1/ This is a story about an escalator, and what might be.
It will be exciting to some people in the Town of Gander, Newfoundland, and considered nuts to those everywhere else, especially in cities.
This is one of the best things about living in a small town.
It will be exciting to some people in the Town of Gander, Newfoundland, and considered nuts to those everywhere else, especially in cities.
This is one of the best things about living in a small town.
2/ We are restoring our airport’s international lounge and hope to bring old things back to life. One of those things is the airport’s famed #escalator, which has the #midmodernist motif of the room. The escalator was installed by J&E Hall Ltd. Of Dartford, England in 1958..
3/ There are almost 7,900 hours on the unit. The escalator carried millions of passengers from across the world, many admittedly staunch opponents of Leg Day.
The escalator was taken out of service officially – de-escalated, as it were - in December of 2004.
The escalator was taken out of service officially – de-escalated, as it were - in December of 2004.
4/ The once majestic escalator was now just fancy retro stairs with safety gates. Our assumption was that the out-of-service sign would be permanent or that the unit would require a robust overhaul that we couldn’t afford.
5/ This is no pedestrian suburban mall escalator. The airport’s escalator was the first in Newfoundland and Labrador.
It has wood panelling.
Everything is better with wood panelling—even station wagons.
It has wood panelling.
Everything is better with wood panelling—even station wagons.
6/ No one had ever really confirmed why the escalator was decommissioned. It was assumed the chain broke. It was obsolescent, anyway. Our chief electrician Garrett Watton decided to check it out for himself today and did some tinkering. It involved a long stick. He turned it on.
7/ It was not quite a Phoenix-like return from the ashes; more like late-career Alec Baldwin resurgence.
Remarkably, up she went. Garrett reversed it. It went down. Admittedly, it did sound like a 747 engine on run-up.
Remarkably, up she went. Garrett reversed it. It went down. Admittedly, it did sound like a 747 engine on run-up.
8/ Now we hope we can get the escalator serviced, recertified and going again. Garrett says there “are no guarantees, but we are hopeful.”
We are all running on hope these days.
We are hoping to restore the small but significant things we remember and love from before.
We are all running on hope these days.
We are hoping to restore the small but significant things we remember and love from before.
Safer days await.
If you ever find yourself straying the @townofgander way, drop by and ride our 1958 escalator. There will be other cool stuff, too.
Remember: things will always go up and down, but don’t rule things out.
A comeback is just a determined tradesman away.
If you ever find yourself straying the @townofgander way, drop by and ride our 1958 escalator. There will be other cool stuff, too.
Remember: things will always go up and down, but don’t rule things out.
A comeback is just a determined tradesman away.
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