Title
British Thomson-Houston Co Ltd negatives
Reference
GEC/4/4/16
Production date
1924 - 1961
Creator
- British Thomson-Houston Co LtdBiographyBiography
The British Thomson-Houston Co. Ltd., (BTH) was created as a subsidiary of the General Electric Company, USA in 1896 to exploit the sale of products in the United Kingdom. BTH was a reconstruction of an existing firm, Laing, Wharton and Down (1886). The BTH manufacturing works were based at Rugby, Warwickshire and the company’s products included induction motors, alternators, switchgear, turbo-generators and turbines, as well as a large number of rotary converters and motor converters, primarily for chemical plants.
During the First World War, BTH’s most significant contribution was the development of marine apparatus for the naval service. The 1920s saw a period of vast expansion for the company with new extensions built at many of its factories such as Willesden, Birmingham, Chesterfield and Lutterworth. BTH amalgamated with Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Company Ltd to form Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) in 1928 although both companies retained their separate identities and continued to compete for the same contracts.
BTH developed manufactured electric torpedoes and electrical components for aircraft engines, munitions, etc., during the Second World War and in 1935 independently of each other, BTH and Metropolitan-Vickers were the first two companies in the world to construct jet engines.
Scope and Content
This box contains negatives of BTH (Rugby) drawings in small thin translucent envelopes, and are generally in batches (with a few odd ones) sorted in numerical order. They are identified by drawing number which is made up of 6 or 7 numbers preceded by a size-code letter (W, X, Y, Z, SK). With rare exceptions all drawings are for electrical traction equipment and cover schemes and details for build and assembly. One or two sample drawings from each batch are detailed below.
415288 to 415500 - Sample: 415288 Proposed diagram of connections for Driving Trailer Coach 120Volts for Bombay, Baroda & Central India Railway
417932 to 418203 - Sample: 417932 TypeC592A Master Controller Assembly (elevation)
439110 to 443790 - Sample: 439110 Interlock for Main Switch Assembly
562518 to 563438 - Sample: 562518 MB21A Line Breaker Interlock Finger Base
1858995 to 1928018 - Sample: 1858995 Local Wiring Diagram for Main Lighting All Cars (LTE).
1938200 to 1938499 - Sample: 1938200 1949 Tube Stock. Trunk and Car End Wiring. Style “A” Uncoupling Non-driving Motor Car
1944860 to 1983742 - Sample: 1944860 Type ASC617C Low Tension Control Cubicle. Top and Base Frame Assembly. For ICI Portugal
2053219 to 2254913 - Sample: 2053219 PCM14A1 Traction Control Equipment Cable Control Assembly. A183757. Toronto Subway.
2324163 to 2642922 - Sample: 2324163 Cast Core
Extent
1 box
Level of description
FILE
Repository name
National Railway Museum, York
Associated people and organisations
- BTH Rugby WorksBiographyBiography
British Thomson-Houston (BTH) (1896) identified a 25 acre site known as Glebe Farm in Rugby in 1900, which was chosen because of its central location in Britain, the close proximity of the River Avon to provide cooling for the manufacturing operations, and the important intersection of the site by two main railway lines.
The Works opened in 1902 making electric lamps, motors, generators and meters, by 1903 the works had expanded across the footpath towards Leicester Road. The Works were taken over by Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) in 1928, which manufactured motor and control gears and traction equipment. During the Second World War the Rugby works commenced manufacture of supplies for the armed forces as well as a general increase in output for all of its existing products. Part of the original lamp works had to be cleared to create space for the manufacture of ammunition shells.
In April 1937-1938, the works expanded with a new office block at Rugby, designed to house the engineering and commercial offices, this new building enabled 27,000 sq. ft. elsewhere in the Works to be released for manufacturing functions. During World War II, the Rugby Works produced products and mechanisms for the war efforts. Following the war was the expansion of the research laboratory onto Boughton Road in 1957. In 1967 the General Electric Company (GEC) bought AEI took over the Rugby works. In the 1980s GEC Rugby buildings were demolished and parcels of land were sold off to developers. In 1989 GEC merged with the French company Alsthom, and the Rugby works were split into GEC Alstom and Cegelec Projects, with the two firms reunited in 1998 as Alstom.
In 2007, some of the buildings of the Works were partially demolished as part of redevelopment. In the present day building 140 is occupied by General Electric (American) and the other part of the site is owned by Warwickshire College Sport Fitness & Rugby Centre.
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