‘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"
.
SMJ Forum
Passenger Trains connected to the SMJ
Following on from the previous discussion about WD passenger trains on the SMJ during the 1940s; it must be said that passenger trains ran on metals connected to the SMJ until the mid 1960s. There was a passenger service from the nearest point to…Continue
Started by Dave Hayward on Tuesday.
Wartime passenger trains from Burton Dassett 3 Replies
Arthur Jordan in his book, The Stratford Upon Avon and Midland Junction Railway - The Shakespeare Route at pp 82 mentions a WW2 late night special from Stratford on Avon to Burton Dassett for soldiers at the CAD. I would envisage that this did not…Continue
Started by Dave Hayward. Last reply by Dave Hayward on Tuesday.
PPhoto Albums 1 Reply
AndyAbout two years ago I ended up with some railway matter from a Bill Kendall who had been a Signalman on SMJ ending his railway career at Northampton No 1. I worked with him when I was working in Rugby PSB, I also covered the signa?l boxes at…Continue
Started by Robin Leslie Patrick. Last reply by Dave Hayward Jun 8.
Broom Junction station site for sale 3 Replies
Great opportunity for an SMJ enthusiast perhaps. I'm not sure what you could actually do with this site though!…Continue
Started by Simon Stevens. Last reply by Simon Stevens May 17.
SMJ photos
Byfield
The East & West Junction railway (E&W) proposed a new
line from a junction with the Northampton & Banbury
Junction
Railway at Greens Norton to Stratford Upon Avon.
In 1864 Lady Palmerson came and cut the first sod. The
E&W became a part of
the SMJ in January 1st, 1909.
Byfield was the SMJ's connection station with Great Central
Railway. It also served the Ironstone quarries nearby. For more
about the Byfiled Ironstone Quarries, Click here.
Today the station and goods sidings area has been largely filled
in and the eastern end of the site is now a cemetary. The SMJ
road
bridge has been replaced by a banking. A 'pocket park' leads to
the
Byfield Playing Field where an interpretive noticeboard
explains
that the pocket park was once the SMJR route. The western
extreme
end of the down platform is still visible as is the ruined base
of
the water tower that stood there. Nearer to the cemetery is what
is
probably the remins of the cattle pens.
Click here for more Byfield photos
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photos like this on "The Unofficial SMJ Society" at
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Comment by Si Donal on January 10, 2010 at 21:01
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