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Allders of Croydon

Allders is the third largest store in Britain, after Harrods and Selfriges. In 2006 it still had a Lamson pneumatic tube system in working order with 42 terminals. It was last operated in the Christmas period 2005 and was expected to be used again in Christmas 2006 for emptying tills.

Plans currently held show the following work:
1953 - Belt desk with tills to be supplied by the manufacturer of the desk.
1960 - Seven new stations on the ground floor and four on the first floor (in addition to five existing) with a magnetic separator for the cash office.
1966 - Power plant and service desks. Woodwork for the desks is not supplied by Lamsons. 27 stations served by desk 1 and 22 by desk 2. There are 106 2-1/4 inch tubes and a 6 inch suction main drop. Arrangement of the sanction desk. Holes to connect to the new building. The power plant is described as "1225 X 2 ST VEE ROPE DRIVEN TURBINE WITH 30 H.P. MOTOR UNIT MOUNTED ON VIBRO INSULATORS. APPROX WT 19 CWT."
It is thought that some equipment was also moved there from a store in Cardiff in 1978.

 

Exterior of the store on North End	A recessed Pneu-Art terminal with a modern frame
Another Pneu-Art terminal showing the interior	Approximately 100 tubes leading to and from the plant room on the second floor
The blower (courtesy of John Liffen) Tubes discharging onto the belt in the receiving part of the cash office   The cashiers' desks and despatch tubes in the other half of the cash office (with some refreshments!)	These appear to be some sort of adjusters, behind the discharge tubes. Control valves (?) on the wall of the receiving room. These were used to block the air inlet when the carrier was ejected and so improve economy of operation.