‘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

Blisworth - Towcester ETS working

Electric train staff equipment had been brought into use between Blisworth and Towcester by 9 August 1910 (date of SMJR minute 451 (TNA file RAIL 674/3)) and presumably the new signal box at Blisworth appeared at the same time. In that this was so…Continue

Started by Richard Maund Apr 20.

Blisworth 1920

SMJ board minute 1474 of 13 April 1921 (TNA file RAIL 674/4) approved that “the following expenditure be charged to Capital” for year 1920: “Blisworth: Signalling and alterations to Permanent Way, Improvements and additional signalling: £800”. In…Continue

Started by Richard Maund Apr 20.

Evesham Redditch & Stratford-upon-Avon Junction Railway 8 Replies

Did this railway (as opposed to the East & West Junction Railway) go into receivership - if so, when. And when did it come out of receivership?Continue

Started by Richard Maund. Last reply by Richard Maund Feb 11.

Bidford-on-Avon 5 Replies

Shall we bring this discussion under the proper heading!So far as the OS plan surveyed 1885, published 1886, is concerned: the OS liked - wherever they could  - to have text running parallel to the top and bottom borders. When they came to add the…Continue

Started by Richard Maund. Last reply by Richard Maund Feb 10.

SMJ photos

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I went on 'The Wandering 1500 Tour' - Bob Hodson 1 Comment

The Wandering 1500 Railtour traversed the SMJ from Blisworth to Stratford upon Avon on Saturday 5th October 1963.  It was, I believe, the last passenger train to pass through Towcester - but I'l… View »

S&MJR Model Railway Layouts 6 Comments

As model railway clubs and enthusiasts often dismantle layouts in order to produce new projects there is no guarantee that all of these layouts are still in existance Broom Junction (O gauge) Warley… View »

Extracts from Blakesley Signalbox registers (kindly supplied by Robin Cullup) 2 Comments

Robin Cullup has kindly allowed me to put these extracts from a Blakesley Signalbox  register, which came into the possession of himself from the late Ian Lyman, onto this webpage.  The ori… View »

Visits to Towcester Station in its last days remembered by Graham Campion 1 Comment

  Northampton's 44524 seen at Towcester during the early '60s   Just noticed that it will be fifty years on 3rd February 2014 since the Woodford West-Blisworth Ironstone Mine section c… View »

The Blakesley Miniature Railway 1 Comment

NB. The Blakesley Hall site is completely private land and there is no public access at all so please don't trespass. This pioneering 15” gauge line, which was never officially known in its time as… View »

How the SMJR was linked to Gayton and Blisworth Ironstone Quarries 2 Comments

This webpage is primarily concerned with how the Gayton and Blisworth quarries were linked to the SMJR system, but for reasons of clarity I have also described the nearby link to the LNWR (West Coast… View »

Rubio - from Towcester Station to Aintree Legend

When Foinavon won the Grand National back in 1967 at 100-1 my dad’s cousin, a ex-Woodford driver in the passenger links, had backed it at an earlier price of 500-1 simply because he had drawn it… View »

Firing the Steel Trains – ex-Woodford fireman Albert Fennell

Albert on the footplate of the Gresley N2 tank at Loughborough   During the 1950’s previous to the closure of Stratford – Broom Junction of the SMJR,  five trains each way ran nightly alon… View »

East & West Junction and SMJR liveries 3 Comments

East & West Junction Railway  (revised with extra information fromSimon Dunkley) According to J M Dunn’s revised 1977 edition of The Stratford & Midland Junction Railway (Oakwo… View »

Ironstone links to the SMJR and LNWR at Gayton & Blisworth 4 Comments

I've drawn up this map with reference to Tonks' maps and also to evidence found when Andy & I visited the area in 2010. There were three main phases to the movement of ore by main line rail. Fir… View »

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