Changes: Express Lift

The Express Lift Company
	;
Founded	1917
Subsidiary of	General Electric Company plc (GEC)
Preceded by	Smith, Major and Stevens (SMS) Lifts
Succeeded by	Otis Elevator Company
Year active	1920s - 1997
Status	Defunct

Revision as of 06:42, 15 March 2019

The Express Lift Company was the oldest UK-based elevator division that belongs to General Electric Company (GEC) and based in Northampton, England. It was acquired by Otis in 1997^[1].

History

The General Electric Company (GEC) logo

The Express Lift Company was formed in 1917 as a merger between Easton Lift Company and The General Electric Company (GEC). In the 1920s, the company began using Ward Leonard equipment under license from Westinghouse. In 1930, Smith, Major & Stevens merged with Express Lift^[2] and productions moved to the Abbey Works in Northampton.

The company installed its first escalator in 1932 at the Earl Court Exhibition Centre in London. The escalator was based on Westinghouse's design.

In 1950, Express Lift expanded its business to South Africa by acquiring local company Premier Lift Company.

In the late 1970s, a lift testing tower called Express Lift Tower (now National Lift Tower) was built in Northampton, England to facilitate lift/elevator testing and research of Express Lift. It was completed in 1982. Also in 1978, Express Lift launched its first group control elevator system with microprocessors.

In 1995, Express Lift merged with Leicester-based Evans Lifts to form ExpressEvans. Two years later, ExpressEvans was taken over by Otis. In addition, the elevator division of General Electric Company in Hong Kong was taken over by Otis in 1999. After ExpressEvans was taken over, Otis Elevator Company has revived the ExpressEvans brand in both UK (ExpressEvans)^[3] and Hong Kong (Express)^[4]^[5] in which nowadays both companies are subsidiaries of Otis. The name ExpressEvans is also used in the new Gen2-based Express MRL elevator in the UK.^[3] Also in 2003, EXPRESS Elevator Co., Ltd. was set up in Suzhou, China as a subsidiary of Otis and belongs to their subsidiary, Sigma^[6].

National Lift Tower

The National Lift Tower (previously called The Express Lift Tower and known locally as the 'Northampton Lighthouse') is a lift testing tower built by the Express Lift Company located in Weedon Road in Northampton, England. The structure was commissioned in 1978 with construction commencing in 1980, and was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on November 12, 1982.

Elevator fixtures

Main article: List of Express (United Kingdom) elevator fixtures

Notable installations

Main article: List of notable Express Lift elevator installations

Trivia

In New Zealand, most Express Lift elevators are maintained by Schindler and have Schindler name plate (many have not been modernized by them, but they still have Schindler name plate).
A few Express Lift elevators are often labelled as GEC (General Electric Company) or GEC Express^[7] and all of those brand are not appeared in the United Kingdom.
Express Lift also made their own escalators, but these are extremely rare. An example was found in The Arcade (Raffles Place), Singapore which was installed in 1981 and branded as GEC^[8]. However, this has been completely replaced with new Schindler escalator in late 2016.
Express Lift was also the sole agent of Fiam elevators in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Express also made escalators under partnership with Fiam, and branded as "Express Fiam"^[9]. Express had installed Fiam elevators mainly in Singapore and Hong Kong, and this relationship may have led to Express making escalators with Fiam.
Express Lift also made DMR control system (DMR stands for Drag Magnet Regulator), a programmed elevator system for high-rise buildings based on Westinghouse's "Select-o-Matic" elevator system in the United States. The DMR elevators were developed under partnership with Westinghouse.
Express Lift also had a product licensing with the Australian-based Elevators Pty. Ltd. (or known as EPL KONE), therefore some older EPL KONE elevator machinery equipments are often have the Express Lifts brand badge.^[10] In addition, Express Lift elevators in Australia were distributed by Elevators Pty. Ltd.
Express Lift also supplied elevators for the Housing and Development Board (HDB) public housing flats in Singapore in the mid-1990s, probably as part of HDB's Main Upgrading Programme (MUP). Before the that, they also supplied a small number of elevators in the 1960s, mainly in blocks built in Toa Payoh where almost all of them were replaced by Fujitec in the 1980s and 1990s.

Gallery

Logos and nameplates

Others

Notes and references

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Northamptonshire - A Sense Of Place - 360 degree panoramic image of the Northampton Lift Tower, BBC, December, 2003
↑ Smith, Major and Stevens
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Otis is now using ExpressEvans name again!
↑ Express Traction Elevator at Front Wing, Montane Mansion, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong
↑ Nowadays, Express (Hong Kong) which is a distributor of Diebold Aufzüge (elevators) and Hyundai (escalators).
↑ Brand History - EXPRESS
↑ Express lift with GEC logo
↑ Video about a very rare GEC escalator in Singapore
↑ Express Fiam Escalator
↑ Express Lifts nameplate on EPL KONE machinery

External Links

Major elevator and escalator companies
Full list of companies	List of elevator and escalator companies
Operating	Fujitec • Hitachi • Hyundai • Kone • Mitsubishi Electric (Shanghai Mitsubishi) • Otis (Otis Electric • Sigma) • Schindler • TK Elevator • Toshiba
Defunct	Dover Elevators • Express Lift • Orenstein & Koppel • Thyssen • thyssenkrupp • Westinghouse
Other companies	Third-party elevator maintenance companies

[BBC-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Northamptonshire - A Sense Of Place - 360 degree panoramic image of the Northampton Lift Tower, BBC, December, 2003

[2] Smith, Major and Stevens

[ExpressEvans-3] 3.0 ^3.1 Otis is now using ExpressEvans name again!

[4] Express Traction Elevator at Front Wing, Montane Mansion, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

[5] Nowadays, Express (Hong Kong) which is a distributor of Diebold Aufzüge (elevators) and Hyundai (escalators).

[6] Brand History - EXPRESS

[7] Express lift with GEC logo

[8] Video about a very rare GEC escalator in Singapore

[9] Express Fiam Escalator

[10] Express Lifts nameplate on EPL KONE machinery

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 |Row 2 info = [[wikipedia:General Electric Company plc|General Electric Company plc (GEC)]]
 |Row 3 title = Preceded by
-|Row 3 info = Smith Major & Steven (SMS) Lifts
+|Row 3 info = [[Smith, Major & Stevens|Smith, Major and Stevens (SMS) Lifts]]
 |Row 4 title = Succeeded by
 |Row 4 info = [[Otis|Otis Elevator Company]]
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 ==History==
 [[File:GEC_logo.jpg|200px|thumb|The General Electric Company (GEC) logo]]
-The Express Lift Company was established in 1917 by the merger of Easton and GEC elevators. In 1928 Smith, Major & Stevens joined Express, and in 1960 Easton left the partnership and made their own lifts.
+The Express Lift Company was formed in 1917 as a merger between Easton Lift Company and The General Electric Company (GEC). In the 1920s, the company began using Ward Leonard equipment under license from [[Westinghouse Electric Corp.|Westinghouse]]. In 1930, [[Smith, Major & Stevens]] merged with Express Lift<ref>[http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Smith,_Major_and_Stevens Smith, Major and Stevens]</ref> and productions moved to the Abbey Works in Northampton.
+The company installed its first [[Escalator|escalator]] in 1932 at the Earl Court Exhibition Centre in London. The escalator was based on [[Westinghouse Electric Corp.|Westinghouse]]'s design.
-In the late 1970s, a [[Elevator test tower|lift testing tower]] called '''Express Lift Tower''' (now '''National Lift Tower''') was built in Northampton, England to facilitate lift/elevator testing and research of Express Lift. It was completed in 1982.
+In 1950, Express Lift expanded its business to South Africa by acquiring local company Premier Lift Company.
-In 1995, Express Lift merged with another UK elevator company [[Evans Lifts]], then both companies was known as [[Express Evans|ExpressEvans]]. Two years later, ExpressEvans was taken over by [[Otis]]. In addition, General Electric Company (elevator division) in Hong Kong was taken over by Otis in 1999. After ExpressEvans was taken over, Otis Elevator Company has re-operate the ExpressEvans in both UK (ExpressEvans)<ref name="ExpressEvans">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNPZ878EdOY Otis is now using ExpressEvans name again!]</ref> and Hong Kong (Express)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaqEa-vl7j8 Express Traction Elevator at Front Wing, Montane Mansion, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong]</ref><ref>Nowadays, Express (Hong Kong) which is a distributor of [http://www.diebold-aufzuege.de/ Diebold Aufzüge] (elevators) and [[Hyundai Elevator Co. Ltd.|Hyundai]] (escalators).</ref> which are nowadays both elevator company are subsidiaries by Otis. The name ExpressEvans is also used in the new [[Gen2]]-based Express M.R.L. elevator in the UK.<ref name="ExpressEvans"/>
+In the late 1970s, a [[Elevator test tower|lift testing tower]] called '''Express Lift Tower''' (now '''National Lift Tower''') was built in Northampton, England to facilitate lift/elevator testing and research of Express Lift. It was completed in 1982. Also in 1978, Express Lift launched its first group control elevator system with microprocessors.
+In 1995, Express Lift merged with Leicester-based [[Evans Lifts]] to form [[Express Evans|ExpressEvans]]. Two years later, ExpressEvans was taken over by [[Otis]]. In addition, the elevator division of General Electric Company in Hong Kong was taken over by Otis in 1999. After ExpressEvans was taken over, Otis Elevator Company has revived the ExpressEvans brand in both UK (ExpressEvans)<ref name="ExpressEvans">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNPZ878EdOY Otis is now using ExpressEvans name again!]</ref> and Hong Kong (Express)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaqEa-vl7j8 Express Traction Elevator at Front Wing, Montane Mansion, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong]</ref><ref>Nowadays, Express (Hong Kong) which is a distributor of [http://www.diebold-aufzuege.de/ Diebold Aufzüge] (elevators) and [[Hyundai Elevator Co. Ltd.|Hyundai]] (escalators).</ref> in which nowadays both companies are subsidiaries of Otis. The name ExpressEvans is also used in the new [[Gen2]]-based Express MRL elevator in the UK.<ref name="ExpressEvans"/> Also in 2003, EXPRESS Elevator Co., Ltd. was set up in Suzhou, China as a subsidiary of Otis and belongs to their subsidiary, [[Sigma Elevator Company|Sigma]]<ref>[http://www.expresselevator.com.cn/en/about/history/ Brand History - EXPRESS]</ref>.
 ==National Lift Tower==
@@ Line 30: / Line 34: @@
 ==Elevator fixtures==
-''Main article:'' [[Express Lifts Fixtures Guide]]
+{{Main|List of Express (United Kingdom) elevator fixtures}}
 ==Notable installations==
+{{Main|List of notable Express Lift elevator installations}}
-===United Kingdom===
-*Hallfield Estate, London<ref>Some of them have been modernized by Jackson Lifts.</ref>
-**Marlow House
-**Exeter House
-*Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow
-*Hilton Metropole, London
-*The Tower Hotel, London
-*Tower 42, London (1980, some have been modernized by Otis)
-*National Lift Tower, Northampton (1982)
-*Bentalls - Princess Square, Bracknell
-*Beales, Hexham
-*JJB Sports, Croydon, London, United Kingdom
-*Fenwick, intu Eldon Square, Newcastle
-*M&S, Sidney Street, Cambridge (modernized from Otis elevator, now fully replaced with Stannah)
-*Fenwick, York (now modernized by Thyssen)
-===Other countries===
-====Hong Kong====
-*Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qD6iZhlzM_w Express Traction Elevator @Macau Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong]</ref>
-*Tsuen Wan Hoover Plaza, Tsuen Wan (1995)
-*Prince Phillip Dental Hospital (1980s)
-*Happy Valley Racecourse, Happy Valley (1986)
-*The Hong Kong Jockey Club Archive and Museum (1995)
-*Concordia Building Tower A (1995)<ref name=GEC/>
-*Nam Fung Plaza, Hang Hau (1999)<ref name=GEC/>
-*Wong House, Yau Mau Tei (1960)<ref>Modernized by Otis in 1999.</ref>
-*C.C. Wu Building, Wan Chai (1983)<ref>Modernized by Otis from 2010-2013 with new [[Xizi Otis]] OH 5000 controllers and new motors, but branded as Otis.</ref>
-*69 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan (1998)
-*Wan Fung Centre, Central
-*Prosperity Court (Community Centre), Sham Shui Po (1994)
-*Yaumati Catholic Primary School (New Wing), Yau Mau Tei (2000)
-=====Project from Hong Kong Housing Authority=====
-{{For||Lift Modernisation Programme}}
-*Lek Yuen Plaza, Sha Tin (1976)<ref>Part of Lek Yuen Estate (refer to [[Lift Modernisation Programme]]), modernized partially by Otis using Dewhurst fixtures.</ref>
-*Tung Hei Court, Sai Wan Ho (1995)<ref>Elevator controller in lift tower has been replaced by Otis.</ref>
-*Hoi Fu Court, Kowloon West, Hong Kong
-*Tai Wo Hau Estate, Kwai Chung (1993)
-*Hau Tak Estate, Tseung Kwan O
-*Kwai Shing East Estate, Kwai Chung (1999)
-*Yue On Court, Ap Lei Chau (1988)<ref>One of the lift towers have been partially modernized by Otis.</ref>
-====Singapore====
-*Housing and Development Board (HDB)<ref>Most of these elevators were installed around 1994-1995.</ref>:
-**Block 1, 80B, 81, 81A, 84 Toa Payoh HDB
-**Block 360, 418 Woodlands HDB
-**Block 842B, 856F Tampines HDB
-**Block 257 Boon Lay HDB
-**Block 764 Jurong West HDB
-**Block 138, 856C Tampines HDB
-**Block 159 Taman Jurong HDB
-**Block 146 Mei Ling Street HDB
-**Block 126 Lower Delta HDB
-**Block 558 Choa Chu Kang HDB
-**Block 4-6 Boon Keng Road HDB
-**Block 267 Sembawang HDB
-**Fajar Shopping Arcade
-**Elias Mall
-*Ayer Rajah Community Club<ref name=GEC/>
-*Jurong West HDB Branch Office<ref name=GEC/>
-*Tong Eng Building
-*The Arcade, Raffles Place (1981)<ref>Has an escalator installed by General Electric Company (GEC). Elevators in the tower have been modernized into Otis Compass destination dispatch.</ref>
-*Singapore Indoor Stadium<ref name=GEC>Branded as GEC.</ref>
-====Australia====
-*La Lingua Language School, 93 York St, Sydney
-*The Chelsea, 110 Sussex St, Sydney
-*90 Mount Street, North Sydney
-*Compass Centre, 83-89 North Terrace, Bankstown, Sydney
-*University of Adelaide, Adelaide
-====Other countries====
-*Concorde Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia<ref>Modernized by Otis using Japanese fixtures</ref>
-*SV City, Bangkok, Thailand (now modernized by Otis, but still has the Express logo the floor plate)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJB91SeWv58 SV City, Bangkok: Express/Otis Traction Elevators]</ref>
-*The Ambassador City Jomtien Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand (Tower Wing)<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5orvB_ehfxc Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel, Chon Buri: Express Traction Scenic Elevators (Tower Wing, 24-42)]</ref><ref>Modernized to [[Mitsubishi (elevator)|Mitsubishi]] elevators in 2015.</ref>
-*15 Cobham Court, Porirua CBD, New Zealand
 ==Trivia==
 *In New Zealand, most Express Lift elevators are maintained by [[Schindler]] and have Schindler name plate (many have not been modernized by them, but they still have Schindler name plate).
-*Some Express Lift elevators are often labelled as '''GEC''' (General Electric Company) or '''GEC Express'''<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tia6UwjU3DA Express lift with GEC logo]</ref> and all of those brand are not appeared in the United Kingdom.
+*A few Express Lift elevators are often labelled as '''GEC''' (General Electric Company) or '''GEC Express'''<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tia6UwjU3DA Express lift with GEC logo]</ref> and all of those brand are not appeared in the United Kingdom.
-*Express Lift also made their own escalators, but they are extremely rare. An example is found in The Arcade, Singapore, branded as GEC.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3BfEFmt_Zw Video about a very rare GEC escalator in Singapore]</ref>
+*Express Lift also made their own escalators, but these are extremely rare. An example was found in The Arcade (Raffles Place), Singapore which was installed in 1981 and branded as GEC<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3BfEFmt_Zw Video about a very rare GEC escalator in Singapore]</ref>. However, this has been completely replaced with new Schindler escalator in late 2016.
+*Express Lift was also the sole agent of Fiam elevators in Hong Kong and Singapore.
-*Express Lift once produce the [[Express Lift DMR Control|DMR control system]] (Direct Measured Regulation) elevator, which is similar to [[Westinghouse Electric Corp.|Westinghouse]]'s "Select-o-Matic" elevator system, when both companies were under partnership since 1929.
+*Express also made escalators under partnership with [[Fiam]], and branded as "Express Fiam"<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCsy-ajsjLw Express Fiam Escalator]</ref>. Express had installed Fiam elevators mainly in Singapore and Hong Kong, and this relationship may have led to Express making escalators with Fiam.
-*Express Lift had a product licensing with the Australian-based [[Elevators Pty. Ltd.]] (or known as '''EPL KONE'''), therefore some older EPL KONE elevator machinery equipments are often have the Express Lifts brand badge.<ref>[http://archive.is/20130626014028/www.flickr.com/photos/jaymietreadwell/8272183674/in/set-72157630279570968 Express Lifts nameplate on EPL KONE machinery]</ref> In addition, Express Lift elevators in Australia were distributed by Elevators Pty. Ltd.
+*Express Lift also made [[Express Lift DMR Control|DMR control system]] (DMR stands for Drag Magnet Regulator), a programmed elevator system for high-rise buildings based on [[Westinghouse Electric Corp.|Westinghouse]]'s "[[Westinghouse Selectomatic|Select-o-Matic]]" elevator system in the United States. The DMR elevators were developed under partnership with Westinghouse.
-*Express Lift also supplies elevators for the Housing and Development Board (HDB) public housing flats in Singapore in the mid-1990s as part of the [[Lift Upgrading Programme]] (LUP) scheme. Before the LUP era, they also supplied a small number of elevators in the 1960s.
+*Express Lift also had a product licensing with the Australian-based [[Elevators Pty. Ltd.]] (or known as '''EPL KONE'''), therefore some older EPL KONE elevator machinery equipments are often have the Express Lifts brand badge.<ref>[http://archive.is/20130626014028/www.flickr.com/photos/jaymietreadwell/8272183674/in/set-72157630279570968 Express Lifts nameplate on EPL KONE machinery]</ref> In addition, Express Lift elevators in Australia were distributed by Elevators Pty. Ltd.
+*Express Lift also supplied [[Elevators of Housing and Development Board, Singapore|elevators for the Housing and Development Board (HDB)]] public housing flats in Singapore in the mid-1990s, probably as part of HDB's Main Upgrading Programme (MUP). Before the that, they also supplied a small number of elevators in the 1960s, mainly in blocks built in Toa Payoh where almost all of them were replaced by [[Fujitec]] in the 1980s and 1990s.
 ==Gallery==
@@ Line 129: / Line 60: @@
 Screenshot_2014-12-12-09-49-54.png|General Electric Company (GEC) nameplate on a 1981 GEC escalator in The Arcade, Singapore (Credit to Instagram user Alexander Yap)
 Express Lifts Logo.jpg|The new logo used in the United Kingdom.
+GEC Express HK plate.jpg|Express Lift nameplate in Hong Kong (with GEC Hong Kong logo).
 </gallery>
@@ Line 138: / Line 70: @@
 </gallery>
+{{Reflist}}
-==Notes and references==
-<references/>
-==See also==
-[[Express Lifts Fixtures Guide]]
 ==External Links==
@@ Line 149: / Line 77: @@
 *[http://www.hevac-heritage.org/electronic_books/lifts/7-express_lift_Co_Ltd.pdf Express Lift history booklet from 1982]
 *[http://www.britishtelephones.com/gec/gecroots.htm History diagram in General Electric Company]
-*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lift_Tower Wikipedia article about National Lift Tower]
+*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lift_Tower National Lift Tower - Wikipedia]
 *[http://www.expresslift.com.hk/ Express Lifts (Nowadays small elevator company in Hong Kong)]
-*[http://www.elagroup.co.uk/ Express Lifts Alliance in UK]
+*[http://www.expresselevator.com.cn/ EXPRESS Elevator Co., Ltd. (Suzhou, China)]
 {{Template:Elevator and Escalator Brands}}
 [[Category:Elevator divisions]]

The Express Lift Company

Founded	1917
Subsidiary of	General Electric Company plc (GEC)
Preceded by	Smith, Major and Stevens (SMS) Lifts
Succeeded by	Otis Elevator Company
Year active	1920s - 1997^[1]
Status	Defunct