this rapid rise in his career was maintained, for he became assistant superintendent of the carriage and wagon department of the l&yr in 1904. a year later, he moved to the great northern railway (gnr) as carriage and wagon superintendent. he succeeded henry a. ivatt as cme of the gnr on 1 october 1911. at the 1923 grouping, he was appointed cme of the newly formed lner (the post had originally been offered to the ageing john g. robinson; robinson declined and suggested the much younger gresley). in 1936, gresley was awarded an honorary dsc by manchester university and a knighthood by king edward viii; also in that year he presided over the imeche.