‘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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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 4 hours ago.

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 5 hours ago.

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

Binton station plans

Hi!

I recently discovered this article on Binton station building in the now long defunct magazine ‘Model Railways’ from 1976. It includes a full plan which might encourage someone to model this simple station.

Does anyone have access to, or know of a similar set of drawings of Kineton station, Warwickshire?

Regards

Martin

Attachments:

May18#05.JPG, 816 KB
May18#06.JPG, 3.1 MB

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Permalink Reply by Simon Stevens on May 7, 2022 at 9:06

You could ask the Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society. They're building a model of Kineton:

https://www.lwmrs.co.uk/kineton

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Permalink Reply by Martin Bromage on May 8, 2022 at 16:08

Hi Simon

Thanks for this. I certainly will chase them up. I wonder what period they are modelling? It would be interesting to know what progress they have made and if it’s possible to see the layout too.

I'm presently collecting rolling stock for a 1952-1959 layout (such as 40+ iron ore tipplers and a similar number of iron ore hoppers!) although Kineton was drastically changed from 1958 to 1964. I know the loop was extended in July 1958 and the goods sidings were removed between July and November 1964 from R.A. Cooke’s GWR/W. Region track plans (Section 29). ‘Warwickshire Railways’ says the last day of the Stratford - Blisworth pick ups was 7th September 1962 so the sidings probably had no use after that.

On the same site regarding the destruction of Kineton’s platforms John Jennings notes that:

‘During 1959 …... the former station locations at Burton Dassett, Kineton and Ettington had their passing loops extended and long & short token section instruments with greater operating flexibility were installed. The track was relaid with new heavy quality material for much of the route and the former platforms at the wayside stations were dug out and angled back in order to provide clearance for outside cylindered ex GWR locos’

I can’t recommend enough the ‘Warwickshire Railways’ website with it’s wonderful John Jennings' Research Papers and the R.A. Cooke GWR/W. Region track plans for those interested in the SMJR from it’s birth to demise.