‘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"
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
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
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 adverts in various newspapers throughout the area - for example, the Northampton Mercury 2 August 1873 as reproduced in Barry Taylor's Vol. 1, page 87.
There is an easily missed footnote at the very bottom of that page in Arthur's book that states 'by kind permission of Public Records Office Kew'
That said, I haven't found it so far in my notes / records from my own visits although I thought that I did cover all things EWJR back then.
The nearest I can get us RAIL 981/68 which is a double sided leaflet for the LNWR and EWJR publicising the 'opening of the new route between London and Stratford via Blisworth and Towcester'. Part of the front page is a timetable, similar to but not the same as, Arthur's. It is however dated August 1873 until further notice - fares info is on the reverse.
Ah good - thought it must be there somewhere. I have recorded both RAIL 968 and 969 but somehow not 970 - although I did lose some Kew records on a corrupt CD years ago. Thought that I had recovered them on a later visit but this may be one that I missed second time around.