▁He ▁was ▁employed ▁as ▁the ▁Commission er ▁of ▁Rail ways ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁and ▁played ▁a ▁significant ▁role ▁all ▁aspects ▁of ▁construct ing ▁the ▁O odn ad atta ▁to ▁Alice ▁Spr ings ▁railway ▁link , ▁" The ▁G han ". ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Bell ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁D und ee , ▁Scotland ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 , ▁and ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁the ▁High ▁School ▁of ▁D und ee ▁and ▁Edinburgh ▁Colleg iate ▁School , ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁engineering , ▁and ▁had ▁some ▁experience ▁with ▁railway ▁engineering ▁in ▁Scotland . ▁ ▁He ▁migr ated ▁to ▁Australia ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 ▁and ▁took ▁on ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁Res ident ▁Engine er ▁for ▁Queensland ' s ▁Cook town ▁Railway . ▁He ▁later ▁said ▁the ▁difficulties ▁of ▁operating ▁that ▁railway ▁in ▁the ▁mon so onal ▁tropical ▁far ▁north ▁of ▁Australia ▁had ▁prepared ▁him ▁for ▁anything . ▁ ▁Bell ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁become ▁Chief ▁Engine er ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁Government ▁Rail ▁then ▁of ▁the ▁Commonwealth ▁Rail ways ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁succeed ing ▁Henry ▁De ans . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁first ▁Commission er ▁for ▁Rail ways ▁and ▁task ed ▁( al ong ▁with ▁Sir ▁John ▁For rest ) ▁with ▁heading ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁Trans - Austral ia ▁Railway ▁across ▁the ▁Null ar bor ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁railway ▁from ▁O odn ad atta ▁to ▁Alice ▁Spr