‘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.
There was a two-and-a-quarter mile post here. The base of the cutting was quite marshy.Cows roamed in the cutting. Bridge 122 is in the far distance. (March 19 1966).
Comment by Dick Bodily on September 10, 2012 at 10:03
According to 'Mysterious Northamptonshire' by Daniel Codd this section of line is haunted by a ghost train!!! A man allegedly 'recently' got out of his car to relieve himself near the Silverstone Road bridge when he saw a train's headlight coming towards him along the trackless formation. I think that if he saw anything at all, it might well have been ball lightning (St Elmo's Fire), a rarely encountered natural phenomenon, which I once observed and I can vouch for it's scariness!
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