"Chippy" wrote:

Richard J. wrote:

I fail to see what the story tells you about GFF's skills as a
railwayman. Care to explain?

It doesn't tell you anything about those skills directly. But only a
supreme raconteur (and, in this context, that is a euphemism for
bull****ter) would feel confident in spouting such garbage. So, in the
field of the raconteur/bull****ter, he was supreme.

Of that, there is no doubt.

As a railwayman, he wasn't.

You still haven't answered Richard J.'s valid question. What evidence
do you have that he was anything other than a highly competent and
powerfully motivated (some might say passionate) railway manager?