How does an escalator work?

Aside from lifts, escalators are really the one invention which has modernized the way we build our offices and shopping centres in the 21st Century.  It’s now hard to imagine a world where we didn’t have escalators and yet many people don’t consider how they work- we just seem to take them for granted and then have a good moan when we are forced to walk when they break down.

Essentially escalators work because they are powered by constant-speed alternating current motors- single piece aluminum or steel steps are then placed on a system of tracks which is looped over the motors.  This is what allows the escalator to keep moving and to keep moving at a regular, constant speed. The maximum elevation for an escalator is 30 degrees and most have a standard rise up to about 60 feet or 18 metres.  

Escalators can either be found running parallel- up and down running side by side, criss-cross- which minimizes space needed by essentially ‘stacking’ escalators and multiple parallel which is similar to what one would find in the larger tube stations.  Escalators are such a constant thing in our lives we often don’t even notice them until they break.

Escalator Information Guide: