Amazing Westinghouse Selectomatic elevators @ the Historic Metro Tower Lubbock TX (handycam)

now THIS is an elevator. I got quite a few takes here. This is one of many. I drove 400 miles just to see this elevator!! Facebook: / dieselducy
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[@sarahedwards2]

My high school biology teacher was born exactly one week before the tornado, about 1350 miles away.

[@HockeyGhost-hh1pj]

Man so much nostalgia from this channel. Thank you man for making my childhood awesome

[@DieselDucy]

My pleasure 😃😃 hope you still enjoy my content 😃

[@matthewcook4256]

@@DieselDucy these westies were modernized by Otis series m2

[@TheHighRiseElevatorLover]

I also noticed that on the 16th floor, the bell was lower pitched and it dingged 2 times. I would love to ride an old elevator like that, they are truly amazing.

[@wisemaninus]

GREAT ELEVATORS!

[@tilmanluther1887]

Really cool how them relay controlled elevators worked and still work. Went up to 20 to look for up or down calls

[@Jenox1972]

True

[@BertoldBR74Roux]

Westinghouse elevators are awesome!

[@mannyistheman2221]

Hey Diesel Ducy, If you look at the Westinghouse Selectomatic panel, those numbers on the end do not denote 2 extra elevators. The numbers on the far left light up when someone hit the up button on any floor. For example, if someone pushed the up button of 5, the 5 button on the far left will light up. If you hit the down button, the numbers on the far right will light up depending on which floor the down button was pressed. Notice there is no Number 1 on the far right or a 20 on the far left.

[@scratchpad7954]

This building satisfies one of my biggest OCD compulsions with skyscrapers in major cities: IT COUNTS THE 13TH FLOOR!

[@Ih8kone]

Scratch Pad Old building

[@xHadesStamps]

I'm the same. I *hate* that many buildings have no 13th floor

[@Jenox1972]

13 floor is unlucky.

[@ttugarygregory]

A couple of extra facts since I've been fascinated with this building since I was a kid. (1) The lobby was for First National Bank's tellers (they share the lower floors with an insurance company) and when they moved into their own building two blocks over the investment firm Dean Witter Reynolds occupied the first floor. (2) The 20th floor that you filmed was a restaurant and the night of the tornado two of my great aunts were up there having supper. When the storm first hit they all moved to the emergency stairwell. (3) It did indeed take on a F5 directly and if you look up at the SW corner of the building you can see the building twist a few degrees and the bricks off the elevator shaft popped off. Too bad you weren't able to see where the reinforced the steel on the lower floors. (4) Several days after the May 11, 1970 tornado downtown was kept evacuated for fears the building was going to fall. Actually, it sat empty for about six years until a group of real estate investors in Amarillo bought the building for the back taxes. (5) Texas Tech University received several grants to inspect the building and the south facade on what I remember to be the 5th & 5th floors was torn away so the engineers and students could study. This is how the Texas Tech Wind Engineering program was started. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal has a lot of pictures from that tornado. Thanks for letting me babble on. lubbockonline.com/slideshows/010309/373680407/slide1.shtml

[@maxfern9334]

Gary Gregory r

[@maxfern9334]

Gary Gregory n

[@ElevatorKid14]

this is the coolest westinghouse elevator ive seen yet!

[@hormelinc]

As commented, Macys in San Francisco had these (since modernized). The best ones were in Kaiser Center in Oakland, which had the white opaque buttons which lit up when pressed. They had a single elevator which stopped on all floors, but during the day had a set of buttons covered by a screw on cover (they had 2 different sets of elevators for lower and upper floors). BTW: The open hole down below the buttons was for a manual control handle to mimic full manual control.

[@upanddownadventures]

There was a bank of service (staff) elevators at Macy's Union Square that in 2018 still had the Westinghouse white pop-out buttons, but I think those elevators were recently modernized. Are you referring to 300 Lakeside Dr in Oakland? Did the elevators there have the white version of these pop-out buttons or were they not pop-out buttons? Either way, my understanding is that the elevators there were recently modernized (but not sure if it was the first time they were modernized or not), but I have not been there. The handle you are referring to is referring to "signal operation". The operator would turn the handle to open/close the doors and (at least in some cases) allow the elevator to start running. There may have been some elevators that could be switched between automatic operation and signal operation. Have you seen an elevator with one of these handles, running as an automatic elevator, still with pop-out buttons? Also did the elevators with these handles have buttons for the bottom & top floor (an elevator that only operates in signal operation at least in some cases has no buttons for the bottom & top floors).

[@pratimbirla9294]

Did he just said that this building took a direct hot by F5 tornado?! Impossible!!!

[@theLASK]

On May 11th 1970, an F5 tornado went through the heart of Lubbock, Texas

[@robert3302]

@dieselducy It allowed the human operator to pass floors where the call button had been pressed. And yes, considering that in 1955 most elevators had a big wooden handle on a bronze wheel, this was very state-of-the art.

[@ilkalco]

The side indicators on the lobby panel were not for additional elevators but rater were floor call indicators. One side is up calls the other down calls. You mentioned that the elevators were going all the way up to 20 before heading down. When I was a kid we hade elevators like this in Chicago and the door man in the lobby once explained the lobby panel operation to me. The elevators have selectable modes and the main modes used were morning rush, normal automatic, evening rush. My guess would be that the elevators are running in evening rush mode. In this mode the any elevator going up would continue to the top floor in anticipation of many down calls being made. This would also explain why the THIS CAR NEXT light came on when at the top floor. Floor 20 would be the staging floor in evening rush mode. If the elevators were in morning rush mode they would stage at the lobby level and again the lights THIS CAR NEXT and ANOTHER CAR NEXT would come into play. It was all to make the system more efficient. My guess would be that there is some issue with the relay logic in normal automatic mode so the cheep fix was to run it in evening rush mode. This mode would keep the cars independent but is not as efficient for normal operation as more then one car could stop at the same call if it is not already cleared. They would not use morning rush as this usably required an operator at the lobby panel to release the cars when loading in the lobby. Building managers were worried about reliability of the system and Westinghouse eased there minds by having a manual mode individually selectable for each car that would allow an operator to run them completely bypassing the relay logic. Also to calm passengers if the car got stuck there was an intercom into the cars to communicate as most people at the time were used to manual elevators with a trained operator incase of issues. This feature gave people a feeling of someone being in charge.

[@DieselDucy]

That is correct.

[@mrmattandmrchay]

(PART1)These are beautiful! The operation is similiar to old schindler lifts with very similar pop-out buttons. In one of my videos I did some experiments with pulling out the buttons whilst in travel (watch?v=x5oqDXOuHlQ - see 2:00 onwards). One of my first uploads to youtube, wasn't my best! The lift indeed did miss the call that I pulled out. Without any selected calls, it went up to the highest floor then stopped and opened. (>part2>)

[@connorboxer123]

400 miles for an elevator? You must LOVE Them. I do

[@Se3ret]

When the westy wants to go the westy will go words I live by

[@robert3302]

@dieselducy Those show the floors where the call buttons have been pressed, the Up on the left and the Down on the right. That's why there is no 20 on the left column nor 1 on the right. Selectomatics were pre-computer; they have a very sophisticated system based entirely on electric switches and relays. The U, D and Pass buttons in the cab were for use by human operators, which still existed in the '50s.

[@carryclass]

I hope this beautiful building is well occupied. what a great building to have an office in.

[@craigs3183]

Very Art Deco style. LOL they even have floor 13!

[@Ih8kone]

It's an office building not a hotel.

[@Liftdragonuk]

These are nice elevators. The motors sound really nice too.

[@coolbanker2]

They did not want six elevators. The floor indicators on the left and on the right illuminate when someone pushes the hall call buttons on the upper floors. Either up (left) or down (right).

[@jb0177]

I'd love a closer more detailed view of that awesome selectomatic control panel

[@MrSullivanniall]

They are very nice lifts! I love how the buttons pop out when the lift gets to the floor you want. Iv'e never seen that here in New Zealand

[@100DarkDude]

these elevators are just beautiful and fast indeed :D

[@ElevatingArizonaByGageWilliams]

This is a place I would like to hang out. The metro tower lobby

[@jtelev]

Hey now! Thats an AWESOME elevator!!

[@mannyistheman2221]

The numbers on the end are not extra elevators. They light up when someone pushes an up or down button on one of the floors. Notice on floor 20 you don't have a 20 number on the left. You can't go up any higher than 20. Notice on floor 1, you don't have a 1 on the right. You can't go down from the bottom floor.

[@THEBULBHOME]

i love this video those westinghouse elevators are awesome :)

[@historiclift27]

Going to go see these myself as well as the old hotel settles hope these are still there and the settles is 15 floors built in 1930 they replaced the elevators but a lot of the buildings decor were restored by hand so gotta do a hotel tour there

[@ANDREWWALLFORD123]

That's great video of these elevators is really fast came in seconds!!! Awesome mate.

[@chandranagar565]

Did he said this building took a direct hit by a f5 tornado?! Impossible!!!

[@PAelevators]

i found a set of elevators like this in Washington PA but there OTIS and there only 11 floors

[@Supreme_transport]

One of my first viewed videos of your channel, the video is fantastic well done

[@gregrider8154]

Selectomatic....wonder if it got its name because of how temperamental it is. "When the westy wants to leave, the westy will leave" lol

[@SamSitar]

this is one elevator I'd like to ride too. runs very well. older elevators make interesting sounds. some elevators at Umass Amherst were similar. fun pop out buttons.

[@campermike8879]

Those are neat. Bet it was a cool ride

[@FolfAlpine]

those elevators have a mind of their own. like furby!

[@impf4668]

These elevators look really awesome. There is a building in downtown Lansing, Michigan that has 1961 Haughton traction elevators and the original letter box. I hope to do a video on them like this soon.

[@mspbre6731]

the elevator is amazing

[@Ham549]

10:00 well that was a weird bell

[@DJSpinSter2004]

That was his Mario ringtone. xD

[@OPG2711]

I am in Lubbock and rode those elevators after modernization.

[@exoticcar5482]

You got a video?

[@OPG2711]

No.

[@twistedwhiskers8776]

OPG1561 can u make one

[@olivereltoro]

i love westinghouse elevators can you film more

[@CenTexElevators489]

Unfortunately, I looked up on the TDLR Elevator Lookup, and I found out that Schindler had modernized these elevators in 2013. So now, these historic elevators have been horribly butchered.

[@BostonElevatorDude]

NOOOOOO CURSE YOU METRO TOWER IN LUBBOCK TX

[@exoticcar5482]

But to make matters worse, there is now restricted access and only one filmer so far got to film them

[@elevatorgaming6712]

ElevatorMan5482 ElevExperiencing Productions who was it?

[@Ih8kone]

Boscov's Downtown Wilkes-Barre used to have this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKO2in1-Zd1shJo

[@railroadelevators9258]

They had to be modded. These elevators would often get stuck and were unreliable

[@evana6425]

Love love these setup. We had better quality of elevators back then we do today

[@FDNY63truck]

hey dieselducy you should make more road trip videos i love those

[@mr.blueskies7223]

Hey, I've been watching one of your videos like the Starks Building video you did when I was younger. This is video is one of the videos I grew up watching.

[@DieselDucy]

Awww thanks. Hope you will continue to enjoy this content.

[@mr.blueskies7223]

@@DieselDucy Of course I will. I'm really into elevator's like this. I just like elevators in general.

[@blue.light.fazbear]

This is an awesome elevator! It’s got a lot of character. The odd behaviour of the elevators could be a sign of dodgy relays

[@M72_Transit_And_More]

This is an elevator!

[@mrmattandmrchay]

(PART2>)02:30 Love the inconsistent bulb lighting which is probably a mechanical selector out of adjustment 04:50 I think these lifts seem to end up at the top floor-relay logic 05:12 COOL! My heart starts racing as I thought you would get to film the motor room :) 06:16 You mentioned these U/START/D buttons. I've seen these in Express(UK) and Otis lifts and always wondered what functionality they had-you seem to know,could you explain more? Also PASS button?(>Part3>)

[@QEElevators]

Same a westy like this would be fascinating

[@kendall8500]

If you listen very closely you can here relays when the elevator goes by a floor

[@alexleo172]

In my country,the underground train station platform screen dors are made from Westinghouse

[@vloggingrandom7541]

I love those buttons there so cool

[@skelemor3110]

R.I.P Westy's I will miss tuem

[@missourielevators9252]

I wish these elevators still existed

[@FranzFerdinandVIII]

15:38~ Do u want another ride? "H@#$ YES!!!! I WANT 13 MORE RIDES!!!!" I THOUGHT SO

[@elevatorgaming6712]

WHAT?! This building was demolished?

[@elevatorfan7568]

Elevator Gaming, no, but I think the elevators have been modded.

[@NathanCE]

@@elevatorfan7568 Theres a pic of the elevators posted on google in Sept. 2019. They look completely original to me.

[@ELEVATORMUSEUM]

Very nice! One thing: the outer columns on the big indicator-panel in the lobby are showing the up and down calls from the floors. If you look at the very left one, you see the upper floor missing. This is, because the left column shows up-calls and there can't be an up call from the uppermost floor. Similar the right indicators: they would light up for down calls, so the lowest floor is missing. (Works like an annunciator in the cab of a manually controlled elevator.)

[@LiftsAndElevatorsOfScandinavia]

At 3:36 I think that green light means the elevator is going up - just like the call stations on every floor except 20

[@mickeyandminnieproductions6574]

Love the bell

[@MrBrombomb]

Nice building! Nice Westinghouse Elevator System! I love how you always refer to the stairs in a building as the man-powered elevator. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha! "Here's the man-powered elevator, & obviously it's a Westinghouse." Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!

[@mannyistheman2221]

These elevators are cool but look like they could use some minor servicing. It could be on PEAK UP or PEAK DOWN. I love the WESTY BELL! Brings back soooo MANY MEMORIES!!

[@noahi8879]

Wow it is huge

[@jamelaalmedasantos9847]

Noah I

[@mateovater7106]

I kind of like this elevator system because of the bell on elevator #2 but do the 3 other elevators have a working bell

[@thatonecanadian.7102]

I'm suprised the building got it by an F5 Tornado.

[@mattmoreira210]

Well... seems neither Schindler nor OTIS can maintain old elevators. If Schindler does, they simply fall apart. If OTIS does, they fall appart and have their machine rooms turned into museums. PS: Wow! Nice "pop-out" buttons! No controller memory required. Impressive! :D

[@Michael-hp2pe]

Weird, was watching the Buddy Holly Story when I viewed this video. Literally just checking out elevators and skyscrapers and played this.

[@DieselDucy]

+Michael Pardi awesome. Thanks

[@twobytwo2]

The bldg is now called NTS Building. It was originally called The Great Plains Life Bldg. There was an urban legend that there was a image of a tornado on the west side of the bricks on the outside.

[@andrewboersma8722]

Yes I do like those elevators

[@seanluo8369]

I thought the braille plates always had to be to the left of the buttons

[@DieselDucy]

They were put on after.

[@jbbrown4472]

The building and the elevator reminds me of South Building at the hospital I work at

[@suzzex]

That wasn't the interlock, that was a spring to assist and keep the shaft doors closed under their own power. You pointed the camera straight at the interlock: it's your classic Westinghouse "T" interlock.

[@inskeemr]

I am sure you knew this.. but when you said that they orgininally intended for 6 elevators... Actually, those numbers on the left and right side of the lobby announcer board indicate which floors a call is being placed. Food for thought. :)

[@ElevationStationProductions]

I noticed that there are phantom elevators on the selectomatic. Systems (extra elevators on the panel that can't be explained).

[@upanddownadventures]

As far as I know, the far left & right columns of floor numbers are not supposed to represent elevators. Notice there is no 20th floor on the left, and no 1st floor on the right. As far as I know, they represent up & down hall calls. If a call button is pressed, the number for that floor & direction would light up (maybe this is a feature to see if the elevators are busy??? not sure).

[@proatnubgaming7332]

WOW can u make more videos plz i love eveavators

[@TXMNElevators]

Sad that these were modded. I found some almost just like this here in St Paul!

[@Ih8kone]

TXMN Elevators MODDED?! NOOOOOOO

[@elijahrosado3816]

There are other elevators like this.

[@sarahhinett6763]

What an awesome KZbin channel you have are of Lists

[@sarahhinett6763]

I hope you like that

[@sarahhinett6763]

From Oliver 7 second ago

[@sk8rguy4life1123]

how i they open by themselves in the beginning... was it just a concidence

[@nickjonas497]

i like the elevator that stops when u talk to it and when you say go it wil go

[@ElevateMN]

I would love to see the machine room in this building...

[@jacobandbuster0168]

I would love to just sit in the elevators and watch the journey they make from top to bottom.

[@sarahgillenwater6809]

At 4:34 there was Union Pacific Eastbound

[@mktx.]

It has a 13th floor

[@jackx.cassway]

IK.

[@fabienpitorre]

I like this video !!! How old are these devices (if you know) ? Thanks for posting

[@jackx.cassway]

1:50 - Andrew: I don't think this mailbox is-- Phone: Message arrived.

[@DieselDucy]

LOL

[@Jenox1972]

​@@DieselDucyOusamiz

[@LBSiUK]

Express sold these in the UK as the Express DMR.

[@upanddownadventures]

Never heard of an Express lift/elevator with pop-out buttons, did any once exist?

[@katherinepenning172]

How do i get your other videos that deals with the musical elevators?

[@vatorhunters]

Wow it has the same mail box as the highline apartments

[@Oli92Technik]

i wanna see the machine room! :)

[@Oli92Technik]

@Dillon Barnes i wanna see the whole bro

[@LiftEnthusiast2020OFFTOPIC]

Did you know express used parts from Westinghouse? Also this was a great camcorder it just hates focusing.

[@jasontan8564]

Andrew i like that elevator.

[@LiftEnthusiast2020OFFTOPIC]

My 2nd favourite was the one with door disease

[@robert3302]

@JonathanElevator29 I worked in Macy's SF for several years. The floor buttons light up and go out when the floor is reached. A nice feature: you can pull the button if you press the wrong floor, or naughty children punch them all. There are (or were; I haven't been there in years) a lot of Selectomatics in SF. My late uncle was a salesman for Westinghouse. I like to think he was responsible for that.

[@upanddownadventures]

There was one bank of service (staff) elevators at Macy's in SF that as recently as 2018 still had the pop-out buttons, but pretty sure sadly since modernized. You may know this, but the passenger elevators were modernized likely sometime within the last 30 years. Are there any other buildings in SF you remember having Westinghouse elevators with pop-out buttons in the past (either black or white)?

[@IanGSully]

Those elevators act like they have been drinking LOL😂😂😂

[@Elevators_around_Europa]

The buttons are probably Pre-lexan (black buttons) that Otis used them on 1950s to early 1970s too. And why do they serve the 13th floor? I thought the 13th floor is considered unlucky in US.

[@DieselDucy]

Much different than Otis

[@FranzFerdinandVIII]

By the way, i heard the same WestingHouse Elevator bell in this episode of this british programme named THe secret life of machines!

[@jamesackley6653]

13:56. You ain't going nowhere.

[@sarahhinett6763]

Yes!!

[@JoshCraver9000]

ROCK LOBSTER!!!!!

[@lunaracc914]

Were the elevators modified? Cause I haven't been to the building in so long that I never saw them if they were.

[@rowdyraider556]

The North most elevator, doesn't have a lift in it right now (it has been removed). Only the 2 South most elevators work right now. They are all being pulled out and replaced with modern, reliable elevators. P.S. Did you notice the jolt between floors 9 and 10 where the shaft/building is twisted from the tornado?

[@elevatorfromthestatesofmic782]

BEAUTIFUL WESTYS! AND EPIC AWSOME EXTREMELY RARE FIND! EXTREMELY AWSOME EPIC CHIMES! Question when were theses installed? Let me know okay?

[@elevatormuseum9616]

I like that bell