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[Varche]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27111923

Been talking about this proposed worlds fastest lift - 45 mph..

I used to work on the 16th floor of a building and fire drills were pretty scary things. What sort of person would voluntarily work in a building say 50 floors up??

On a different note, anyone remember paternoster lifts?  Loughborough Uni had one . I tried it "for a laugh". Might have been 1976. The worry was as it went over the top it went down upside down!! Shortly after it was taken out of service for ages as the motor /winding gear packed up and had been built into the building. Presumably the architect assumed it would last forever.   Are any still in use or have the HSSE stopped them?

[Varche]

Damn. Wiki is your friend.

Nice schematic here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternoster

and some do survive!

[Sir Tigger KC]

What sort of person would voluntarily work in a building say 50 floors up??

I lived for a while on the 23rd floor of a block of flats in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and I did occasionally wonder about the quality of the construction while drifting off to sleep. 

[Kevin Wood]

There was a paternoster in the library at Essex University when I was there '89-92. That didn't invert if you went over the top, but you could do a handstand as it did so to confuse the freshers.

[Andy B]

You can see a lift like that in the back ground in one of the The Omen films ...... a couple of nuns getting in/out of one. 

I'd expect that HSE would have a hissy fit if they came across one these days.

[Marks DTM Calib]

There are some still running, we had one where I worked in Beeston, Nottingham, and it was only turned off around 2007.

They dont invert as you go over the top although there is a stonking great big gear wheel you suddenly see i front of you as you go over!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rKJXgHsycU

[Sir Tigger KC]

Ah yes I can see why HSE might get the willies over those!   

[Marks DTM Calib]

Ah yes I can see why HSE might get the willies over those!   

Safer than lifts though in reality as so many bits tilt and hinge its pretty much impossible to trap anything.

Certainly in the 12 years I worked with one in the building the only issue was when some idiot builder put a ladder in one that was to long!

[Andy B]

..... the only issue was when some idiot builder put a ladder in one that was to long!

 

[tunnie]

Never heard of paternoster lifts, brilliant, I want a go 

[aaronjb]

Been talking about this proposed worlds fastest lift - 45 mph..

I've been in the current fastest lift (referenced in that article - the lifts in the Taipei 101) and it's slightly unnerving how fast it rattles through the floors to get you to the observation floors.

No as unnerving as looking out of the windows on the 89th floor was, though..

[Stemo]

Look at this one!

http://youtu.be/T49PsI6maMg

No thanks.

[tunnie]

Look at this one!

http://youtu.be/T49PsI6maMg

No thanks.

Should sell tickets to that, brilliant 

[r1]

best lift for me was in alton towers hotel
got in doors closed,short time later doors open nothing strange about that you might say but there was no sensation of the lift moveing.
I was so determined to feel this lift move  so spent about 20 mins going up and down,the mrs disowned me[again] never felt it move think it must have been magic!

[Marks DTM Calib]

That old Paternoster setup looks no different to the one we had in Beeston!