‘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

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Misunderstanding Easton Neston 2 Replies

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SMJ photos

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...explain bridge 1A?

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Comment by Dick Bodily on November 2, 2010 at 12:10
Andy
I reckon your annotated map is right. What I had been looking at as bridge 2 is what you've labelled as bridge 2. I'd been so closely looking at the Gayton Road that I'd not even noticed the other bridge (1A) on the map!
Dick
Comment by Andy Thompson on November 1, 2010 at 22:04
Glad to help John It all sounds very exciting! Where is your UK base? I live in Devon!!

Andy
Comment by John Evans on November 1, 2010 at 20:47
Right, I've got all this pictured. I know exactly where you are. I can't honestly recall seeing these bridge abutments, but next time I am in the UK I'll grab all my SMJ transparencies and buy some kind of device to load them up on this site. When I do that I might ask for some guidance from you.
Comment by Andy Thompson on November 1, 2010 at 20:10
Bridge 2 piers right next to bridge 3

Comment by Andy Thompson on November 1, 2010 at 19:59
Dick
Bridge 2 ran at a skew starting very close to bridge 3. Yes bridge 1A is closer to Blisworth. 1A is 58 chains, 2 was 73 chains and 3 is 76 chains

Andy

1 = tramway running alongside the Gayton/Blisworth road
2 = Bridge 2
3 = What I think is bridge 1A
Comment by Andy Thompson on November 1, 2010 at 19:51
You can walk (and we did) from what was SMJ Blisworth station, past where bridge 1 was and climb and curve round west. Climbing and straightening the trackbed widens and at and opposite what was Richard Thomas's sidings are the abutments (labelled such) of bridge 1A. The remaining piers, supports call them what you will seem to offer support for a simple flat platform across the (in some places) steep and deep culvert which runs along side (to the north) this section of the trackbed which is an embankment. They seem to link-up with the Richard Thomas sidings but pre-dates the sidings and (see map above) there seems to be an under-bridge. The field into which that under-bridge ran was quarried around 1900.
On the north side of 1A ran the private sidings of Wheldon's and this link seems to join up with it. Any images you have, of any date would be very helpful John


Thoughts?

Andy
Comment by Dick Bodily on November 1, 2010 at 19:46
Andy
I reckon this shows Bridges 2 (tramway) and 3 ( Blisworth - Gayton Road). 1A must have been nearer to Blisworth
Dick
Comment by John Evans on November 1, 2010 at 17:47
Hi Andy

I can't quite work this one out. Does this relate at all to the map on Page 32 of Arthur Jordan's book? I do remember one day we went to a quarry between Blisworth and Towcester (not Blisworth Mines). I have some color pictures in the UK. There was a very deep lake there. We were told by an elderly local gent that an old steam engine from the quarry was dumped in the lake, but I am not convinced. I think it was Easton Neston mines?

I never heard of Bridge 1A. I have Ordnance Survey maps with every bridge from Olney to Broom numbered and marked on them, but I did not know of Bridge 1A. I must get my color pix to show you. They aren't great but there are dozens of them.

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