Covering a wide sweep of the railway story in the twentieth century, this book chronicles an insider’s view of the changing scene. Joining the Southern Railway in 1925 as a junior clerk, Edward Hopper left the railway in 1968 from the position of Training Officer at the 222 Marylebone Road headquarters. He was a railwayman through and through, being involved with and committed to all aspects of railway life. He was especially concerned to bring about a reshaping of the railway through the development of its staff and good decision-making.
The story provides insight into a neglected part of the railway, the way it trained, informed and consulted with its staff, often with approaches that were advanced for their time. This changing process is illustrated both by the example of his early career as well as the later responsibility he had for the education and training of railwaymen. At times this story may offer new insights for the more traditional reader of railway history.
Chris Green (formerly of Inter City and Virgin Trains) says the book “paints a fascinating picture of the contrasting life in a private and nationalised industry, with pithy examples from the time, but above all because it traces the life of one senior manager at a time of huge change and shows just how much a determined individual can achieve in a large organisation.