Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Interests in elevators

This is topic Interests in elevators in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Matthew Bailey (Member # 601) on 04-26-2009, 07:01 AM:

Anyone have an interest in elevators? I have one on You Tube I made myself that shows the machinery room of several geared traction elevators & well as related elevator videos by others. Thyssen Krupp/Dover/Otis machine room

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 04-28-2009, 05:14 PM:

When I was about 10 years old, my father had an office in the
Empire State building in NY. He knew the building engineer and
once got him to take me on a "backstage" tour of the building
to places the public never gets to see.
(This would have been in the early 1960's)

I got to go up to a platform ABOVE the viewing deck open to the
public and about as high up as you can go without actually
having to climb the antenna tower.
I also got to see the TV transmitter room just below the tower.

The building was so large, it had to have its'own telephone
exchange which at that time used the old rotary step-by-
step relay swtiches. I got to see that too.

But one thing I'll never forget is that the guy took me
into one of the elevator machienery rooms at the top of
the building. Not all the elevators go to all 102 floors,
but several do. He took me to top of one of the shafts
that ran the down the whole building. The elevator
motors were supported by big steel beams above and
he had me stand on a metal grate covering the top of
the shaft and flipped a switch that turned on lights
all the way down to the basement. As that elevator
went up and down the shaft it was like a giant piston,
creating a rush of air as it came up, and creating a
vacuum effect that felt U were going to sucked into
the shaft as it went down.
It was quite an experience for a young lad!
I never forgot that day.