Old Otis Manually controlled Traction elevator @ Robert E Lee Building Lexington VA 

An experienced operator can level these amazingly accurately. It's a real skill. I'm old enough to remember when elevators like this one were common in big cities. I miss them. Thank you.

Funny that the modernized one was still upgraded a long time ago. The older one is proof that even though many things have changed over time, but thank god there are still people out there who appreciate the old things, and just leave em alone. Like I always say, if it aint broke, dont fix it!

This elevator now has since been modernized, BUT the crank is still there!

I worked at a Sears after getting out of high school back in the mid 80s. We had elevators just like that. They were not in the main part of the store, just back in the office and stock area. Customers only had access to escalators and if a customer needed to use a elevator, for instance if they were in a wheelchair they would have to ask and a employee would have to take them to it and operate it for them. I do not think any of that would fly today with all of the disability requirements. The building is long gone now.

the Arrott Building in downtown Pittsburgh had 4 of these from 1902, one was kept original for use as a service elevator!

In 1961, my summer dream job was running the elevator in the 10 story Sweet Building in downtown Fort Lauderdale. It was a 2 speed Otis, totally manual, no 'self-leveling'. I was taught not to look at the floor and threshold to line up the cab with the landing so passengers would not trip, but to use a couple of marks made on the brass gate at eye level and the crossbar of the outer door...much less parallax distortion.

Awesome elevator.Last time I saw one of these manual type was back in the 60's at a jc pennys.

Ha ha someone was cleaning that and you just comandeered the elevator :P

I'm filming a 1926 Otis elevator on September 13th.

dude i dont seee why we dont still use these kind of elevators they r amazing

When I was 14 years old, I ran the Otis elevator in the 10 story Sweet Building in downtown Fort Lauderdale. There were two, side-by-side to handle the tenant traffic at peak hours. They were two-speed, totally manual. I had to be very careful to level the car floor with the threshold to keep passengers from tripping. I got very good at it by using an eye-level reference on the cab gate and sight-lining it up with the outer door gate lever.

@bpmagruder you press the button on the outside of the elevator in the direction you want to go in. The light inside the elevator will tell the elevator operator what floor to go pick up people at.

Every time I see one of those drum switches, I think of that elevator scene from Logan's Run.

0:26 Was that guy lighting a cigarette in the building?!

LOVED this video!!! Great commentary to go with the video as well. I was hoping that this was in Lexington.....Missouri! About and hour from where I live (oh well) LOL. Thanks so much for the Great Video!! Gotta love the old Elevators!!!

There was one of these at an old hotel that I used to work at but is was not as fancy as this one. It was either the 3rd or 5th elevator that Otis made and it did not have a leveling mechanism for the top or bottom floors and it was much faster than this one. It did have a dummy switch at the end floors and if you hit it it would lock the elevator in place and I had to go to the basement and manually release it. It only had the lever to operate it it did not have any buttons but the call system is the same but this one had a buzzer also so the clerk could hear it. you either got good at running it or you did a lot of walking it was quite fun.

@owenhinton he has lots of fun running manual elevators. the elevator is fast and smooth. relay sound is very solid.

I love manually controlled elevators

This is much safer than modern elevators! At least you have some control over the machine. There is little danger of being trapped in the thing and left to starve. With very simple electronics there is no danger the elevator behaving weird failing to level or shooting up cutting people in half if the voltage is a bit out.

Awesome elevators! There are a couple of manually controlled elevators where I live and I'll film them when I have the time to.

the Robert e lee building in Jackson, MS has the same set up.

Nice old otis

wow nice elevator.

この様なエレベーターが残っていてうらやましい。日本では、このようなエレベーターは更新されてしまうので滅多に見かけない。

Awesome elevator!

that is really neat

I don't know about an actual elevator simulator, but you might want to check out Sim Tower. It's graphics are dated, but it simulates a modern hi-rise office building, and you can program the elevators by time of day, local and express operation, etc. much like you would program a real elevator system control module.

Lexington, Virginia

Good!!!

There was a pair of these at the old Athens Athletic Club (ex: Synanon) building in Oakland, CA. They were not self leveling also. They also didn't have grill gates -- wide open inside. They seemed to go a *lot* faster than the ones here. The Financial Center bldg at 14th/Franklin had a same model Otis that self leveled, but that was a maint elevator. The main ones were some mfgr I cant remember that had green square lighted floor buttons.

Very nice!

Nice Find Andrew! Keep it up! I love your vids!

@CaptainElevator42189 We had a building that used to have that type of elevator. Since then I haven't seen anymore of them.

What happens if the operator doesn´t stop the elevator at the lowest and highest floor? There must be something the cab will run against, but how far away from the floor will it be then?

very nays otis Elevators

Wow, I really like manually controlled elevators, as they seem to be rare to find now. I want to film the manually controlled elevator at the St. Joseph City Hall, & The Kirkpatrick Building in St. Joseph MO that you and STL Elevators filmed a couple of years ago. If I can try to go there and film it, I will upload it onto my channel. Just saying :P

@dieselducy very cool elevator !!!!

wow. i'm gonna film something like this for my 1000th video, but not an OTIS (that's the only hint y'all are getting)

@dieselducy I actually want to make a skit video about this. :)

If you like this elevator I have a video of a completely manual Otis "hand elevator" the video is called "Otis Invalid Elevator" check it out.

i found one of them in the washington trust building washington PA

What is the floor pedal for?

Gooooooood

Having ThyssenKrupp modernizing it.

The elevator smells like a urnal lol Dx

I take it the floor pedal for the door didn't work in the Otis? I believe you're supposed to use that to close the door (could be open, I never get it right). Any idea if this supports the shortcuts of pushing the lever for up two times quick (my count might be off there) to automatically go to highest floor and vice versa for down?

The floor pedal is to release the door

haha you could have played elevator operator and waited for people to call it! I guess that is what the dispatch system is for:)

also this is JUST like one i found in NY at 11 maiden lane

Btw, if you remember, did you find this sitting open then went outside & started filming then went in & rode it? Or was this planned & you got permission?

swwwweeeet elevator

NICE elevator. i just posted 48 fifth street again off my ipod. should see it

I DID NOT SEE NICK!!!!! (UNEXPECTED MEMBER)!

What the hell! That guy lit up a cigarette with a zippo lighter @ 0:25!!

Cool!:)

HEEEEEY! HALLOWEEEEEEN!!!!

how old is this elevator

@McDonaldsLock Is it that uncommon? That's not meant to be an offensive question, just asking.

Do you know how to call these elevators, or are they usually controlled by the employee?

that's not a crank that's a lever.

@dieselducy Thanks, but this will be all original material. It might even star a beloved old friend of ours....That's all I'll say.

Old odious elevator

Is this elevator still at the building or did it get modded?

@dieselducy Ah. Shame. Looks like it still runs well overall at least.

@dieselducy Makes me want to see how to get one, and how much. If I get caught, I can prove I'm legally capable. :P

If it was the wonkavator, you would break the glass

Touhou Cosplayers... other then that, i've had the same idea...

This elevator is being modded.

@dieselducy :O

FM100 ICRT 40 TOP satidio Ehgilsh tawain

What?

cool but quite dangerous to me

What sucks about Massachusetts is, it is ILLEGAL to operate a hand-cranked elevator, without a Elevator Operator's Liscense. Yay.

This property is now a hotel and sadly, both of these treasures have been MURDERNIZED!!!!!!