Half a century ago, it was a real pain in the ass to use the subway in London. So they added a "travelator"—not an escalator, mind you, but a climbing moving walkway. And London was pumped.
Two 85 horsepower engines, 488 pieces of aluminum, and three years of work were required to construct the powered walkway, much to the delight of commuting Londoners. It's worth keeping in mind that 50 years from today, we'll look back on the frenzy surrounding things like iPads and HDTVs with the same Aw, wasn't that cute, perspective. [British Pathe]