‘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
magnet fishing
Hi everyone, yesterday I did some magnet fishing with the grandchildren from the SMJ bridge over the river Tove in Towester, to great excitement of the children (and myself) we pulled out three chair screws and a rivet which looked similar in style…Continue
Started by Steve Camm on Tuesday.
One of the best preserved SMJ bridges? 1 Reply
I was at Ettington the other day and apart from the good shed, which has had a lot of money spent on it including full glazing, the station building is still there. But my attention went to the station bridge (No. 73?) which is in very good…Continue
Started by John Evans. Last reply by Andy Thompson Aug 30.
Passenger Trains connected to the SMJ
Following on from the previous discussion about WD passenger trains on the SMJ during the 1940s; it must be said that passenger trains ran on metals connected to the SMJ until the mid 1960s. There was a passenger service from the nearest point to…Continue
Started by Dave Hayward Jun 16.
Wartime passenger trains from Burton Dassett 3 Replies
Arthur Jordan in his book, The Stratford Upon Avon and Midland Junction Railway - The Shakespeare Route at pp 82 mentions a WW2 late night special from Stratford on Avon to Burton Dassett for soldiers at the CAD. I would envisage that this did not…Continue
Started by Dave Hayward. Last reply by Dave Hayward Jun 16.
SMJ photos
Super D passing Blakesley
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Comment by Dick Bodily on June 19, 2011 at 13:35
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Hello Barry again
Have spoken to Rex who tells me he saw the down working passing through Byfield station on its way with empties to the ironstone exchange sidings, whereas my picture is of the return laded train en route for Blisworth. This would seem to suggest that it was most likely a round trip from the Blisworth end for the Super D. Rex remembers the Nuneaton working you mentioned through Banbury and adds that its ultimate destination was Oxford with coal for the town's gasworks.
Best wishes
Dick
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Hello Barry,
Good to hear from you,
That's quite possible as I only saw it travelling towards Blisworth (as illustrated) on the daily Byfield ironstone. If this was a substitution at Byfield for a failed loco it might also explain the unconfirmed report of a Stanier Mogul on the SMJR as Nuneaton had several of these. Mind you it would have made more sense to substitute a loco off Woodford shed rather than Banbury. Stanier Moguls regularly came through Northampton on freights as well, so its equally likely that it was on a round trip to Byfield. I know Rex Partridge saw it at Byfield on the same day, but I don't know if he saw it come in from the Blisworth directiion, so next time I speak to him I shall ask.
Dick
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Comment by Barry Dunwoody on June 8, 2011 at 23:23
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These locos were always known as "Duck-8's" in Banbury. In the late 1950's Nuneaton locos - these, Black-5's and Crabs - all worked freights into Banbury. Could it have got to Byfield via Woodford on the GC link?
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I had always assumed that the engine seen on a Byfield to Blisworth iron ore working on 29th Dec 1960 was a Bletchley engine commandered at Blisworth for a return trip, possibly having arrived on a chalk tipper train from Totternhoe Quarry on the Leighton - Dunstable line. The plot thickens as I've recently discovered that the engine 49415 was allocated to Nuneaton 2B at the time.
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