- English Electric-AEI Traction LimitedBiographyBiography
The General Electric Company (GEC) merged AEI Traction Division and English Electric Traction in 1969 after acquiring both companies to create English Electric – AEI Traction Limited. The headquarters were located at Trafford Park in Manchester. This subsidiary company was renamed GEC Traction Limited in 1972.
- Associated Electrical Industries (AEI)BiographyBiography
Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) was formed in 1928 as a financial holding company for a number of leading electrical manufacturing and trading companies in the United Kingdom. The two major constituent companies were British Thomson-Houston (BTH) based at Rugby, (Mill Road Works) and Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Company Ltd (Metrovicks) situated at Trafford Park, Manchester. However, fierce rivalry existed between the Metrovick and BTH brands resulting in internal competition and duplicated management. This was highlighted during the Second World War in 1939, when Metrovicks and BTH became the first two firms in the world to construct jet engines (independently from each other).
Following the Second World War, in 1954, AEI expanded to consist of BTH, Metrovicks, Edison Swan Electric Co, Ferguson Pailin, Hotpoint Electric Appliance Co, International Refrigerator Co, Newton Victor, Sunvic Controls, Premier Electric Heaters, Siemens Bros (1955) and Birlec (1954).
In 1959 AEI decided to remove the familiar brands of BTH and Metrovicks and consolidate both as AEI resulting in internal problems and a fall in sales and market value. However, AEI acquired a variety of companies from 1959 to 1967, these included Associated Insulation Products, W. T. Henley’s Telegraph Works Co (1958), and London Electric Wire Co and Smiths (1958), Submarine Cables, Hackbridge Holdings Ltd., The Lancashire Dynamo and Crypto Ltd., W.T. Avery Ltd., Henley and Schreiber. The General Electric Company bought AEI in 1967.
- East African Railways & HarboursBiographyBiography
In 1948 the Kenya Uganda Railways & Harbours and the Tanganyika Railways & Port Services were merged and became the East African Railways & Harbours Corporation. In 1956 the EAR&H extended the Uganda Railway from Kampala to Kasese and to Arua in 1964. In 1977 the East African Community dissolved and EAR&H split into three national railways; the Uganda Railways Corporation, Tanzania Railways Corporation and Kenya Railways Corporation.
- Ghana Railways and HarboursBiographyBiography
Ghana Railways and Harbours Company began in 1928 as a state-owned company which maintained the country’s railways and the port of Takoradi. In 1957, Gold Coast Railway became Ghana Railway after Ghana became an independent nation from the United Kingdom. In 1972, the company was divided into four separate public organisations: Ghana Railway Company (GRC), Ghana Port Authority (GPA), Ghana Cargo Handling Company (GCHC), Takoradi Lighterage Company (TLC).
- Pakistan Eastern RailwayBiographyBiography
On 1st February 1961, Eastern Bengal Railway was renamed as the Pakistan Eastern Railway. Then in 1962, the control of Pakistan Eastern Railway was transferred from the Central Government to the Government of East Pakistan and placed under the management of a Railway Board. With the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation in 1971, it became the Bangladesh Railway.
- Pakistan Western RailwayBiographyBiography
In 1947, a major portion of the North Western Railways 8,122 kilometer route (5,048 mi) was transferred to Pakistan and named the Pakistan Western Railway. The remaining 3,133 route kilometers (1,947 mi) were transferred to Indian control. In May 1974 it was renamed Pakistan Railways.
- Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage & Wagon Co LtdBiographyBiography
In 1929 Vickers Ltd and Cammell Laird merged their rolling stock activities in a new company, the Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company Ltd with Vickers and Cammell Laird each holding 50% of the shares of the new company. Following the Second World War, the company manufactured carriages for the railways of the world, including UK, USA, Canada, South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brazil, Jamaica, and Egypt. In addition, the company manufactured mineral wagons, diesel multiple units and locomotives. However, over this period of sustained high output, international industrial development together with reductions in home market demand as orders were fulfilled, led to the necessity to reduce capacity and in 1962 the Saltley Works were closed and eventually the whole enterprise was concentrated at the Midland Works offices at Leigh Road, Washwood Heath.
In the 1970s Metro-Cammell specialised in the design and construction of rapid transit vehicles for customers such as London Underground, Tyne and Wear Metro, Hong Kong Mass Transit Corporation and the Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation. They also built Maglev vehicles for Birmingham Airport, diesel multiple units for BR and Mk IV coaches for BR. In May 1989 the Laird Group sold their transportation interests to GEC Alsthom and Metro-Cammell became part of the new Anglo-French Power Generation and Transportation Group. This led to involvement in the construction of the Eurostar trains for the Channel Tunnel project. The name Metro Cammell disappeared forever in 1998 when the owners floated the company under the name Alstom.
