‘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'

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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.

PPhoto Albums 1 Reply

AndyAbout two years ago I ended up with some railway matter from a Bill Kendall who had been a Signalman on SMJ ending his railway career at Northampton No 1. I worked with him when I was working in Rugby PSB, I also covered the signa?l boxes at…Continue

Started by Robin Leslie Patrick. Last reply by Dave Hayward Jun 8.

Broom Junction station site for sale 3 Replies

Great opportunity for an SMJ enthusiast perhaps. I'm not sure what you could actually do with this site though!…Continue

Started by Simon Stevens. Last reply by Simon Stevens May 17.

SMJ photos

Ravenstone Wood as three way junction?

A close analysis of the 1945 RAF aerial photographs available in the historical imagery resource on Google Earth has provided evidence that Ravenstone Wood was probably a three-way junction during the latter part of WW2 and for an unknown period of time afterwards. Trains approaching from Bedford would have been faced with the SMJ to the left, Northampton straight ahead and a line into WD (later MOD) Yardley Chase explosives depot to the left. It would appear that this latter line was a secondary connection to the principal connection to the depot at Piddington Station.

From the photographs I have attached it seems to indicate that the 'Ravenstone' connection extended from the main line to the north-east across a field where some reception sidings were sited before turning to the east to join the main military network through the extended siding of the nearest storage shed. This latter arrangement would have been most unusual to allow 'through' trains by a storage shed considering the fire risk from sparks emanating from a WD 0-6-0 saddle tank! I believe second connections at these depots, although Kineton never had one (or did it?), were to ensure that the depot would keep working if one junction was taken out by enemy action.

Does anybody have further information on this, maybe i have missed previous discussions etc on this intriguing subject!

Dave Hayward

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Permalink Reply by Robin Cullup on April 15, 2018 at 19:55

I wrote an article on Ravenstone Wood Jcn that appeared in the Midland Railway Society Journal No.58 (Summer 2015) which dealt (briefly) with the Yardley Chase Munitions Depot. The Piddington connection was announced as opening on 23rd April 1942. The connection at the Ravenstone Wood Jcn end was dated as opening 23rd October 1942 described "new sidings for construction purposes up side opposite box and connection into up line".

The Fortnightly Notices for 2nd December 1944 state:

"Ravenstone Wood Jcn - temporary connection from contractor's siding to up line removed".

Finally on 7th October 1945 "Ravenstone Wood Jcn - trailing connection up siding to up line removed".

Unfortunately we don't have all the Train Registers from RWJ for this period but there are 4 entries in 1944 mentioning the siding before it was disconnected.