George Leeman was a railway engineer who was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time - when the Railway King, George Hudson fell from grace. Leeman, a much lesser light, picked up many of the accolades intended for Hudson, including the statue - although rumours have persisted for centuries that the statue is actually that of Hudson with Leeman's head superimposed to spare the blushes of the citizens of York, who had been horribly duped by the Railway King.