Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway - The Route

The Route

Once all the portions of the line came together on the first day of 1909 (except for the Northampton & Banbury junction Railway which was taken over the following year) the SMJR consisted of a main line from Blisworth to Broom and two branches: one from Towcester to Ravenstone Wood Junction, Olney and the other from Towcester to Cockley Brake Junction. There were connections along the route with:

• Midland Railway — as already described
• London and North Western Railway at Blisworth
• Great Central Railway (GCR) at Woodford Halse. Soon after the GCR’s London Extension was built in 1899, through passenger coaches were instituted between London Marylebone and Stratford; later a slip coach was used on the service.
• Great Western Railway at Fenny Compton and again at Stratford

The line was single track throughout apart from passing loops: the countryside was undulating, and there were frequent changes of gradient and sharp curves, making it difficult to work for train crews. The track itself, until taken over by the LMSR, was mostly secondhand; because of this, the line was dubbed the "Slow, Mouldy and Jolty Railway" by travellers.

In 1923 the SMJR owned 13 locomotives, and by that time all of them were old. They were incompatible with the new company’s modernisation scheme so the LMS had them all scrapped by 1931.

The Edge Hill Light Railway, which began working in 1922 and closed in 1946, ran from Burton Dassett sidings, west of Fenny Compton.