Editing Great Train Robbery (1963) (section)

===Planning===
The plan to intercept and rob the overnight Glasgow to London mail train was based on information from an unnamed senior security officer within the Royal Mail who had detailed knowledge of the amounts of money carried; he was introduced to two of the criminals who would carry out the raid—Gordon Goody and Buster Edwards—by a London solicitor's clerk, Brian Field.<ref>Channel 4 documentary 12 August 2019</ref>

The raid was devised over several months by a core team: Goody and Edwards along with [[Bruce Reynolds]], and Charlie Wilson, with Reynolds assuming the role of "mastermind". This gang, although very successful in the criminal underworld, had virtually no experience in stopping and robbing trains, so it was agreed to enlist the help of another London gang called The South Coast Raiders. This group included Tommy Wisbey, Bob Welch, and Jim Hussey, who were already "accomplished" train robbers.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} This group also included Roger Cordrey, a man who was a specialist in rigging the track-side signals to stop the train.

Other associates (including [[Ronnie Biggs]], a man Reynolds had previously met in jail) were added as the organisation evolved. The final gang who took part in the raid was composed of sixteen men.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Russell-Pavier | first1=N. | last2=Richards | first2=S. | title=The Great Train Robbery: Crime of the Century: The Definitive Account | publisher=Orion | year=2013 | isbn=978-0-297-86440-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6KSaWB4zMzMC}}</ref>{{page needed|date=April 2025}}