Some more from Mr. Hayward:
In response to djk post on standardization I agree with him for the most part although standardization seems to have been painfully achieved as systems interconnected with each other.
Here in North America Southern California was a 50 Hz system until after World War 2 when it converted to 60 Hz to be similar to the rest of North America. The power company bought new clocks for its customers and helped business and residents achieve the changeover.
In 1918 in London alone there were 70 electric authorities with 50 different types of systems and 10 different frequencies and 24 different voltages. Great Britain didn't get relatively standardized until just before World War 2 when East Anglia, which was on 40 Hz, changed to 50 Hz.
Hungary in 1911 had forty-two dc power plants, nineteen 42 Hz, and twelve 50Hz plants.
Krakow Poland converted from dc to 50 Hz in 1912.
Western Australia was 40 Hz until 1958 when it changed to 50 Hz like the Eastern part.
AEG seems to have chosen 50 Hz as the main frequency in Germany and with Siemens as one of the largest electrical companies in the world I wonder if this isn't one reason why eventually everything in Europe and later the rest of the world except North America and other small exceptions became 50 Hz.
Some interesting points there. I knew of the vast variety of systems in use in the London area around 1918, but I hadn't realized that parts of East Anglia (in which I have lived for six years!) didn't convert to 50Hz until so late.
Standardization of voltages to 240/415V took even longer in Britain, the process being completed only in the early 1970s.
[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 09-15-2003).]
