‘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"
Hi!I recently discovered this article on Binton station building in the now long defunct magazine ‘Model Railways’ from 1976. It includes a full plan which might encourage someone to model this simple station.Does anyone have access to, or know of a…Continue
Started by Martin Bromage. Last reply by Martin Bromage May 8.
HelloMy name is Mick Baker and i have recently joined your society.A friend of mine Nigel Hadlow, has taken several thousand black & white photosof railways around the country.With a little help from me with my limited computer skills, i have…Continue
Started by Mick Baker. Last reply by Peter S Lewis Mar 29.
I was born and bred in Binton, consequently my first interest in railways was the SMJ and then the GWR at Stratford. At the age of eight I would cycle down to either Binton Bridges or the farm overbridge immediately to the west of Binton station to watch the freight trains pass by. Those going west were often as I recall loaded iron ore trains heading for South Wales, returning as loaded coal trains, usually hauled by either Austerity 2-8-0's or BR Standard 9F's. If only I had a camera in those days as these trains would have volcanic exhausts as they worked upgrade through the station heading towards Broom. The station had long since closed but was occupied by dredging contractors Bomford & Carr, parked in the yard wre a number of Fowler ploughing engines converted from steam power to diesel either with the power unit mounted on top of the boiler or in the tender. Some of these ploughing engines still exist, stored in the open near Bidford on Avon. The station site is now a LPG storage depot, I did however recently have a stroke of good luck and was able to purchase one of the Binton station signs, an aluminium hawkeye pattern.
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