Richard Maunsell began an apprenticeship at the Inchicore works of the Great Southern and Western Railway (GSWR), under H. A. Ivatt in 1886, completing his training at Horwich on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. At Horwich he worked in the drawing office, before occupying the post of locomotive foreman in charge of the Blackpool and Fleetwood District. From there he went to India in 1894, as Assistant Locomotive Superintendent of the East India Railway. He returned in 1896 to become works manager at Inchicore on the GSWR, moving up to become Locomotive Superintendent in 1911. In 1913 he was selected to succeed Harry Wainwright as CME of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. When that line was incorporated in the new Southern Railway, he became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the latter; he retired in 1937.