Apprenticed to George Stephenson in 1923. Worked with him on the Stockton and Darlington Railway and Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

Joint engineer with George Stephenson for the Grand Junction Railway, opened on the 20th of July 1837. Stephenson had resigned in 1834/5. Much of the town of Crewe was to be designed by Locke.

Engineer for the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway, opened in December 1845. This line was notable for the long Woodhead tunnel.

Engineer for the Lancaster and Preston Railway, opened in 1840.

Engineer for the London and Southampton Railway, opened in 1840.

Engineer for the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway, opened in 1846.

Engineer for the Caledonian Railway, opened in 1847.