Showing early interest in mechanical engineering, on 11 August 1851 at the age of fifteen he was articled as a pupil of Francis Trevithick at Crewe Works.

[4] Webb was responsible throughout his career for some highly successful standard locomotive classes, all built at Crewe in considerable numbers.

Notable amongst these is the Precedent class of 2-4-0 (known as Jumbos), an 0-6-0 general purpose freight design, ("Coal Engine") and its 0-6-2 ("Coal Tank") variant, a celebrated 0-6-0 mixed traffic design ("Cauliflowers"), and an 0-8-0 freight locomotive with two compound variants and a simple expansion version produced in parallel, The last-mentioned was continuously developed and built down to LMS days, most earlier locomotives being rebuilt to conform.

There does however remain some controversy over Webb's own two distinct compound systems applied to a number of locomotive designs, which are reputed to have given considerable trouble in service.

[5] The article caused open debate in the pages of the journal, mostly based on the perceived flaw of not utilising coupling rods.

[7] In the late 19th century, as the chief mechanical engineer at LNWR's Crewe works, Webb was "the most influential individual in the town".

Described just before his retirement as 'the King of Crewe', Webb came to exercise control over the working lives of over 18,000 men - one third of the total LNWR workforce.

"[10] In December 1889, Liberal statesman William Ewart Gladstone wrote a letter to the Chronicle condemning the company's behaviour.

[10] In Crewe he was for very many years remembered as a major benefactor of the "Webb Orphanage", a beautiful red-brick building with extensive playing fields behind the railway works and fronting on to Victoria Avenue.

A complex man, with very great capabilities, deep sensitivity and tolerance yet sometimes an unapproachable martinet, blind to the faults of his later compound locomotives.