In UK there was a company Johnson &Phillips Ltd,Charlton,London who were making transformers,cables and switchgear. They originally published such well known volumes,J&P Transformer Book. J&P Switchgear Book.

Where were their factories?What happened to them? Who acquired them? When they went out of circuit?

It looks like they still exist, at least in Pakistan (and I also found a reference to a Johnson & Phillips (Canada) Ltd.):

http://www.johnsonphillips.pk/historypage.html

John R. Baker, P.E.
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To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 

This is as much as I can find on them, but you may already have this.
 This sounds like a job for Scotty.
B.E.

http://www.atlantic-cable.com/CableCos/JohnsonPhillips/index.htm

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them.  Old professor

Thank you berkshire. I am also waiting for something from ScottyUK.

Hi prc,

You might want to have a look for a book titled "The History of Johnson and Phillips. A romance of seventy-five years". There are a few on Amazon and with the online booksellers.
  

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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
 

Thank you Scotty.I will get that book.But it will give story only up to 1950. I am more interested what happened to them after 1950.
Can you give some details?

I don't know to be honest - I guess they either ceased trading or were absorbed into the organisation which would eventually become GEC? I'll have a bit more of a dig around from home later on.
  

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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
 

Hi prc,

After a week or two of digging around I have found... virtually nothing!

Looks like they were heavily involved in the marine cable-laying business, as well as other more conventional electrical business. There are traces of them until the early 1960s but I don't know what became of them after that.
  

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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
 

Hi prc,

A few links which might be of interest:

http://www.naukri.com/gpw/johnsonphillips/index.ht... I suspect little more than the name remains today.

http://www.atlantic-cable.com/CableCos/JohnsonPhil...

http://gihs.gold.ac.uk/gihs50.html - J&P section is about half way to the bottom.

Thank you Scotty.

I have alreday ordered the book you mentioned.One book seller from South Africa offered me the same. Last two months, Iam waiting for it,coming by snail mail.

Do you have any material on the publication history of J &P Transformer Book.Where we can get details?

That book has been around for a long time. The preface to the current edition lists the revisions down the years: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=paPKsOXn5FMC&am... I'm not sure where to begin looking for any detailed information.

There's also the J&P Switchgear Book which is equally interesting if rather less well-known. Much of the technology described in my copy is archaic, but it's useful for me working in a site with legacy installations which are as old as I am. I don't think it's still in print.

Thank you Scotty. I have most of the editions ( from 1925) of Transformer Book. I also have Switchgear book. In case you get any details on history of Transformer Book, please share.

Hi prc,

Slightly off-topic but are you aware of The Switchgear Handbook (two volumes) and The Protective Gear Handbook, both published by Pitman for the Metropolitan Vickers Company? Both are highly informative and written to a very high standard, although obviously they relate to the technology of yesteryear. I think there may be a few more books in the series, although I have not yet found them.

No scotty. I have never seen those volumes !Still available from some sources?

There are a few copies via the online booksellers, Google finds them easily enough: AbeBooks in the UK has both available. Both books have at least two editions, perhaps more. Make sure you get both volumes of the Switchgear Handbook, and that they are of the same vintage.