M6 motorway services - old lift update Apr2017 (Lancaster Forton) 

In about March last year, Moto reportedly gutted the interior of the tower - hinting they might still be trying to utilise it for something. The main proof to this story is that the coffee advert lady in the window at 6:25 is now gone but nothing much seems to have happened since. Seeing the tower reopen would be pretty cool, but yeah, it's quite unlikely.

Nice update. Please don't keep us waiting too long for Part 2 :)

It always surprises me that a color LCD display (about 320 x 240 px) is necessary to display just a single digit :). Thats 76 800 pixels instead of just 7 segments...

I got to see this place for myself recently, the Otis on the right is now gone I think, it’s got what I think is a false wall or advert over it. The modern lift was broken at the time I went there. I found out online that the tower used to be a restaurant, which closed due to fire safety problems.

everybody gangsta until the pennine tower resturant starts breathin

As I grow older, I become more of a realist myself. It is a shame that finances don't bode well for this tower. It would be nice to travel back in time and have a look at this place in its glory days. Great video as always, Matt! :)

I hope the old one hangs in there

Brilliant video, thank you

Amazed that they only stopped at the first lift. Awesome vid

I was here today & there's now only one lift, the old Otis seems to have been covered up with an advert.

I wonder if they kept any of the bits from the old lift? Would be a real shame if they were tossed, I would have paid some serious cash for those call stations!

At least the new lift has a nice hi-res floor indicator... [puts on fireproof suit] ;)

your intro is fantastic... i'm a photographer an a video maker and i apreciate your job!!

...and now the old parts from the modded lift could be useful for the remaining lift as spare parts! I have seen many machinerooms on Buildings with a mix of mods and oldies, were they keps old parts in service areas near machine rooms, or inside the rooms themselves!

I've been there this evening, the right lift is out of order again

There is now a code keypad for the second and third floors.

great vid this is just up the road from me. I have some pics of some more old lifts you may be intrested in.

what a cool video! nice to see the old Otis continues to live on though the new lift looks a bit crap, it's not Misubishi grrr!

Enjoyed thank you. What is the music please? It's very calming.

The remaining Otis passenger lift is no more and Lancaster services, they haven’t even replaced it they put panelling over it :(

The non-modernized lift probably didn't get updated due to budget. there were plans to move Costa into the tower, but the removal of aspestos is so expensive they couldn't afford it. It may be reopened in the future but they are updating everything else first.

They've boarded it up now and put toilets around that back, so can't see the lift anymore now unfortunately!

Thanks Matt. This really does interest me as it's not that far away from where I am. That old otis at Forton looks great. Do you think if you managed to get into the other old otis you showed us at the end it would be safe? Shame about the towers reality. I can't see it opening either if I'm honest. But let's hope that the money comes from somewhere and they find a use for it. Ben

I wonder if they have modernised the out of order lift so that they can then turn off the working old Otis. if the tower remains closed then there is not the need for two lifts serving two floors. If the other lift gets modernised then I would see it as a good sign that they have intentions to reopen the tower. I had expected both old Otis lifts to be switched off at some point and a platform lift (similar to the one on the other side of the motorway). ------------------- The history of Rank is an interesting one- over the years they owned Odeon and other cinema chains (now part of AMC, film studios, film printing and distribution companies (later Deluxe Film), Rank Screen Advertising (now DCM), Butlins and Haven holiday camps/caravan parks, Rank Xerox (Co venture with Xerox, now 100% Xerox owned), Rank Strand (theatre lighting now owned by Phillips), nightclubs, part of Universal Studios Florida. Now they only own gambling companies (Mecca Bingo, Grosvenor Casinos and some online gaming sites.

Aww...shame about the newly modernized lift. I wish they could keep the other original lift so that they can give the customers both a ride of the past and now lol. Would be great if that happens :D Nice video as always, and may I know the name of the song in the beginning? I love that song.

This is the guy who wrote that Magnus Archives episode

2018 update please!!!

Any idea what happened to Mrphill100? He seems to have disappeared from RU-vid.

why... i love old lifts too... why did they modernize it...:(

I know why the ground floor call button for the elevator dosent work as the contact is probably not contacting the terminals

What is on the upper floors of the tower?

I like the cab in the new lift but nothing else about it.

Tracy Island, as we used to call it.

Was going to call in the other day but didn't get time. I suspect the right lift will be left in its original state but switched off and blocked off from view. They have updated one lift I suspect to reduce maintenance costs as the knowledge required to maintain it is becoming more and more scarce as the older lift engineers (who would have a knowledge of these vintage installations) retire and as spare parts become difficult to come by. One lift should be sufficient especially if it is only trundling between the ground and first floor.

so... you won't film all the others elevators ?

I've been to the first service station! (I think)

what is the song in your intro

Are you planning to do a 2018 update?

I’d love to know if they bothered to replace the landings on the other floors or not. I wouldn’t think so, somehow, the lift may well just be running software for two floors now.

My local moto doesn't have any lifts

I enjoyed your video :) Keep it up!

The reason the lock off floor are proment because their needs to be a way to go to the motor room!

Is this the hilton park

If they've turned off the Otis, it's probarbly because the call button doesn't work!

Will they be a 2024 update?

i want all them call stations of the old one i think i would have to ask for them

Ominous music at 1:43 :)

What is the point of the tower. Why was it built in the first place.

Motor tour on the new

2019 update !!!

Does anyone know if the other lift has now been modernised or is it still switched out of use?

I was there last week, I only live 1/2 hr away, used to cut through on my way to work many years ago. I was last up there in the late 80's when it was working. If you watch the previous video you can see the asbestos stickers everywhere, I think that's the excuse. There's a big vending machine in front of the old lift doors now on the ground floor.

Why can't they just gut the tower? Just make it a lookout, put some tables up there so people can eat with a view. Charge a small fee to get to the top like the space needle in Seattle I believe they charge $5USD per elevator to go to the top. So if your in a group of three and you strike up a conversation with another group of three and ride the lift to the top you can split the cost.

can you visit in 2018?

nice opening door intro

2:24 wow you actually showed your face

Too bad the mod is horrible generic. It would have been so much better if it was done by Otis, using their current fixtures instead of dewhurst. I think the economics of budget constraints are the realistic reason for the choiche of the generic lift beeing installed there. A mod by Otis would likely have been much more expensive and they probably couldn't justify the price premium.

ive got some sad news the Lancaster Forton old Otis lift has sadly been switched off WHY DID THEY DO THIS FOR IT WASENT A IDEO TO DO THAT STUPID MOTO RIP to the old otis lift 1968 to 2017 you will be missed and do a video nowwwwwwww boys for me

cool old 1970 Otis lift mrmatt the old Otis lifts are my favorite style lifts and we have a load of old Otis lifts in Australia . check out the old 1970 Otis lifts on my channel mrmatt I don't filmnew new lifts

Yet another s*** generic mod......they could've at least got a proper lift company to modernize it....

I killed effect

Tinpo