Biography
The son of a Unitarian minister, Bowman Malcolm was born at Chester in north-west England. Following the death of his father at an early age, however, the family returned to its roots in Belfast. He was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI) and Belfast Royal Academy (BRA).
Malcolm joined the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway at the age of 16 in 1870 as a pupil in the Locomotive Engineer's office. That he made tremendous headway with his employers is demonstrated by the fact that when the Locomotive Superintendent, Robert Findlay, resigned due to ill health in 1876, Malcolm was appointed to succeed him in this responsible position aged only 22 years.
In this role he directed the construction and rebuilding of locomotives, coaches and goods wagons and the introduction of the von Borries two-cylinder compound locomotive to the BNCR. During his tenure he oversaw the fitting of the automatic vacuum brake to all passenger stock.
The continuing confidence that the Directors had in Malcolm's ability was shown when he was additionally appointed Chief Civil Engineer to the Northern Counties Committee (NCC) of the Midland Railway (which the BNCR had become) in 1906. He also filled a similar position for the Donegal Railway.
A member of the Council of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, Malcolm was also a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a past President of the Belfast Association of Engineers. Other professional affiliations included the Association of Railway and Locomotive Engineers and the Permanent Way Institution.
He retired from the NCC at the end of 1922, having completed 52 years service with the company, of which 46 years had been as Locomotive Superintendent.
Bowman Malcolm was married to Miss Mongomery of Donegal.
Besides his railway career, Malcolm was interested in educational matters and was a deputy governor of one of his old schools, RBAI. For many years he had also been on the Governing Committee of the Fountain Street School in Belfast.
Bowman Malcolm died at his home in Belfast in January 1933 aged 78. He was survived by his widow and two daughters.
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