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London North Western
Railway:
![](../railpics/invisible.gif) Midland
Railway:
![](../railpics/invisible.gif) Stratford
Midland Junction Railway
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John Jennings' Research Papers
The Railways of Stratford upon Avon in the 1950s
John R Jennings, SMJ Archivist
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![John Jennings, SMJ Archivist](../railpics/john_jennings170.jpg) John R
Jennings 1945-2016
Railway Historian and SMJ
Archivist |
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John Jennings was born near Shipston on Stour in
Warwickshire and spent his formative years in Stratford upon Avon. John's
knowledge of the railway scene in and around Stratford upon Avon was second to
none, not only because he was fortunate to have known the railway scene whilst
it was still a viable transport system, but also because of the research John
undertook over the years. Much of John's information has been collected from
former railwaymen, some of whom were actually employees of the Stratford
Midland Junction Railway which ceased to exist on 31st December 1922 or the
London Midland & Scottish Railway which was suceeded by British Railways on
1st January 1948. John states elsewhere that his interest grew into that of
a life time railway enthusiast which I am pleased to recollect meant much of
what I saw in my early years was a unique snapshot of the end of the steam era
before road transport developed a stranglehold. The railway was still a very
important part of the life of our English market town and until the end of the
decade the working methods and the men involved were more or less the same as
they had been in the previous thirty years'.
John's collection of photographs are still available
to purchase via the
Transport Treasury. For his personal memories of the lines
around Stratford upon Avon please use this link. |
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As indicated in his memories of the railways of
Stratford upon Avon, John was also knowledgeable about the SMJ's local
protagonist, the Great Western Railway. His observations at the Great Western
Railway's Stratford station had started in the late 1940s when his Grandmother
took him on outings there to observe the activities. By 1953 he was visiting
the station regularly on his own and without the need to always buy a platform
ticket as there were a number of other vantage points. The attached PDF
documents are varied in content and in many instances have been developed in
response to questions raised by other enthusiasts or even, in one instance, by
a person who shared his family name but were not a relative and who wanted
information about the death of James Jennings, in a railway accident. |
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