‘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 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.

Bridge sign

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 on Tuesday.

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

M40 motorway

A far more up to date question than my last one re: North End and Warwick Road - but the same area of the SMJ line.

Does anyone have precise dates and details for the bridging of the M40 motorway, when the SMJ was realigned slightly from its old course?

Was the line actually closed for a period of time while this was carried out, or was the new section constructed and then the line switched over without a break?

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Permalink Reply by NIGEL on April 5, 2015 at 20:44

Correction to last statement......only part of the line in this area is welded continuously. Some of the track is on concrete sleepers, a small length from bridge 65 is still on wooden sleepers. Photo above shows old course of the line on the R.H.S. Looking towards bridge 65 at Northend.

There is a farm crossing point here in the foreground.

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Permalink Reply by NIGEL on April 5, 2015 at 20:55

View of M40 bridge showing why the track had to be elevated to the extent that it has. The old SMJ line disappears into the bushes and trees on the other side of the motorway, centre of photo. Looking towards Kineton.

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Permalink Reply by NIGEL on April 5, 2015 at 21:59

The transition from wooden to concrete sleepers is evident at this point. Most of the track chairs are G.W.R. dated 1920's and 1930's with a few B.R. (W.R.) ones on the wooden sleepers. A few tens of yards from the farm crossing on the Northend side.