David Maidment was born in 1938. He began his railway career in 1961 and although he retired from the railway industry over eighteen years ago, he is still busy as a writer, activist in the voluntary sector and as a speaker in schools, church groups and general interest clubs. In 1996, David received an OBE for services to the railway industry and, in 2012, he received a Life Achievement Award at the National Rail Awards. His published works include articles on railway history, safety, practice, performance and nostalgia, and several books including The Other Railway Children and Lives on the Line, among other publications.