I was with BD in the '90's and remember well the outsized baggage belt and scanner that was located T1 landside at the rear of departures to the right of what was then Burger King. It was housed in a double doored room and was also used for 'special' security (509?) screening in the days prior to more comprehensive checked baggage screening. Check-in were supposed to randomly select about 30% of bags to be screened before being dispatched down the belt to the baggage make-up hall in the basement.
I recall the steel spiral shutes as well on both domestic and international piers but weren't these for drop off at door bags, runners, pushchairs, buggies etc. to drop down to the handlers on the apron from the gate/airbridge? There was also a smallish baggage reclaim carousel located between the CTA/RI and domestic parts of the November/Alpha Piers in the 'Rotunda'.
The T1 baggage system is still very much alive (although significantly more automated than it used to be) despite the terminal being closed, as it serves the new T2; there is a large black 'bridge/tunnel' to the left of T2 at Departures level which descends into the bowels of T1 to, I believe, the same baggage make-up area mentioned earlier. Apparently they couldn't build one beneath the new terminal because of the proximity of the Piccadilly Line (and for the same reason, there's no passenger rail transit between T2 and T2B as there is between T5A/B/C).
Last edited by Reverserbucket; 11th Aug 2020 at 12:25.