A Guide to Lifts in the UK

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The General Hydraulic Power Company (also know as the London hydraulic power company, the Liverpool hydraulic power company, and Hypower) were a lift company that made water powered hydraulic lifts. They started in 1871 and originaly worked in partnership with Waygood until the 1900s when waygood went to join Otis.  

The General Hydraulic Power Company owned several high pressure water pumping stations that pumped water around London and Liverpool, which was used to operate lifts and cranes and some other stuff.

They had 150 miles of pipes and ducts across london, not including liverpool and elsewhere!

In 1961 they merged with Aldous & Campbell to form Aldous Campbell Hypower. and in 1966 they took over Etchells Congdon & Muir. 

 In 1967 the General hydraulic Power Company got taken over by Hammond & Champness. and their pumping stations were closed down in 1977 - all of their lifts that operated on the pumped water had to be modernized.  In 1985 the underground pipes were sold to mercury communications ltd, and were used for telephone cabels   Here is the history of the The General Hydraulic Power Company... 

Hammond & Champness is a company which made lifts from 1905. They took over Aldous Campbell Hypower in 1967. In 1971 they merged with Dover (a USA lift company), but were still run as a seperate company. Hammond & Champness were taken over by Thyssen in 1997. Later on Dover were also taken over by Thyssen.

The Medway Safety Lift Company was a small lift company in medway from 1878. They made lifts until 1925 when they were taken over by J&E Hall.

Keighley often made service lifts and most of the lifts seem fairly heavy duty Good Lift.

Marryat & Scott (started as Richmond lifts) were a great lift company. They made lifts from the 1860s until 1979 when they got taken over by Kone.  Marryat & Scott made a lot of diffrent designs of lifts, and there are still quite a few about. Here is the history of Marryat & Scott...

Orenstein & Koppel started in 1876 as a german train building company in germany. In 1935, as they were jewish the Nazis took over their company and they had to flee. After the war, in the 1960s O&K started making escalators and lifts in england (they worked in partnership with keighley).

Wadsworth were a small lift company that made lifts from the 1950s until 1988. Apart from there london underground lifts Wadsworth lifts are quite rare.

Otis are the largest lift company. They Have been making lifts from 1853 to the present day. They have always been the first to start using new technology. Here is Otis's history...

 Jensen were a very small lift company in the 1960s. 

The United Lift Company were a very small lift company in the 1960s. I don't know much about them. They were taken over by Schindler.

Otis are the largest lift company. They Have been making lifts from 1853 to the present day. They have always been the first to start using new technology. Here is Otis's history... 

KONE was founded in Finland in 1910, but only moved into the British market in 1979 when they took over Marryat & Scott.

Schindler are an intresting lift company, until now they have always made designs of lift that are intresting and different to the other lift companies. They have always had new ideas and designs. Schindler has been making lifts from 1874, they started making lifts in the UK when they took over Platt in 1960.

Thyssen only started making lifts in the UK in the 1980s.

Mitsubishi only started making lifts in the UK very recently. There lifts are very modern.

Lutz lifts are rare in the UK, but are often found on boats.

Pickerings is a great small lift company that has survived to the present day.

Stannah are a lift company who have made lifts from 1860 to the present day.