‘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"
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
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.
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.
There is an interesting photo of the Double Fairlie that was purchased from the Yorkshire Engine Company in 1876 in "Branch Lines Around Towcester - The S&MJR Routes" by Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith. However, are there any photos of the Single Fairlie that came with it too at the same time? Both engines went in 1877.
The only picture that I know of is this one taken when the Single Fairlie had moved on to the Swindon Marlborough & Andover Railway, where it lived on until around 1892, although it is debatable about how much work it actually did there.
It seems to have left the East & West Junction around 1876/7 - very possibly appeared at an exhibition at Paris in 1878 (probably after refurbishment by the makers) and then on to the SMAR.
Anyone interested in the very old locos of the E&WJR might like to look at the article in the latest 'Railway Archive' journal No.29, which I put together after finding some newspaper references to the French loco 'La Savoie', which disgraced itself near Woodford by setting fire to some lineside property !