Charles John Bowen Cooke

Born	11 January 1859
Died	18 October 1920
Nationality	English
Employer	London and North Western Railway, Crewe (apprentice 1875; District Locomotive Superintendent; Assistant CME under George Whale; Chief Mechanical Engineer 1909–1920)

Charles John Bowen Cooke (1859–1920) was a British locomotive engineer who served as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Western Railway from June 1909 until his death in office in October 1920, bringing the LNWR firmly into the superheater age and producing the George the Fifth 4-4-0 and the Claughton 4-6-0 that were the railway's definitive express passenger locomotives of the Edwardian and Great War eras.

Born at Box, Wiltshire on 11 January 1859, the son of the Vicar of Wantage, Bowen Cooke was educated at King's College School, London, before being apprenticed at Crewe Works under Francis Webb in 1875. He held a succession of running shed and district locomotive superintendent posts on the LNWR system, accumulating operational experience that gave him a practical understanding of what the railway's express locomotives needed in daily service. He became Assistant CME to George Whale in 1903 and succeeded Whale on his retirement in June 1909.

Bowen Cooke's most important contribution was the systematic introduction of superheating to the LNWR's locomotive fleet. Whale's Precursor and Experiment 4-4-0 classes were rebuilt with superheaters and enlarged piston valves, and the new George the Fifth 4-4-0 of 1910 — 90 built — was designed with superheating from the outset, becoming one of the most effective British express engines of its time. For heavier express duties Bowen Cooke introduced the Claughton four-cylinder 4-6-0 in 1913, the LNWR's largest and most powerful express locomotive. 130 Claughtons were built, but the class was never entirely successful, suffering from undersized bearings and front-end weaknesses that led to extensive rebuilding and ultimately replacement under LMS management.

Bowen Cooke was deeply involved in the railway industry's contribution to the First World War, serving as President of the Railway Executive Committee's Mechanical Engineers' Committee and overseeing the LNWR's substantial contribution to the war economy. He died at Falmouth on 18 October 1920 while on holiday, and was succeeded as the LNWR's last CME by H.P.M. Beames.

Biography

Charles John Bowen Cooke (1859–1920) was a British locomotive engineer who served as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Western Railway from June 1909 until his death in office. He took the LNWR firmly into the superheater age, and is best remembered for the George the Fifth Class 4-4-0 and the Claughton Class four-cylinder 4-6-0.

Born at Box, Wiltshire on 11 January 1859, the son of the Vicar of Wantage, Bowen Cooke was educated at King's College School and apprenticed at Crewe under Francis Webb in 1875. He held a sequence of running shed and works posts before becoming Assistant CME to George Whale in 1903, succeeding Whale on the latter's retirement.

His Precursor and Experiment classes (Whale designs) were rebuilt with superheaters and 18½-inch piston valves; the new George the Fifth and the related 4-4-2T Prince of Wales class were built superheated from new. The Claughton 4-6-0 of 1913 was the LNWR's last and largest express class, 130 were built, but suffered from undersized bearings and was largely rebuilt or replaced under the LMS.

Bowen Cooke was much involved in railway service in the First World War as President of the Railway Executive's Mechanical Engineers' Committee. He died at Falmouth on 18 October 1920 and was succeeded as the LNWR's last CME by Captain H. P. M. Beames.

Locomotives designed

LNWR Class G1 — Bowen Cooke's 1912 LNWR G1 class 0-8-0 "Super D" goods — the LNWR's standard heavy mineral engine, 60 built and 449 ultimately rebuilt from earlier Webb compounds and simples. Worked LNWR/LMS heavy mineral traffic until the 1960s. None preserved (a notable absence).
LNWR Claughton Class — Bowen Cooke's 1913 LNWR Claughton class 4-6-0 — Bowen Cooke's flagship express engine. Four-cylinder simple 4-6-0; 130 built. Always troublesome and often outclassed by the smaller Prince of Wales 4-6-0s. Most rebuilt by Stanier as Patriots / Royal Scots in the 1930s. None preserved.
LNWR George the Fifth Class — Bowen Cooke's 1910 LNWR George the Fifth class 4-4-0 — Bowen Cooke's celebrated superheated 4-4-0s. 90 built between 1910 and 1915, the LNWR's premier express engines until superseded by the Claughton 4-6-0s. Named after George V on his accession. None preserved.
LNWR Prince of Wales Class — Bowen Cooke's 1911 LNWR "Prince of Wales" class 4-6-0 — Bowen Cooke's superheated 4-6-0, 246 built between 1911 and 1922. The LNWR's standard mixed-traffic 4-6-0 of the late LNWR/early LMS period. None preserved (a long-running new-build project is in progress).
LNWR Prince of Wales Tank Class — Tank version of the LNWR Prince of Wales class 4-6-0 — see that entry.