‘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 Apr 20.
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 Apr 20.
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
Mark Hazelton's Page
Mark Hazelton's photos
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I've put together a Aston le Walls siding page using various people's contributions to the site, I've added your recent picture, hope you don't mind. It can be reached via the *PAGES MENU* link at the top of the page. There's also a Aston le Walls Discussion, from which I pasted a lot of the page, in the Discussions on the Home Page. Have you found out anything about how the railway was used during the construction of the airfield. I remember in the 50s and 60s lots of local people from miles around taught themselves to drive by trespassing on the old airfield.
Dick
Yes, its surprising how history on the doorstep can completely pass you by!
It was the thought that I ought to find out something about the SMJ that led me here...!!
Kind regards,
Peter
Yes, I'm local to the track - I live near to Aston. I spent many a happy day as a child on the old disused line between Claydon and Byfield. I've actually been investigating the history of the old WW2 airfield at Chipping Warden which is what brought me to find out more about the railway. Like the airfield, it had kind of just always been there and taken for granted - but like the airfield, which was used to train new pilots to Wellington bombers and had a reputation for one of the highest crash rates in the country, there must be a huge amount of history involved and it would be a shame for that to be lost!
Thanks for the welcome!
Mark
Welcome to the site!
I think you will find it will takes quite a time to trawl through all the information here, but I know that you will find it fascinating!
Are you local to the old SMJ line? What sparks your interest?
Kind regards,
Peter