"Peter Masson" wrote:

"Tony Polson" wrote

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?

There's plenty of evidence that he was a brilliant railway manager.

Where and what is that evidence?

There
are examples he quoted which showed that he was not so good as a practical
railwayman, like the time he rolled a milk churn down the ramp under an
express; when he was word parfect on the Rules of Single Line Working, but
had to turn to the signalman on duty when he was faced with putting in SLW;
like the time when he demonstrated to station masters the technique of
rerailing a wagon in a yard without calling out the breakdown train - then
Hockley had a derailed wagon in the middle of the night. GFF was phoned, and
asked Control 'to tell the station master to pull it on, same as I showed
him.' Half an hour later Control phoned again (barely concealed laughter).
'He has done what you said. He has pulled it broadside across both Main
Lines.'

How does this evidence of practical incompetence support your
assertion that he was "a brilliant railway manager"? It makes him
appear a complete idiot.

Perhaps Chippy was right.

;-)