Historic 1914 OTIS Bird Cage Traction Elevators - Smith Tower - Seattle, WA

Talk about a labor of love... a lot of pride can be found in this building. If you are in the area, I cannot recommend this enough!
The building was one of the last on the West Coast to employ elevator operators. The Otis Elevator Company provided the elevators, which have brass surfaces. The original doors were latticed scissor gates, so a rider could see into each hallway and through the glass walls in front of each office. The elevators were automated and modernized beginning in 2017, for faster service time and seismic safety, with new glass doors still allowing riders a view into the hallways and lobbies.
Completed in 1914, this 38-story, 484 ft tower is the oldest skyscraper in the city and was among the tallest skyscrapers outside New York City at the time of its completion. It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River until the completion of the Kansas City Power & Light Building in 1931. It remained the tallest building on the U.S. West Coast for nearly half a century, until the Space Needle overtook it in 1962.
The tower is named after its builder, the firearm and typewriter magnate Lyman Cornelius Smith. It was designated as a Seattle landmark in 1984.
(Wikipedia)

[@DylanLTindall]

This is a very tasteful mod. This is a perfect example on how properly modernize an elevator without destroying the historic character.

[@Jowevator3219]

OMG THESE ARE GORGEOUS

[@TSNY18-Animations]

OMG I WANNA RIDE THESE WHEN I GET TO THAT CITY!

[@Paramount531]

I rode this in 2016, after many trips to Seattle I finally made it to the Smith Tower. It was well worth the wait!

[@FloridianElevators]

Ahhh yes this building! I had a TON of fun on these elevators!!! 😂😂😂😎😎😎😈😈

[@Bombiedude.]

Really interesting mod they automated the doors but kept the original character of these in place

[@Pippi444]

That is a very nice elevator. I like how they made the new doors to fit with the style of the rest of the car

[@ElevatingBoston]

The mod to end all mods! This is incredible. It's very nice to see this amount of pride for a historic building.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

You're still here after 9 years not uploading?

[@alpzepta]

Even the motor are still original

[@mohammednadeemanwar2213]

Look like Harrods lifts in London. Thank goodness these have been restored.

[@michaelwalterselevatorsrob5009]

This is how you modernize an elevator

[@TheTheo58]

They did an excellent job with preserving the original bird cage elevator cabs and doors, along with retaining the original hand crank as historic. The COP blends in very well with the cab . And displaying one of the original gear-less DC traction machines in the lobby. I was sorry they did not retain the old traction machines since a DC drive could have been integrated with the new controller.

[@michaelwalterselevatorsrob5009]

@@TheTheo58 well for a mod like this, the motors would obviously be replaced, and wouldn’t these be AC motors now?

[@TheTheo58]

@@michaelwalterselevatorsrob5009 Yes they would have updated to AC traction machines and VFD. Thought I have seen some mods where DC gear-less machines are retained. Usually due to the existing machines being too large/heavy to move.

[@dhelton40]

Clearly the doors have been replaced, but the inserts between the glass mimic the old open cage while bringing it up to modern standards.

[@evana6425]

I love love 💕 those beautiful elevators 🛗

[@ilovelevators3699]

wow nice

[@FloridianElevators]

I don't think anyone has filmed these since the Modernization was completed. I'm definitely looking forward to this

[@thexavier456]

I have in December 2019.

[@upanddownadventures]

Do these have retiring cam interlocks?

[@Ih8kone]

Is this some sort of museum?

[@bigburgerboi2005]

its a landmark with restaurants observation deck etc

[@robert3302]

I wish they did this in the Monadnock Building in Chicago, instead of the ugly plastic boxes they have now.

[@charlesbrain3872]

Extremely modified

[@user-zp6in6oz8c]

Noooooooo they got modernized