‘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
Misunderstanding Easton Neston 1 Reply
Hello, I'm a new member and I've searched through the articles and can't find anything specific to my answer/ question. Can anyone help?…Continue
Started by Matt Davis. Last reply by Barry Taylor 16 hours ago.
Loco N° 5. 2-4-0T
Hi everybodyI’m building a OO gauge model of Fenny Compton and Clifford Sidings over here in Belgium.Quite a strange idea but so be it…In view of this I plan to transform a RTR Beatie Well Tank into SMJR N° 5 the 2-4-0T and use some etchings for the…Continue
Started by Jack Freuville Aug 29.
Olney BRM Sept 2023
Layouts based on actual SMJR locations are few and far between. Due to being given notice on clubroom, Olney as featured in BRM Sept 2023 is for sale!This is a rare opportunity to acquire a beautiful, 15 years in the making, ready to run model…Continue
Started by Nicholas Young Jul 26.
Smj exploring and making new youtube videos 1 Reply
Hi all members.I was wondering if you could help by subscribing to my YouTube channel ‘NWP EXPLORING’ Mainly railway history and some exploring the SMJ .im planning to explore and video more of the SMJ , and if you have a desired area you would…Continue
Started by Neil. Last reply by Henry Jul 10.
SMJ photos
Misunderstanding Easton Neston
Hello, I'm a new member and I've searched through the articles and can't find anything specific to my answer/ question. Can anyone help?
this is a still from my Northamptonshire video* presentation and I'm trying to work out what the loop is in the elbow of the two routes departing eastwards from Towcester. Railmaponline suggests it is a SMJR transfer loop so trains could (in theory) travel from Bedford to Northampton avoiding Towcester but using SMJR metals. Regardless of this unlikely route, can anyone support this theory or, like some of the older Library of Scotland maps, does it suggest that it's a brick/lime kiln tramway that existed before the 1892 Towcester to Olney branch was completed?
opening and closing dates and the purpose of the line is what I'm trying to obtain
Thank you in advance
railmaponline%20Towcester%20loop.png
Brick%20Works%20Easton%20Neston.png
* I publish videos under the name Matt Davis - Beechings Ghosts https://www.youtube.com/@MattDavis_BeechingsGhosts
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Barry Taylor
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Essentially you are correct about it being a relic of the tramway that connected to the Towcester - Blisworth line, but it is a bit more complex than that. A connection was put in from Lloyds Sidings on the Blisworth route about a mile north of Towcester to serve the nearby new ironworks in 1873 - that project didn't last long but the Easton Neston site then became brickworks.. When the new line from Towcester to Ravenstone was planned there were several spurs and connections involved, which would have included a triangular junction with the Blisworth line in the same place. A bit of the old tramway would also have been upgraded to form part of the new route. In the end it was all simplified and just a connection put in to serve the brickworks from the Ravenstone line - the old connection to the Blisworth line was abandoned. The brickworks lingered on into the 1920s. That's the simple version! This plan sort of explains it - this is what might have happened but the junction for Ravenstone was put in nearer to Towcester station instead, so cutting out most of 'Ry1' and all of 'Ry2' and 'Ry3'. The new siding was where it says 'Brick kilns'
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