Paternoster Lift Challenge | University of Sheffield

Our Arts Tower is home to the tallest #Paternoster in Europe; a door-less lift that never stops moving. Chloe Gibb has worked in the School of Law for three #years but never dared to step on...
We set Chloe a #challenge to see if she'll take the leap!

[@harczymarczy]

There are still a lot of them in Germany, Slovakia and Hungary. They can be made safe if the platform edges are rubberized and sensors are installed onto them. Just like the doors of newer metro cars are designed to re-open if a passenger gets stuck into any of them the paternoster should stop immediately in these cases. The cogwheels at the top and bottom should also be covered. As far as I know laser sensors are attached to the critical spots of this paternoster.

[@FawNdhyl]

Ok I know what I will try first when I reach SU in a few months.

[@burtonyan8467]

now I see what it looks like! never went on it when I was in Sheffield and no one ever managed to describe it to me.

[@brianmorrison9168]

There used to one of these lifts in the Claremont Tower at the University of Newcastle in the 80s.

[@mosessoldaccount5095]

I can watch that outro for hours.

[@lisahenry20]

I went on this for the first time today and it was exciting when I was waiting to get on, but once I was on, I got this sudden feeling of terror and wanted to get off. I ended up getting off one floor early because I didn't want to miss the floor and I didn't know what happens if you don't get off by the time it reaches the bottom

[@MrGrumpygit488]

You end up on your head lol

[@tomstickland]

The University of Birmingham library had one but it closed a few weeks before I got the chance to use in in 1991 due to an injury believe.

[@pedrocarvalho4999]

Something straight out of where nightmares come from.

[@kenjitaira926]

What happens if you stay on past the bottom or top floors?

[@r.g.6544]

Nothing - you could go for hours and always come back to the floor you stepped on. The cabins always stay upright and you'll see a giant wheel and a huge chain usually! Fun thing to do :-)

[@millomweb]

You stay on it until you get off !

[@1FatLittleMonkey]

No-one answered you, so... The cars stay upright as they pass over/under the loop onto the other side. So, nothing happens. You just keep going around the loop. The wikipedia article on Paternoster lifts has a nice animated diagram of how it works. It's not encouraged on the old ones (because of balance issues on the cogs), but newer versions like the Sheffield one should be fine (and I'm sure drunken arts students do it all the time.)

[@James-gc5if]

You just go round the top / bottom and start again.

[@nendwr]

It moves sideways (the people who tell you it inverts are pulling your leg). Sort of picture each car as being suspended from a giant vertical bicycle chain. It will probably go dark as you go through the loft or the pit (I don't know if the Sheffield one has lighting in these areas). Under-riding can also result in people tutting at you if they think you've done it deliberately - it's a very effective form of queue-jumping.

[@AXNPictures]

Does anyone know if it still works? Do you have to be a student there to have access to it?

[@lisahenry20]

I'm not sure about is non students can go on, but it's still working, I went on for the first time today

[@noexonolife65]

I don't think anyone would stop you if you go in between 9 and 5 on a weekday

[@sepl0498]

it is open to the public, and it does still work, you can go in it but i think it closes at about 6pm