The son of a sea captain, he was brought up in Fishguard and studied at the University of Bristol.
He qualified as a civil engineer and was involved in the building of the Severn Tunnel and the Manchester Ship Canal.
He became a partner in Topham, Jones, & Railton, a successful engineering firm that obtained many government contracts and worked on the Aswan Dam among other projects.
From 1917 he was Petrol Controller and Commissioner for Dyes under the Board of Trade, and was created a baronet in the same year.
In 1918 he became Chairman of the Road Transport Board, and in 1919 he was appointed Controller of Coal Mines.