United Electric Car Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Tramcar manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Electric Railway and Tramway Carriage Works |
| Founded | 1905 in Preston, Lancashire, England |
| Founder | W. B. Dick, John Kerr |
| Defunct | 1917 |
| Fate | Acquired by Dick, Kerr & Co. |
| Successor | English Electric (from 1918) |
| Headquarters | Preston , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | United Kingdom, international (including Hong Kong, Buenos Aires) |
Number of employees | 2000 (1914) |
The United Electric Car Company was a manufacturer specializing in tramcar production, operating between 1905 and 1917 in Preston, Lancashire, England.
History
The company initially began as the Electric Railway and Tramway Carriage Works, founded in 1897 and officially registered on 25 April 1898 to take over facilities located in Preston, Lancashire. Its founders were Scotsmen W. B. Dick and John Kerr.
In 1900, the firm expanded by establishing English Electrical Manufacturing at a new site known as West Works on Strand Road, Preston, dedicated to manufacturing electric motors for their tramcars.
By 1905, the Electric Railway and Tramway Carriage Works had acquired two additional factories, among them G.F. Milnes & Co. based in Hadley, Shropshire. Following these acquisitions, the company was renamed United Electric Car Co.
At its peak in 1914, the enterprise employed approximately 2,000 staff members and had produced over 8,000 tramcars servicing both domestic and international clients. Notable export destinations included the Hong Kong Tramways and the Buenos Aires tram network operated by the Anglo-Argentine Tramways Company.
A significant example of their craftsmanship is Tram 49, a double-decker constructed in 1909 for the Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways. This Edwardian-era tramcar is preserved and operated by the Black Country Living Museum. It features an elaborately decorated enclosed lower saloon and an open upper deck outfitted with traverse seating. Initially equipped with the Lorain stud contact system, it was later modified to function with overhead wire power supply. The Black Country Museum Transport Group completed its restoration in 2004.
Merger
In 1917, the United Electric Car Co was acquired by Dick, Kerr & Co. of Preston. Subsequently, in 1918, it became part of English Electric.
See also
- UEC Preston – utilized on Line A of the Buenos Aires Underground
Archives and records
- United Electric Car Company photographs held at Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard Business School.
- Articles with short description
- Rolling stock manufacturers of the United Kingdom
- Electrical engineering companies of the United Kingdom
- Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1897
- Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1917
- History of Preston
- Tram manufacturers
- 1897 establishments in England
- 1917 disestablishments in England
- Electric vehicle manufacturers of the United Kingdom
- British companies disestablished in 1917
- British companies established in 1897