Metropolitan Electric Supply Co
Metropolitan Electric Supply Company.
1887 Registered 26 November, as South MET.
1888 Renamed 28 July. Purchased the Whitehall Electric Supply Co in July.
1889 Operated using the "transformer" (i.e. AC) system. The company had generating stations in 5 locations in London[1].
1890 Westinghouse arrived late on the British scene but had caught up in one stride with the Sardinia Street Power Station[2]
1891 The company had 4 generating stations - 3 (Sardinia St. WC, Rathbone Place W, Manchester Sq. W) used the a.c. system of distribution at 1000V and step-down transformers; the fourth (Whitehall) used d.c. distribution with accumulators at 100V[3]
1893 'Electric Lighting in Paddington.— On Friday, March 3, the Amberley-road electric lighting station of the Metropolitan ElectricSupply Company. Limited, was formally opened. It is situated on the bank of the canal, close to the Harrow-road, Paddington, on a site which furnishes space for further extension. At present the machinery installed comprises five alternate current dynamos of 120 kilowatts each, designed by Mr. Gisbert Kapp. Each machine is driven through eight ropes from a compound engine constructed by Messrs. Hornsby, of Grantham. On the occasion of the opening one of the alternators was running as a motor, and was driving its engine, which had the cylinder covers off in evidence of the fact. The frequency of the current is 100 complete vibrations per second, the alternators having 20 poles each. The armature is composed of a ring of soft iron ribbon wound upon itself, under considerable tension, to make it solid. Upon this core the coils are wound, the whole being mounted on a central boss with arms. Messrs. Johnson and Phillips, of Charlton, were the contractors for the plant, the exciter engines being supplied by Messrs. W. H. Allen and Co., of Lambeth. The buildings were designed and erected by the company’s staff, Mr. Mark Judge being the consulting architect. This is the fifth station of the company, the others being respectively in Whitehall, Sardinia-street, Rathbone-place, and Manchester-square, each station having machinery differing from that in the other stations. The total horse-power at the company’s stations amounts to 8000, and the present supply is equal to a connection of 130,000 eight candle-power lamps, the area served being 4 1/2 square miles.'[4]
c.1898 In response to observed vibrations in high speed engines at the company's plant, Belliss and Co developed a 6 cylinder tandem compound engine using 3-cranks, which were also more suitable for powering the alternating current dynamos then coming into use[5].
1905 The Council in Marylebone acquired the Marylebone undertaking of the company[6]
1911 Tested high-tension direct-current transmission of electricity between Willesden Power Station and a substation at Ironbridge, on the main Uxbridge road between Hanwell and Willesden.
1912 A correspondent to The Times identified the company's Willesden Junction station as one of 6 which should be considered for bulk supply in an integrated London network; it generated 2 phase 60 Hz 10kV, with AC distribution at 100V and 200V[7].
1913 Six London companies placed a large advert about potential uses of electricity in the home and office - in the drawing room, in the dining room, in the bedroom, for cooking and for vacuum cleaning[8]
1920 One of 9 London electricity supply companies who formed London Electricity Joint Committee (1920) in opposition to the schemes proposed by the Electricity Commissioners for London
1924 The Acton Lane, Willesden and Amberley Road generating stations and certain main transmission lines were acquired by London Electricity Joint Committee
1948 Nationalised[9]