Neil Smith had a varied career with British Rail working as Relief Station Master at Bletchley and Bedford, Euston HQ and Assistant Station Manager at Oswestry. He was appointed to Freight Traffic Manager at Crewe Basford Hall Marshalling Yard and finally to Duty Manager at Crewe Area Operations Centre having overall control of 70 miles of the West Coast Main Line. Author of two previous books “Times of Our Lives” (Memories of the 20th Century) and “Inside Crewe Locomotive Works”.