A native of Rotherham, Yorkshire, Tom Greaves joined British Railways as a premium apprentice at the famous Doncaster locomotive works. After a spell at Darnall loco depot in Sheffield and National Service with the RAF, he went to the BR Eastern Region's motive power department headquarters at Liverpool Street, London. This was followed by front line postings as shed master at Hertford East and then Hatfield depots where he was responsible for making sure the necessary steam engines were ready on time each day to take thousands of commuters to Liverpool Street and King's Cross. In 1957 he was given the job of overseeing the conversion of half of Hornsey steam depot into a depot for the new diesels, moving to the new purpose-built diesel depot at Finsbury Park in 1961. Soon after he was appointed traction engineer Sheffield Division and then Leeds Division where he witnessed the end of steam. He later moved on to Newcastle, finally retiring in 1987 as traction and train crew manager for all of British Rail. He still works in the railway industry as a consultant, often on overseas projects.