‘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 on Saturday.
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 on Saturday.
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
Ravenstone Wood Junction
Although the SMJ tracks had been removed 18 months earlier, this view from the signal box gives an impression of how remote this junction was. This view looks towards Northampton on April 29 1966 from inside the signal box. Pictures of this location are surprisingly rare, but you had to walk along a one mile track to get there!
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Comment by Andy Thompson on July 3, 2012 at 19:57
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Gary and I walked down from Piddington station were we had a great afternoon with Norman the station owner Andy
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Comment by Gary on April 23, 2012 at 15:31
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Hi John,
My mistake I had not realised that the small stub you had mentioned was just a little further back - teach me to check dates on pictures.
From track level taken last March (2011) it is indeed a sad sight. http://thesmjr.ning.com/photo/ravenstone-wood-junction-157/next?con...
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Comment by John Evans on April 23, 2012 at 15:20
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The points were still there (see one of my other pictures taken on this day) with a very short stub to the SMJ. The points are just to the l;eft of the picture. The ballast is there on the Northampton-Bedford line. This line was dismantled between February and May 1967 - lots of shots on my Flickr site. I have not been here since 1966 when I took these pictures. I'm sure I would be depressed! I got to travel on the Bedford line demolition train - it was easy to get a pass as I was a journalist on the evening paper in Northampton and BR were very co-operative.
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Just as an aside the white "bin" on the right is still there and was photographed by myself on the mini tour last year - see the appropriate album. This is helpful as it gives a good reference to the site today.
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It is interesting to not that they appear to have dug out the ballast and that the rails are still rusty and yet the point work appears to have been removed.
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