Description:Pictured is the Steel ‘Plate’ Yard at the English Electric Works, Stafford, in an area close to the West Coast Main Line, Queensville Bridge and the A34 Lichfield Road. The buildings in the background are part of the Switchgear Division factory and several have traces of war-time camouflage paint. In the foreground are railway lines which formed part of an internal transport system around the works and which had a connection to the nearby West Coast Main line. In later years several of these buildings were demolished to make a car park and those remaining were re-clad, made into offices and in 2015 still in use. The English Electric Co. was renowned for its electrical products including generators, transformers and switchgear.
This image is taken from a glass negative donated to the Staffordshire County Museum by Alstom Power, Lichfield Road, Stafford.
Siemens Brothers purchased the land in 1901 and built the factory and offices which were ready to start production in 1903. In 1918 Siemens merged with several companies, including Dick, Kerr and Co., to become the English Electric Co. Two years later in 1920, The English Electric Co bought the Stafford Works. The English Electric Co merged with GEC (The General Electric Company) during 1968 and the Lichfield Road Site became part of GEC Power Engineering Ltd. On 22 March 1989 became part of GEC ALSTHOM, an Anglo French Joint Venture. On 22 June 1998 became part of ALSTOM with global HQ in Paris and on 2 November 2015 the Stafford Grid and Power Businesses became part of GE (General Electric, an American Company).