[1] By 1823 he was a partner in Gregson and Bury's steam sawmill at Toxteth Park, Liverpool, but in 1826 he set himself up as an iron-founder and engineer.

Around this time he recruited as his manager James Kennedy, who had gained locomotive building experience working for George Stephenson and Mather, Dixon and Company.

The first locomotive built by Edward Bury and Company, Dreadnought, was intended to compete in the Rainhill Trials, but could not be finished in time.

In 1836 Bury became the Contractor for Locomotive Power on the new London and Birmingham Railway (L&BR); the railway company would provide locomotives to Bury's specification, while he would maintain them in good repair and convey each passenger at a farthing per mile, and each ton of goods at one halfpenny per mile; the passenger trains to be limited to 12 carriages and the speed not to exceed 22.5 mph (36.2 km/h).

This system never worked in practice and in July 1839 the contract was annulled, and Bury became the Manager of the Locomotive Department, paid in the normal way, with a profit-linked bonus.

[b] Bury refused to supply locomotives for the steep Lickey Incline, though was contracted to design a stationary engine for the slope.

He became Locomotive Engineer on the new Great Northern Railway (GNR) in February 1848 and created such a good impression that in June 1849 he was also appointed General Manager of the line.