World’s Smallest Lift? 1940s Miniature Express Lift at Flats in London + Motor Room

[@mrmattandmrchay]

Nice find!! Shame you didn't record the bit with the lady coming out of the flat lol! :D

[@crocoland6330]

Finally a 2 person express!!! Ultra rare lift

[@VintageLiftLad]

Beautiful old thing...even if it is basically the size of a coffin lol

[@TheLiftDragon]

This is really fascinating, I have never seen a lift like this. Just tin a f. Also the controller is just extremely simple but it gets the job done. Nice video.

[@Lift.Tracker]

Thanks! It’s certainly unusual. I don’t really see the point to be honest! There’s stairs before you enter the building, and the lift also stops between floors at turns in the staircase! Anything which is too heavy to carry upstairs probably wouldn’t even fit inside it. Pointless really. But it’s pointlessness is what preserves it!

[@TheLiftDragon]

@@Lift.Tracker That is indeed true. Lifts that stop on half-floors were very popular in early Swiss tower blocks. Usually two floors would be accessed via one lift stop on the half-floor in between, then you had to walk half a floor up or down to get to the apartment door. With that method you only needed half as many shaft openings as you would otherwise, making the construction much cheaper. Though that way of construction tower blocks was abandoned at some point in the 70s.

[@Lift.Tracker]

@@TheLiftDragon Another method was the ‘Odds and Evens’ setup with two separate lifts. You still get 2 lifts in case one breaks down, but you have half as many landing doors and also no need to have the lifts connected in a duplex setup! Cost cutting seemed to be done differently back then. It used to be done by removing functionality, but now it’s just to make the quality as low as possible while still making it work!

[@TheLiftDragon]

​@@Lift.Tracker Haha, yes that is true. Most lifts today are just cheap and boring. Basically only the high-rise segment has interesting modern stuff, or if it's custom-fit design lifts. Separate odd and even lifts were very common back then. Sometimes also other setups for lower and upper areas. A while ago I have uploaded a video featuring two 70s Schlieren lifts in such an odd/even setup. I can really recommend it, they are absolutely epic and have pretty advanced relay controllers with call memory. They also have some special floor selectors, all engineered in house by Schlieren.

[@TheOfficialDorianelevator]

i went in a building in marseilles, france one time and it had a extremly tiny swing door lift on a half floor in a staircase, shame it was broken tho.

[@TheUKTransportCollection]

How many are still original Beno filmed 3 of these a few years back assuming it’s the same place.

[@Lift.Tracker]

It’s the same place and 3 are still there. I don’t think they will ever be modernised as there’s simply no point. If they become irreparable, they will probably just be left there. I don’t see why they were even installed to be honest. There are stairs to get into the building, and the lift stops between floors at turns in the staircase!

[@LiftManAmer]

Niceee is this the lift mrmattandmrchay filmed?

[@Lift.Tracker]

Matt never filmed this one. The ones in my most recent video he did though! :-)

[@LiftManAmer]

@@Lift.Tracker ok

[@ilcanaledegliascensori]

Wow!!

[@aklifts]

What street is this in? Also, how do you enter through building entrances in the UK easily if you know a way. Like some code crack or something.

[@BM13590]

where is this?

[@litz13]

It's a dumbwaiter for people!

[@guineagirl5078]

I am getting panicky and claustrophobic just watching 😱😨