Schmid Peoplemover

The Schmid peoplemover (German: Schmid-Peoplemover) is an elevator capable of crossing an obstacle (a road, a railway, a river, etc.). It was invented by Emil Schmid[1] and designed by the company Schmid-Maschinenbau from Sonnenbühl, Germany.[2] Currently ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke GmbH is in charge of its maintenance.[3]

A cabin with passengers, including wheelchair users, first moves vertically upwards, then horizontally, thus bridging an obstacle, and finally vertically down. Vertical and horizontal trips are connected by a wide, smooth arc. The company claims that its construction is significantly cheaper than an overpass or underpass, occupies less space and it may be installed in 2–3 days from parts fabricated according to different specifications as to height, span, and visual design style.[4]

Schmid peoplemovers were installed in Pfullingen (across route B 313), Altbach,[5] and at the Berlin-Rummelsburg Betriebsbahnhof station[6] in Berlin. The Pfullingen Peoplemover stopped operating in 2009 due to economic reasons.[1]

In 2015 it was announced that the nearby city of Reutlingen decided to purchase it and install it at the city hall.[7] However, this was revealed to be an April Fools' Day prank on the next day.[8]

See also

References
  1. Pause für den Peoplemover, Schwäbisches Tagblatt, 27 May 2009, archived from the original on 27 September 2020, retrieved 4 October 2021
  2. Reinventing the Wheel: Designers Worldwide Focus on Gas-Free Alternative Transportation Systems, Intransition Magazine, Winter 2009, archived from the original on 5 June 2017, retrieved 4 October 2021
  3. Schmid Peoplemover specifications (PDF), ThyssenKrupp, c. 2004, archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2016, retrieved 4 October 2021
  4. "Schmid Peoplemover System"
  5. Altbach Peoplemover
  6. Berlin Peoplemover
  7. "Peoplemover: Das Tor der Stadt ist verkauft", Reutlingen General-Anzeiger, 1 April 2015
  8. "Randnotiz: Das Tor steht bombenfest", Reutlingen General-Anzeiger, 2 April 2015
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