‘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
magnet fishing
Hi everyone, yesterday I did some magnet fishing with the grandchildren from the SMJ bridge over the river Tove in Towester, to great excitement of the children (and myself) we pulled out three chair screws and a rivet which looked similar in style…Continue
Started by Steve Camm 7 hours ago.
One of the best preserved SMJ bridges? 1 Reply
I was at Ettington the other day and apart from the good shed, which has had a lot of money spent on it including full glazing, the station building is still there. But my attention went to the station bridge (No. 73?) which is in very good…Continue
Started by John Evans. Last reply by Andy Thompson on Sunday.
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.
SMJ photos
Towcester from Lucas Bridge
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Comment by Tony Newman on March 15, 2020 at 16:56
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Busy scene isn't it? Not by way of people, but 'stuff' - infrastructure.
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Comment by Dick Bodily on November 25, 2012 at 14:16
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I think Gary's dates for the period when the bridge was demolished are about right. I can remember being taken as a school activity for an art drawing lesson at Towcester station sometime late in 1959 (or very early in 1960 at the latest) and we were warned to take care crossing the line as there was no longer a bridge. The down line had also been removed by then as had the canopy on the main building. I think that the strange (waterproofing!) tar like substance that resembled car underseal had been applied to the upper storey by then as well. Incidentally we were sketching at the station for a couple of hours middayish and there was not a train in sight. When we went back to school we had to compose a railway scene painting using what we had seen, somehow my version of Towcester managed to acquire Stratford upon Avon's GW station's canopy and a King class loco.
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Comment by adrian vaughan on November 24, 2012 at 6:49
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I have the negative for the Towcester station view above. It is very likely that Roger Carpenter was out with a friend on a whole day of photography at - in the true sense of the word - fabulous places.
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Comment by NIGEL on November 23, 2012 at 21:19
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Note also;
As well as the footbridge missing - the station canopy is also.
Groom & Tattersall station works foundry site is right hand side middle of photo.
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Poor old Towcester on the mysterious S&MJ.
Towcester's atmosphere reminds me of Swindon Town or Marlborough Low Level.
The place was full of ghosts.
Adrian.
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Comment by Gary on September 10, 2009 at 17:38
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Ah...
It helps to look closer doesn't it? There is no footbridge in this shot!
From what I can tell the footbridge was removed somewhere between July 1958 and early May 1960.
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Right - found the picture - it is in the Middleton Press "Branch Lines Around Towcester" - picture 118. Taken by R S Carpenter it is dated as "around 1958" and is a view from the foot bridge.
Looking at the stock in both shots it is possibly taken the same day.
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I think this photo was taken after the second line through the station was lifted and the loop was still in place. Would explain why the arm is missing from the gantry.
I have seen a picture somewhere this week where that trolley is on the barrow crossing/trolley ramp and not it's shed.
Makes for a good comparison shot with the one I took in Jan 2009.
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Comment by Andy Thompson on September 2, 2009 at 18:08
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Nice detail of the Lucas bridge!
Andy
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