‘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
SMJ seats at York Museum ?
I took my grandson to the National Railway Museum on Dec. 30th and noticed two bench seats, of the type found on station platforms until traditional stations were replaced with bus-shelters. Both bear the title " STRATFORD " - I'll try and upload…Continue
Started by Paul Atherton Jan 5.
More building at Towcester 2 Replies
I hear there has been more building at the station site in Towcester.Anyone know what they've dug up?…Continue
Tags: Towcester
Started by Andy Thompson. Last reply by Nigel Nov 7, 2024.
Broom History Group Event 9th November 2024
Broom History Group will be holding an event at Broom Village Hall 2-4pm on 9th November 2024 including a film on the railway and Broom Junction.…Continue
Started by Simon Stevens Oct 25, 2024.
Misunderstanding Easton Neston 2 Replies
Hello, I'm a new member and I've searched through the articles and can't find anything specific to my answer/ question. Can anyone help?…Continue
Started by Matt Davis. Last reply by Matt Davis Oct 16, 2024.
SMJ photos
Two new SMJ related Articles
In June 'Railway Bylines' Barry Taylor continues his 'SMJ Revisited' series covering the Towcester to Ettington section.
In June 'Steam Days' Rex Partridge's 'Related Through Ironstone' describes rail operations at Byfield and Charwelton ironstone quarries.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Barry Taylor on
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Excellent article by Rex with lots of very interesting detail and anecdotes.
However, I wonder if anyone has noticed the other reference to the SMJ in the same magazine?
In his article 'Passing the time at Bradley Lane' Mike page mentions the LCGB 'King commemorative' railtour of 17th November 1962. This worked its way from Paddington to Wolverhampton, back to Stourbridge, and eventually along the SMJ from Fenny Compton, to Towcester and Blisworth behind WR 22xx No. 2210.
Until now we all seem to have supposed that this loco then took the train on from Blisworth, along the WCML to Bletchley, along the Oxford branch, and then down to Marylebone. However, Mike destroys that theory by mentioning that a 4F took the train on from Blisworth, in place of the planned 2P 4-4-0 - it eventually got to London 3 hours late!
I've often wondered why nobody around Northampton reported the WR 22xx on the main line at the time - the answer is that, if anyone was out that late on a November afternoon, they would only have seen a far less noteworthy 4F anyway. Also I wonder what happened to the 22xx at Blisworth? We did occasionally get the odd one at Northampton a few years earlier (strangely one was the same 2210) and I wonder whether it went on shed, or just ran back light to home? Any thoughts?
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