Schmid peoplemover
The Schmid peoplemover, an elevator capable of crossing an obstacle, designed by the company Schmid-Maschinenbau from Sonnenbühl, Germany, invented by Emil Schmid. Currently ThyssenKrupp Aufzugswerke GmbH is in charge of its maintenance.
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.
Schmid peoplemovers were installed in Pfullingen, Altbach, and at the Berlin-Rummelsburg Betriebsbahnhof station in Berlin. Eventually the Pfullingen Peoplemover operation stopped due to economic reasons.
In 2015 it was announced that the nearby city of Reutlingen decided to purchase it and install it at the city hall. Next day it was revealed to be an April Fool Day prank.
