South Midland Railway

The origins of the South Midland Railway (SMR) are back in the mists of time … or around 1952.

In a parallel universe, the GWR did not build the line from Oxford to Birmingham through Aynho. In fact, it was the South Midland Railway Company* that built and owns the line, choosing a route via the larger market town of Deddington. Here the line from Kirkburton and the north splits, one line to Wales and the fast route via Taunton to Barnstaple, the other to Didcot and the south coast. A steeply graded branch line serves Barford via Hempton. En route to Didcot, there is a branch to Middle Aston while to the west, the line passes through Hook Norton. Bus services are available from Deddington to Clifton, Aynho and Banbury. Deddington Junction remains in a time-warp, between the early 1900s and 1947.

Most of the running rights are leased to the GWR as its preferred route to the south and west (up line) and the north of England (down line). Other companies have running rights over SMR metals, including GCR, LSWR, Midland and S&DJR; some of their locos are stabled at Hempton. The post-1923 companies, SR, LMS and LNER also have rights (locos of all four companies were often to be seen in Oxford). SMR retains the right to run its own trains as required. All permanent way and engineering work is carried out by SMR.

	Deddington Junction and the Barford Branch The mythology
The origins of the South Midland Railway (SMR) are back in the mists of time … or around 1952. In a parallel universe, the GWR did not build the line from Oxford to Birmingham through Aynho. In fact, it was the South Midland Railway Company* that built and owns the line, choosing a route via the larger market town of Deddington. Here the line from Kirkburton and the north splits, one line to Wales and the fast route via Taunton to Barnstaple, the other to Didcot and the south coast. A steeply graded branch line serves Barford via Hempton. En route to Didcot, there is a branch to Middle Aston while to the west, the line passes through Hook Norton. Bus services are available from Deddington to Clifton, Aynho and Banbury. Deddington Junction remains in a time-warp, between the early 1900s and 1947. Most of the running rights are leased to the GWR as its preferred route to the south and west (up line) and the north of England (down line). Other companies have running rights over SMR metals, including GCR, LSWR, Midland and S&DJR; some of their locos are stabled at Hempton. The post-1923 companies, SR, LMS and LNER also have rights (locos of all four companies were often to be seen in Oxford). SMR retains the right to run its own trains as required. All permanent way and engineering work is carried out by SMR.
	* Not to be confused with the proposed South Midland Railway Company for which a plan is cited in A Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers in Great Britain and Ireland nor the one planned from Leicester to Huntingdon from 1845-1847 (see also news clippings one and two nor a similar or the same one nor the proposal for a network around Kingsclere in 1871 and mentioned in the Wiltshire and Swindon Archive Catalogue nor the South Midland and Southampton Junction Railway from Northampton via Reading and Basingstoke nor the fictitous model Wessex and South Midland Railway nor the Scottish South Midland Junction Railway nor the Jamaica South Midland Junction Railway nor The South Midland Railway Co, Australia nor any other South Midland Railway extant in South Bedfordshire. So there!
Back to the top of this page	Prehistory Change of scale Lambourn Raising the game in the interim years The birth of Deddington Junction Early years at Deddn Jn Re-wiring and first refurbishment The Grand Refit Building Barford terminus Hempton shed refit Work in progress - latest news Thirty Years On – Grand Re-opening Gallery 1 Gallery 2 Gallery 3; fin de siècle Gallery 4 The Deddington Junction mythology Loco power Rolling stock Track plan Electrics Museum Thomas and friends