Auto stacker
Encyclopedia
The Auto Stacker was an ill-fated but ambitious project by Woolwich Borough Council
in south-east London
. It cost £100,000 in 1961 and was located on Beresford Street, Woolwich
.
As the name suggests, the Auto Stacker was a machine that parked cars in a stack, using a combination of conveyor belt
s and lift
s to move vehicles from ground level to one of 256 carpark spaces. It was, effectively, an automated multi-storey car park
, and was situated above a car showroom, workshop and petrol station.
It was officially opened by Princess Margaret
on 11 May 1961. However, at the opening ceremony, the demonstration vehicle got stuck and had to be manhandled in.
The Auto Stacker never worked properly and was demolished in 1962 at a cost of £60,000.
Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich
The Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965.-Formation:The borough was formed from the civil parishes :*Eltham *Plumstead...
in south-east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It cost £100,000 in 1961 and was located on Beresford Street, Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
.
As the name suggests, the Auto Stacker was a machine that parked cars in a stack, using a combination of conveyor belt
Conveyor belt
A conveyor belt consists of two or more pulleys, with a continuous loop of material - the conveyor belt - that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley...
s and lift
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s to move vehicles from ground level to one of 256 carpark spaces. It was, effectively, an automated multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
, and was situated above a car showroom, workshop and petrol station.
It was officially opened by Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
on 11 May 1961. However, at the opening ceremony, the demonstration vehicle got stuck and had to be manhandled in.
The Auto Stacker never worked properly and was demolished in 1962 at a cost of £60,000.