Smith graduated with honours from
University of Sydney and was a locomotive designing and test engineer with the
New South Wales Government Railways. During
World War II, he worked at
Chullora Railway Workshops supervising the production of war materials including the
cruiser tank, bren gun carrier,
Bristol Beaufort and
Bristol Beaufighter aircraft projects. He was closely associated with the design of the
38 class locomotive. In 1948, Smith joined the
Tasmanian Government Railways as Production Engineer. In 1950, he joined the
Commonwealth Railways,
Port Augusta, as Chief Mechanical Engineer. As well as his Mechanical Branch responsibilities, in the role of Acting Chief Civil Engineer, he also supervised the construction of the
standard gauge line from
Stirling North to the
Leigh Creek Coalfield. This project also involved the creation of the pick-a-back scheme whereby two complete narrow gauge coal consists were transported on a standard gauge rake of flat cars. Under his stewardship, 1,000 km of
new railway to
Alice Springs were built, completed in 1980 and 1,420 km of further extension to
Darwin were surveyed. He introduced concrete sleepers and long welded rail to the Commonwealth Railways. He also had much of the
North Australia Railway narrow gauge system rebuilt in the 1960s for the iron ore traffic. This work included the complete replacement of all the workshop facilities, much of the housing and office facilities while adding new locomotives and rollingstock. He had the
Trans-Australian Railway rebuilt to modern standards and a
new standard gauge line constructed between
Port Augusta and
Whyalla in 1972. Smith also managed the transition from steam to diesel traction in the 1950s and also the accompanying modern air-conditioned rolling stock. This was followed by the introduction of a modern fleet of large capacity freight rollingstock. Triple deck sheep carriers could accommodate 600 sheep. Other large types of rollingstock were 21 000 gallon tank cars and 75-foot boxcars. Smith was a key executive in the creation of the standard gauge line from the east coast of Australia to the west coast. He supervised the standardisation of the
Port Pirie to Broken Hill lline. He supervised the transition of the Commonwealth Railways to
Australian National that incorporated the former
South Australian and
Tasmanian Government Railways. Smith was the longest serving Commissioner of the CR, before becoming the first Chairman of Commissioners of the Australian National, retiring in that position in 1981. He was made an Officer of the
Order of the British Empire in 1970. He died at
Victor Harbor, South Australia, on 16 July 2011, aged 96. == Pick-a-Back by the Trainload ==