‘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
BLAKESLEY and an SMJ stamp
This item has come up in an auction recently and is a glimpse of the practice of carrying mail by train. Apart from the SMJ…Continue
Started by Graham Ward Nov 14, 2025.
Further about Ravenstone Wood Junction 1 Reply
Firstly a belated thanks to Barry for his excellent research that has returned these signal lever plates to their rightful home! [Perhaps their place of residence on the website needs changing!] Apologies for starting s new Forum discussion on this…Continue
Started by Dave Hayward. Last reply by Barry Taylor Oct 23, 2025.
Ravenstone Wood Junction Signal Box-an anomaly 3 Replies
Closely examining the brass lever plates shown in the Olney Line entry in the Index Section of this website I noticed a significant anomaly. Some of the above plates, specifically 1, 10, 11, 12, 25, 32, 34. refer to platforms, loading dock, goods…Continue
Started by Dave Hayward. Last reply by Barry Taylor Oct 9, 2025.
SMJ keys from the Towcester area 1 Reply
I have been contacted by someone who wishes to dispose of two sets of SMJ-related keys from the Towcester area, but does not want to put personal email or other details on this website. They have been given to him by the estate manager at Easton…Continue
Started by Barry Taylor. Last reply by Barry Taylor Sep 4, 2025.
SMJ photos
towcester station
Add a Comment
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Comment by adrian vaughan on September 3, 2009 at 18:48
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Hello Gary,
Thanks for your very close dating - thanks to the famous'Cooke Book'.
Those views of Towcester are the only ones I have.
Adrian.
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Comment by Barry Taylor on September 3, 2009 at 15:27
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Adrian
From other photos that I have, it would appear that your final shot is dated somewhere between June 1956 and 27th June 1957 - the three doll bracket signal lost one of its arms during that period. Reference to R A Cooke's Track Layout Diagrams shows a'new layout' as from 30/12/1956 so that is probably the answer - it involved removing one of the through platform lines and a rearranged track and signalling layout
Incidentally, the small wooden hut shown to the left of the view was rumoured to be the signal cabin removed from Greens Norton Junction when the two lines to Blakesley and Cockley Brake were changed to operate as two parallel single lines from Towcester, instead of a physical junction at G Norton. I don't know whether this is fact or fiction, but it does look like a signal cabin - if so it had been there for a long time ! I photographed it in closer detail around 1964 so it probably lasted right through to the end.
Barry
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Comment by Dick Bodily on September 2, 2009 at 16:06
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Adrian
Great set of pictures, did you take them yourself? Can't help with the date of the last picture, but pretty certain that the train with the flag was taken on Coronation Day June 1953( not 52). The Banbury line had already been closed, so this train must be working the old EWJR route. Strange that the engine hasn't been turned. There was a weekday schools service to Byfield which was usually 2 coaches (the second coach usually being left at Blisworth the rest of the day) and may have been pulled tender first as it was a shorter journey, I'm too young to remember such details although I did travel on the SMJ as a small child. Perhaps it ran on Coronation Day with just one coach as there wouldn't ahve been any schoolchildren. Looks like a 3F, they were preferred to 4Fs by most Northampton and Blisworth (signing on point) crewsfor SMJR services. Note the LMS headed noticeboards and hawkeye totem.
Dick
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The signal box, station ext. and stn.plat without train I know are 4/1950. The view with a train would seem to be Coronation time so say 6/52. I would like some expert person to put an approximate date to the final view.
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