Newcastle and District Electric Lighting Company
Encyclopedia
The Newcastle and District Electric Lighting Company (abbreviated to DISCo) was a pre-nationalisation, private electricity supply company, based in Newcastle upon Tyne
in North East England
. The company was set up in 1889 by Charles Algernon Parsons
. The company built a number of small coal-fired power stations
in the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne, initially to supply homes and streets with electric lighting. They also provided power for an electrified tram line
in the western part of the city.
DISCo was the first electric supply company in the world to generate electricity using turbo generator
s, thanks to Parsons' invention of the steam turbine
. The company existed until the nationalisation of the UK's
electrical supply industry
in 1948.
in 1884, Charles Algernon Parsons
was anxious to move into electricity supply, and so in 1889 he founded up the Newcastle and District Electric Electric Lighting Company. Their distribution area was quicky decided; they were to supply the area of the city to the west of Grainger Street, while the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Electric Supply Company
(NESCo), who had also been formed in 1889, were to supply the eastern side of the city. DISCo's distribution area was expanded west to Newburn
in 1902, and north to Benwell
and Fenham
in 1904. They were unable to extend this any further after losing a number of Parliamentary battles with NESCo in the early 1900s.
The first power station the company constructed was at Forth Banks
in the city centre in 1890. This was the first power station in the world to generate electricity commercially using steam turbine driven generators. A further power station was constructed within close proximity to the Forth Banks station in 1902, on The Close
. Another two stations were built by the company at Lemington
, in 1903, and at Newburn
, in 1908. All of the stations built by the company used steam turbines built by Parson's turbine building company C. A. Parsons and Company
.
Charles Parsons was initially held the title as the company's managing director, until 1902 when he stepped down, but remained with the company as a director, before finally retiring in 1909. The majority of the North East's
electric supply companies merged with NESCo in 1932 to form the North Eastern Electric Supply Company (again known as NESCo). However, DISCo was one of only three electric supply companies in the region to not merge into NESCo. DISCo ceased to exist in 1948, becoming part of the North Eastern Electricity Board (NEEB), with the nationalisation of the UK's
electrical supply industry
.
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
in North East England
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
. The company was set up in 1889 by Charles Algernon Parsons
Charles Algernon Parsons
Sir Charles Algernon Parsons OM KCB FRS was an Anglo-Irish engineer, best known for his invention of the steam turbine. He worked as an engineer on dynamo and turbine design, and power generation, with great influence on the naval and electrical engineering fields...
. The company built a number of small coal-fired power stations
Fossil fuel power plant
A fossil-fuel power station is a power station that burns fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or petroleum to produce electricity. Central station fossil-fuel power plants are designed on a large scale for continuous operation...
in the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne, initially to supply homes and streets with electric lighting. They also provided power for an electrified tram line
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
in the western part of the city.
DISCo was the first electric supply company in the world to generate electricity using turbo generator
Turbo generator
A turbo generator is a turbine directly connected to an electric generator for the generation of electric power. Large steam powered turbo generators provide the majority of the world's electricity and are also used by steam powered turbo-electric ships.Smaller turbo-generators with gas turbines...
s, thanks to Parsons' invention of the steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
. The company existed until the nationalisation of the UK's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
electrical supply industry
Electrical power industry
The electric power industry provides the production and delivery of electric energy, often known as power, or electricity, in sufficient quantities to areas that need electricity through a grid connection. The grid distributes electrical energy to customers...
in 1948.
History
Following his invention of the steam turbineSteam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
in 1884, Charles Algernon Parsons
Charles Algernon Parsons
Sir Charles Algernon Parsons OM KCB FRS was an Anglo-Irish engineer, best known for his invention of the steam turbine. He worked as an engineer on dynamo and turbine design, and power generation, with great influence on the naval and electrical engineering fields...
was anxious to move into electricity supply, and so in 1889 he founded up the Newcastle and District Electric Electric Lighting Company. Their distribution area was quicky decided; they were to supply the area of the city to the west of Grainger Street, while the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Electric Supply Company
Newcastle-upon-Tyne Electric Supply Company
The North Eastern Electric Supply Company was responsible for the supply of electricity to a large amount of North East England, prior to the nationalisation of the British electricity industry with the Electricity Act 1947...
(NESCo), who had also been formed in 1889, were to supply the eastern side of the city. DISCo's distribution area was expanded west to Newburn
Newburn
Newburn is a semi rural village, parish, electoral ward and former urban district in western Tyne and Wear, North East England. Situated on the banks of the River Tyne, it is built rising up the valley from the river...
in 1902, and north to Benwell
Benwell
Benwell is an area in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne, England.-History:Benwell village was recorded in A.D. 1050 known as Bynnewalle which roughly translates as "behind the wall" or "by the wall". Referring to its position relative to Hadrian's Wall...
and Fenham
Fenham
Fenham is an area of the west end of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It lies to the west of the city centre, and is bounded on the north and east by a large area of open land known as the Town Moor. To the south lies Benwell, whilst West Denton lies to the west, Blakelaw and Cowgate to the north, and...
in 1904. They were unable to extend this any further after losing a number of Parliamentary battles with NESCo in the early 1900s.
The first power station the company constructed was at Forth Banks
Forth Banks Power Station
Forth Banks Power Station refers to a now-demolished coal-fired power station in North East England. It was situated in the city centre of Newcastle upon Tyne on Forth Banks, a street to the rear of Newcastle's Central Station...
in the city centre in 1890. This was the first power station in the world to generate electricity commercially using steam turbine driven generators. A further power station was constructed within close proximity to the Forth Banks station in 1902, on The Close
The Close Power Station
Close Power Station was a coal-fired power station situated on Newcastle upon Tyne's Quayside, in Tyne and Wear. The station was built by the Newcastle and District Electric Lighting Company in 1902, near their Forth Banks Power Station....
. Another two stations were built by the company at Lemington
Lemington Power Station
Lemington Power Station is a small, now defunct coal-fired power station, located in North East England. It is situated on the Lemington Gut, a backwater of the River Tyne, at Lemington, west of Newcastle upon Tyne...
, in 1903, and at Newburn
Newburn Steelworks
Newburn Steelworks was a large steel mill on the banks of the River Tyne at Newburn, near Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England.-History:John Spencer originally opened the works in Newburn in 1822, in a water driven mill on the Dewley Burn which he converted for file grinding. In 1867 Spencer was...
, in 1908. All of the stations built by the company used steam turbines built by Parson's turbine building company C. A. Parsons and Company
C. A. Parsons and Company
C. A. Parsons and Company was a British engineering firm which was once one of the largest employers on Tyneside.-History:The Company was founded by Charles Algernon Parsons in 1889 to produce turbo-generators, his own invention. At the beginning of the Twentieth Century, the company was producing...
.
Charles Parsons was initially held the title as the company's managing director, until 1902 when he stepped down, but remained with the company as a director, before finally retiring in 1909. The majority of the North East's
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
electric supply companies merged with NESCo in 1932 to form the North Eastern Electric Supply Company (again known as NESCo). However, DISCo was one of only three electric supply companies in the region to not merge into NESCo. DISCo ceased to exist in 1948, becoming part of the North Eastern Electricity Board (NEEB), with the nationalisation of the UK's
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
electrical supply industry
Electrical power industry
The electric power industry provides the production and delivery of electric energy, often known as power, or electricity, in sufficient quantities to areas that need electricity through a grid connection. The grid distributes electrical energy to customers...
.