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Princess-Amy — Escalator.
Published: 2012-01-09 13:54:42 +0000 UTC; Views: 593; Favourites: 18; Downloads: 16
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Description
The Up escalator on the Jarrow side of the Pedestrian Tyne Tunnel.This is still the original 306 step wooden escalator that was put into the tunnel when it opened fiftyish years ago.
This one still works.
When it was installed it was the longest single span escalator in europe. It goes 28M deep and is 60M long almost.
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Comments: 17
iv heard there going to stop using these as its too expensive to maintain ?
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Yes, i think there are plans to replace them
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It will be a sad day.
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this looks amazing! I like the wooden ones, I've never seen it before, and I like the shot
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They are very old now
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I love wooden step escalators. They used to be a common feature of the London Underground, until the devastating Kings Cross fire highlighted the flammability factor of such a material, and the potentially fatal consequences if one should burst into flame. Thus the banning of smoking (a still lit cigarette butt ignited lubrication oils on the escalators at the station which then caused the fire) and the eradication of wooden step escalators across the system.
This is also an interesting, if common-ish, perspective, I always think looking from the top of an escalator shaft down into the depths of the underground world is awe inspiring, and sometimes scary, even though I don't suffer from vertigo myself.
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Thanks, I'm really glad you like them.
These escalators are made by the same company as the ones made for kins cross station (and some other london underground stations) They were probably never replaced at the time of the Kings cross fire as the costs would have been considered too high in an area that was in deep recession at the time. Also by that time pedestrian traffic in the tunnel had virtually collapssed to zero so it wasn't really a big issue here.
They have a lovely sprinkler system installed above now, but they are planned to be scrapped. I believe the plans are to have a vernicular lift in each escalator shaft and to keep one escalator on each side as an exhibit of times past.
thosee plans like others are likely changing though.
Its a shame, they are pretty and people respect them these days.
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Thanks 
I wanted a last try at this. They are planning to rip out the old escalators soon
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Sad. But you got a great shot. It could be a fun one for some macros.
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