George Whale
Encyclopedia
George Whale was a British locomotive engineer who worked for the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR).
Whale was born in Bocking
, Essex
. In 1858 he entered Wolverton Works
under James Edward McConnell, and from 1862 under John Ramsbottom
. In 1865 he entered the drawing office at Crewe Works
, and in 1867 joined the LNWR running department under J. Rigg. In 1898 he was made responsible for the running of all LNWR locomotives.
He replaced Francis William Webb as Locomotive Superintendent from 1903. Webb's compounds were generally considered a failure and Whale sought to introduce the Precursor class
based on designs from previous eras as well as scrap
ping or rebuilding the compounds.
He left the post of Locomotive Superintendent in 1908 and retired in June 1909 due to ill health. He died aged 67.
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR).
Whale was born in Bocking
Bocking
Bocking can refer to:*Bocking, a village near Braintree, Essex*Bocking 14, a cultivated strain of the plant Comfrey*Powerbocking, the use of powered stilts patented by Alexander Böck...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. In 1858 he entered Wolverton Works
Wolverton railway works
Wolverton railway works was established in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at the midpoint of the 112 mile-long route from London to Birmingham...
under James Edward McConnell, and from 1862 under John Ramsbottom
John Ramsbottom (engineer)
John Ramsbottom was an English mechanical engineer who created many inventions for railways, including the piston ring, the Ramsbottom safety valve, the displacement lubricator, and the water trough.- Biography :...
. In 1865 he entered the drawing office at Crewe Works
Crewe Works
Crewe railway works is a British railway engineering facility built in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway. It is located in the town of Crewe, in the county of Cheshire....
, and in 1867 joined the LNWR running department under J. Rigg. In 1898 he was made responsible for the running of all LNWR locomotives.
He replaced Francis William Webb as Locomotive Superintendent from 1903. Webb's compounds were generally considered a failure and Whale sought to introduce the Precursor class
LNWR Whale Precursor Class
The London and North Western Railway Precursor Class, the second to be known by that name, was a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotives.They were introduced by George Whale in 1904 and 130 examples were built by Crewe Works up to 1907. Their introduction allowed Whale to phase out his predecessor...
based on designs from previous eras as well as scrap
Scrap
Scrap is a term used to describe recyclable and other materials left over from every manner of product consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap has significant monetary value...
ping or rebuilding the compounds.
He left the post of Locomotive Superintendent in 1908 and retired in June 1909 due to ill health. He died aged 67.