Last reply by Rob Davidson Apr 27.

The Shakespeare Route DVD---Hillside Publishing 2006

Copy available on e bay as, I write this, if anyone is interested. Probably now out of production so an elusive DVD to obtain.Continue

Started by ray w Apr 1.

SMJ photos

Gary Male North Aston, Oxfordshire United Kingdom: Share on Facebook Share Tweet

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Gary's Discussions

Line Speed
5 Replies

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

Would the GCR have gone via Towcester?
10 Replies

Started this discussion. Last reply by NIGEL Jan 14, 2017.

Station Totems / running in boards
9 Replies

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

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Gary's Page

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Peter S Lewis replied to Gary's discussion 'Line Speed'

"I think the line (actual !!) speed is reflected in the acronym "SMJ"!! "Slow, Moulding and Jolting" according to one person!! A lady whose father worked as an engine driver on the SMJ told me that the train was so slow in places…"

Feb 23

Dick Bodily replied to Gary's discussion 'Line Speed'

"Interestingly the 1916 Appendix mentions the 20mph restriction at Ravenstone Wood junction as applying to trains travelling from Towcester with no mention of trains travelling from Olney onto the SMJ."

Feb 1

Gary replied to Gary's discussion 'Line Speed'

"Thanks Gents.For some reason I had in my mind they only went at 25mph.I do know, from conversation with a chap at Stratford, that freights would reverse a bit over the Avon before restarting towards Broom in order to get a bit of a head start, or so…"

Feb 1

Barry Taylor replied to Gary's discussion 'Line Speed'

"According to the BR Sectional Appendix to the Working Timetables (Midland Div) for October 1960, the answer seems to be 45mph. This covers the lines from Ravenstone Wood to Towcester, Blisworth to Towcester, and on to Fenny Compton - at this…"

Jan 29

Dick Bodily replied to Gary's discussion 'Line Speed'

"Gary, I should think that the unfitted nature of the vast majority of the freights on the line, plus its switchback gradient pattern would preclude even moderately fast running. As for the fitted freights from Woodford that had originated from…"

Jan 29

Gary posted a discussion

Line Speed

Probably a question or an answer that is on here somewhere and I have missed it, but what was the line running speed? Always get the impression that the trains dawdled along rather than made any great progress.See More

Jan 27

5 Comments

Mark Dalley commented on Gary's photo

Ravenstone Wood Junction

"I believe my Father may have been involved in building that bin. I remember him taking me to the junction site in about 1974 and pointing it out. It is probably the same one. He grew up in Ravenstone and spent a lot of time in the signal box at the…"

Dec 10, 2018

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Gary's Blog

Line Tour III

Posted on March 14, 2011 at 14:19 1 Comment 0 Likes

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 1 Like

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…