‘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
Video: Stratford-upon-Avon to Towcester
I have added a video to the site's video page.https://youtu.be/DHCoijWc_t0Continue
Tags: video
Started by Graham Ward Jul 28.
Binton Station
As I was in the vicinity this week I visited my old stamping ground of over sixty years ago, the former SMJ station at Binton. The former goods shed has been demolished, 24 upmarket dwellings have been constructed in the old yard and the former…Continue
Started by Paul Stratford Apr 23.
Would the GCR have gone via Towcester? 14 Replies
Looking through Mac Hawkins book on the GCR then and now, he mentions that the GCR were thinking of running a line connecting Brackley to Northampton and had provisionally made a mound ready for a platform to be later constructed but they dropped…Continue
Started by Gary. Last reply by Andrew Emmerson Apr 18.
EWJR Portland Cement Wagon 13 Replies
Hello All,I found this item on ebay, although it's a model, what I'd like to know is, was it actually based on the real thing? As you can see it has the initials EWJR and return empty to Ettington, which all fits in with the real world.It was listed…Continue
Started by Jim Goodman. Last reply by Jim Goodman Apr 18.
SMJ photos
Towcester from Lucas Bridge
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Comment by Tony Newman on March 15, 2020 at 16:56
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Busy scene isn't it? Not by way of people, but 'stuff' - infrastructure.
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Comment by Dick Bodily on November 25, 2012 at 14:16
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I think Gary's dates for the period when the bridge was demolished are about right. I can remember being taken as a school activity for an art drawing lesson at Towcester station sometime late in 1959 (or very early in 1960 at the latest) and we were warned to take care crossing the line as there was no longer a bridge. The down line had also been removed by then as had the canopy on the main building. I think that the strange (waterproofing!) tar like substance that resembled car underseal had been applied to the upper storey by then as well. Incidentally we were sketching at the station for a couple of hours middayish and there was not a train in sight. When we went back to school we had to compose a railway scene painting using what we had seen, somehow my version of Towcester managed to acquire Stratford upon Avon's GW station's canopy and a King class loco.
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Comment by adrian vaughan on November 24, 2012 at 6:49
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I have the negative for the Towcester station view above. It is very likely that Roger Carpenter was out with a friend on a whole day of photography at - in the true sense of the word - fabulous places.
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Comment by NIGEL on November 23, 2012 at 21:19
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Note also;
As well as the footbridge missing - the station canopy is also.
Groom & Tattersall station works foundry site is right hand side middle of photo.
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Poor old Towcester on the mysterious S&MJ.
Towcester's atmosphere reminds me of Swindon Town or Marlborough Low Level.
The place was full of ghosts.
Adrian.
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Comment by Gary on September 10, 2009 at 17:38
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Ah...
It helps to look closer doesn't it? There is no footbridge in this shot!
From what I can tell the footbridge was removed somewhere between July 1958 and early May 1960.
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Right - found the picture - it is in the Middleton Press "Branch Lines Around Towcester" - picture 118. Taken by R S Carpenter it is dated as "around 1958" and is a view from the foot bridge.
Looking at the stock in both shots it is possibly taken the same day.
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I think this photo was taken after the second line through the station was lifted and the loop was still in place. Would explain why the arm is missing from the gantry.
I have seen a picture somewhere this week where that trolley is on the barrow crossing/trolley ramp and not it's shed.
Makes for a good comparison shot with the one I took in Jan 2009.
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Comment by Andy Thompson on September 2, 2009 at 18:08
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Nice detail of the Lucas bridge!
Andy
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