Earl's Court Station — London's First Escalator

Earl's Court Station in London is a Grade II listed Underground stop famous for introducing the subway network's very first escalators on October 4, 1911. First opened by the District Railway in 1871, the station launched two wooden, Otis-built escalator shunts that pushed passengers off to the left. This early design established London's lasting custom of standing on the right and walking on the left.

London · from the walk “Earls Court Uncovered: Bohemians, Rock Stars & Royal Secrets” · audio ~4 min · Generated

Earl's Court Station — London's First Escalator

Earl's Court tube station, Earl's Court Road, SW5

When were the first Underground escalators installed at Earl's Court Station in London?

Take a look at the station building in front of you... that handsome facade of cream-coloured tiles, or buff faience as the Victorians called it. Earl's Court is a Grade Two listed London Underground station, and it holds a secret that changed the way every city in the world moves people underground.......... This station was first opened by the District Railway back in eighteen seventy-one. By eighteen seventy-four, trains from Earl's Court could travel via five different routes, making it absolutely central to the railway's success... but that same popularity meant the original station was hopelessly congested. Then, a fire in eighteen seventy-five damaged the station, and a more substantial replacement was built to the west of Earl's Court Road.......... But here's where it gets Really interesting. The date is the fourth of October, nineteen eleven. The first two escalators on London's Underground entered service right here, at Earl's Court station. They were both supplied by the Otis Elevator Company, and they were nothing like the smooth metal stairways you know today. This early escalator was a wooden, clattering contraption — a pair of "shunt" type machines where a diagonal barrier literally forced users off to the side at the end of their ride. Can you imagine stepping onto a moving wooden staircase for the very first time in your life?......... They were promoted as "made entirely of fireproof material" — and here's a fun detail — unlike the lifts, you were actually allowed to Smoke on them.......... Now, there's a famous legend attached to this place. The story goes that a one-legged man known as "Bumper" Harris was hired to ride up and down the escalators all day long, proving to nervous Londoners that if HE could manage it, surely anyone could. According to more careful research, Harris was actually the clerk of works for the escalator installation — a tunnelling engineer, not a hired stunt man. He demonstrated the escalators to the press on opening day, but the tale of him riding all day is likely embellished — his own family has stated it's untrue. Still... a small figurine of William Harris stands proudly in London's Transport Museum to this day, legend or not.......... And the public reaction? Far from being scared, some passengers were actually breaking their journey at Earl's Court Just to ride the escalator! But not everyone was thrilled. According to a Board of Trade report, during the first week alone, nine dresses were torn, one finger was pinched, and a lame passenger had fallen from his crutches. After a guard rail was added, no more accidents occurred... and the escalators were deemed a spiffing idea.......... Those two escalators were so successful that between nineteen eleven and nineteen fifteen, twenty-two machines were installed across the London Underground. And here's one more thing worth knowing — the original diagonal shunt at the top pushed passengers off to the Left, which is why walkers were positioned on the left side... and Londoners have stuck with that setup ever since. So next time someone tells you to stand on the right... you can thank This station for starting it all.

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