The Maunsell years

摘要

At the Grouping, the Southern Railway had three 'in-house' candidates for the post of chief mechanical engineer. The most senior was Robert Urie, CME of the London & South Western Railway since 1912, but he was 69 and due to retire. Colonel Lawson Billinton had been loco superintendent of the 'Brighton', also from 1912, but his railway experience was limited and, although just 40 years old, he too was happy to take retirement. The answer came from the South Eastern & Chatham in the commanding figure of Richard Maunsell, 54 years old and with a wealth of diverse experience. Born on May 26, 1868, at Raheny, County Dublin, R.E.L. Maunsell trained on the Great Southern & Western Railway at Inchicore Works (Dublin) and on the Lancashire & Yorkshire at Horwich before occupying senior posts on the East Indian Railway.