He commenced studies at Trinity College, Dublin on 23 October 1886 for a law degree; however by this stage he had shown a keen interest in engineering.

He concurrently began an apprenticeship at the Inchicore works of the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) under H. A. Ivatt in 1888.

At Horwich, he worked in the drawing office, before occupying the post of locomotive foreman in charge of the Blackpool and Fleetwood District.

He evidently impressed Edith as she was to send him a letter in March 1893 requesting a tour of the grain elevator at Fleetwood Docks.

[6] He returned in 1896 to become works manager at Inchicore on the GS&WR.,[3] Robert Coey having been promoted to locomotive superintendent on the departure of Henry Ivatt.

Nock comments "with Robert Coey as Locomotive Superintendent and R. E. L. Maunsell as Works Manager at Inchichore the whole department was run with a smoothness to equal anything in the British Isles".