Liverpool Refrigeration Co

1911.

1914. A marine type horizontal steam driven CO2 machine as fitted in the Canadian Pacific Railway steamers RMS Empress of Asia and RMS Empress of Russia.

1914. A brine distribution room on a Nelson liner. It utilised Simpsons' Patent Flow Meters.

1914. Electrically driven, carbonic-anhydride, Admiralty type machine for cooling, ice making and cold storage.

1914. Electrically driven, ammonia-compression, Admiralty type machine for cooling, ice making and cold storage.

1914. Horizontal triplex machine of the ammonia-compression type consisting of three separate steam cylinders. The crankshaft was in three pieces each with its own initial steam supply.

1921.

1926.

1927. Refrigeration Equipment for the Blue Star Liner Almeda.

December 1929.

1932.

1933. Horizontal Oil Engine - Ammonia Compressor Set.

of Colonial House, Water Street, Liverpool and their works at Coalbrookdale and Warrington

1897 Company established. Acquired the designs and resources of the Kilbourn Refrigeration Company whose compressor works were at Coalbrookdale, Salop, and whose coil and tank works were at Warrington.

c.1900 photo of machines in Coalbrookdale works here.

1908 Photographs of compressors, condensers, and other machinery here

1914 Manufacturers of refrigerating and ice-making machinery and plant; insulation contractors. Specialities: refrigerating machinery for all purposes and ice-making machinery; carbonic, anhydride and ammonia compression systems; contractors for complete installations.

1920 purchased the site at Warrington

1921 Works transferred to the new site.

1927 took control of Messrs. H. J. West and Company, of Saxilby, whose founder had commenced refrigeration work in 1851. Further premises were built at Warrington

1927 Advert for gas compressors and condensers.

1929 All of the work previously carried out at Coalbrookdale and Saxilby was transferred to Warrington.

1934 Supplied equipment including five sleeve valve ammonia compressors to the Hull Ice Co, driven by 380 HP 375 rpm GEC motors

1934 Description of the 'Polar' vertical four-cylinder sleeve-valve ammonia compressors made at the Polar Works, Warrington, for the Hull Ice Co. Designed by Edwin Prestage and first developed by H. J. West and Co.

1937 'LIVERPOOL REFRIGERATION AND ENGINEERING COMPANY. MEMBERS OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS. As previously announced in these columns, the Liverpool Refrigeration and Engineering Co., Ltd., has purchased from the joint receivers the assets and goodwill of the Liverpool Refrigeration Co., Ltd., and will henceforth continue the business of that company. In addition to the assistance of the most valuable of the executive and technical personnel of the old company, the new firm has a strong and actively interested board composed as follows: Mr. C. L. Hill, chairman (director of Bristol City Line of Steamships, Ltd., and Heenan and Fronde, Ltd., and chairman of Andrews Toledo, Ltd.); Mr. A. P. Good (chairman of Petters, Ltd., Heenan and Froude, Ltd., and Court Works, Ltd.); Mr. J. R. Greenwood (chairman and managing director of Craven Brothers (Manchester), Ltd., director of Petters, Ltd.. and Andrews Toledo, Ltd.); Mr. H. M. Dunkerley and Mr. W. H. Peak, managing directors.'

1938 Petters acquired 90% of shares of Liverpool Refrigeration and Engineering Co.

1938 'Liverpool Refrigeration and Engineering Co. — The company, which is a subsidiary of Petters, Ltd., has sold its refrigeration business to J. and E. Hall, Ltd. It is understood that the company's whole productive capacity is required for contracts for unde carriages, pumps, and other hydraulic equipment for aircraft.'

1939 'NEW PRODUCT FOR WARRINGTON. A development of considerable interest to Warrington is taking place at the Sankey Works formerly operated by The Liverpool Refrigeration and Engineering Co., Ltd., A close connection has been formed with the well-known Midlands firm of Rubery Owen and Co., Ltd., and the title of the Warrington company becomes Rubery Owen Messier, Ltd. The chief product will be Messier aeroplane retractable undercarriages and other Messier hydraulic control systems. At the same time Aviation Engineering (Messier) Co., Ltd., of London, has been amalgamated with Rubery Owen Messier, Ltd., and the technical staff brought down to Warrington. Contracts already booked will provide work for hundreds of workpeople for many months ahead, while the tube and galvanising departments hope to continue at full capacity.'

Rubery Owen (Warrington) Ltd was incorporated in 1943 when it was decided to transfer the engineering business of Rubery Owen Messier Ltd to a new company and separate organisation as a wholly owned subsidiary of Rubery, Owen & Co. Ltd. A specialism was the assembly of axles for Eaton Axles Ltd. Later the Company went on to manufacture lathes, winches, Barber-Greene tarmac spreaders (under licence), pontoons and earth borers. The company changed its name to Rubery Owen-Rockwell (Manufacturing) Ltd in 1971, when it started to make axles for heavy vehicles at Wrexham in a joint venture with the U.S.-owned Rockwell Manufacturing Co. The factory was closed in the 1980s.

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