Stratford Old Town (or what's left of it)

[Focalplane]

There is very little left of the Stratford and Midland Junction Railway and what there is may not last very much longer.  The site of Stratford Old Town station is now a "relief road" with housing estates where the goods yard used to be.  The site of the four road engine shed is now part of a footpath linking the Greenway to the riverside.  But two small indications of what was there remain.  First, the northern platform edge (I am never sure which is up and down on a cross country line) remains on the road side:

 

 

 

 

 

The upper rows of end on bricks each stick out 2 inches (5 cms) above the row below.  The four courses of bricks below have a distinctive brick pattern as shown.  Staffordshire blues predominate.

 

A more permanent reminder of the old railway line is across the relief road where a short length of track supports a buffer stop.  There used to be a sign explaining why it is there but that has gone.  Looking at the state of the wooden sleepers I would say the rest of it could follow in a few years time.  So I took lots of photos which may be of interest.  The metal rule is generally extended to 30cm/1ft:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few comments.  The use of bullhead rail for the top rails may not be prototypical, a wooden sleeper was typical, perhaps supported by rails.  Note the tubular collet between the curved rails on each side.  I have measured the various components if anyone is interested, PM me, or ask me to add the details to this post.

 

This is a rather belated attempt at preserving information on a railway that really has been wiped off the face of Middle England.

[bike2steam]

Nice to see something about the old S&MJR, I have happy memories of watching trains on that line in the late 50's, and early 60's when my maternal grandparents lived in Kineton ( before retiring to Lower Tysoe).