‘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"
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
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
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.
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.
I like all of your SMJR pictures, Ron. I know Andy has transfered them along with a lot of others 'en block' from the old website. Hence the error, this is in fact a Black 5. I used to live at Blakesley at the time you took these pictures and know that Black 5s were really rare on trains through there. Usually the pickup was a Northampton 4F and the Blisworth iron ore trains were their 8Fs. Presumably Northampton had nothing more suitable on the day. Not sure but this engine may have been a Bedford 14E loco.
Blakesley station on the Stratford upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway in Northamptonshire once had a 15 inch gauge miniature railway connecting it to the nearby Blakesley Hall. This had long gone by January, 1964 when I photographed Stanier 'Black 5' 4-6-0 45287 on a freight working.
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