‘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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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

March 2011 Blog Posts (4)

Ettington signal arm

Whilst reading John Evans blog about finding signal arms at Woodford Halse it reminded me of the Ettington one I have.11B signal came off the only bracket signal at Ettington and was used when Ettington signal box was switched out to allow through running towards Clifford sidings using the long section token (Clifford sidings-Kineton). The arm is wooden and well well be one of the original R.S.C. arms.

Added by alwyn sparrow on March 27, 2011 at 14:28 — No Comments

Line Tour III

Well we completed the tour with all station,s apart from Salcey Forest, and junctions, apart from Ravenstone Wood, visited.

We've covered some miles by road and a few by foot too.

I have finally managed to complete the upload of the photos from the latest one and that has been a task and a half.

In doing so I have tried to give folks the best of the tour and most if not all of the relics we found. As I said last time, we took nothing but photos and all we found was left…

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Added by Gary on March 14, 2011 at 14:19 — 1 Comment

Blisworth Junction

The Blisworth village history web site has an excellent section on the railway including much info and photos of the SMJ. The link's http://www.blisworth.org.uk/images/Rails.htm. Part 3 links to an article I wrote on my memories of helping out in the main line box in the 1950s and 60s. I also helped (unofficially) at Gayton, Banbury Lane and Heyford.

Added by John Whitehead on March 12, 2011 at 10:25 — No Comments

My SMJ memories

I’ve just joined your group, having been pointed to you following Andy Thompson’s article in the January 2009 edition of Steam Days, a magazine which crossed my desk recently.

I was born in 1940 and grew up at Eastcote, a small village near Towcester. My first experience of the SMJ was when I was about 6 or 7, my best mate and I walked the 4 miles to the Blisworth overbridge adjacent to where the SMJ turntable was and peered through the fence at the small signalbox, the…

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Added by John Whitehead on March 10, 2011 at 19:23 — No Comments