Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd.
[Image:works interior 1956.jpg|right|thumb|Interior of rotating plant works 1956]
[Image:tank construction 1966.jpg|thumb|Tank under construction, for Ratcliffe-on-Soar station 1966]
[Image:works 1978.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Edinburgh works 1978]
[Image:Reactor 1979.jpg|thumb|right|Reactor under test 1979]
Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd. was an Edinburgh industrial electrical engineering company.
Early history
The company was founded as D. Bruce Peebles & Co. by Scottish engineer David Bruce Peebles in Edinburgh in 1866. The company initially specialised in gas engineering but later expanded to include electrical engineering as well. It continued to trade after Peebles' death and, in 1902, the name was changed to Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd. The company held the British manufacturing rights for the Cascade converter and a licence to manufacture three-phase electrical equipment designed by Ganz of Budapest.Canadian Electric Traction Company
In 1903, Peebles expanded into Canada. Along with other investors, it formed the Canadian Electric Traction Company and supplied the three-phase equipment, car motors and generators for the South Western Traction Company of London, Ontario. The main line ran 28-miles between London and Port Stanley, a resort town on Lake Erie. It was the only three-phase traction line in Canada, and was closed in 1918.New factory
In 1904 the company opened a new factory at a site in East Pilton, Edinburgh, employing 3,000 at its peak in the 1950s. The works had its own internal railway system, which was electrified and used electric shunting locomotives built by Peebles themselves. This was the first electric line in Edinburgh. In 1905 the company was exhibiting at the Third International Electric Tramway and Railway Exhibition. It also manufactured at least one electric locomotives for the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway.War work
During both World Wars, the works produced shells, submarine and aircraft parts, tank and electrical equipment such as mobile search lights and minesweeping units.Woodhead Line electrification
It was the main sub contractor for the electrification of the Woodhead Line between Manchester and Sheffield from 1947–1954, a major engineering achievement. Throughout this period it specialised in large scale transformers for power stations, including the world's largest 400 kV 'quadrature booster' for the UK national grid. It also produced heavy electric motors for various uses, including railway locomotives.Ownership changes
The company became part of the Reyrolle Parsons in 1969, part of Northern Engineering Industries in 1977 and part of Rolls-Royce plc in 1989.Many young electrical engineers were taken on by this company, with a special course in electrical engineering being run at the nearby Telford College. They gained skills in highly specialised work, and Peebles' products were exported all over the world. The late Ron Brown, MP for Leith, was employed by the company, as was the late Sir Duncan McDonald who was the chief transformer designer.