EXCLUSIVE: High-Speed Westinghouse Traction Elevators at the Willis Tower (Sears Tower), Chicago, IL

Video "Starts" at 2:01
Ninth video in and we have a "Pre-KZbin" Video! Before I started Elevators of 14S, I still made elevator videos, and you will see a LOT more of these in the near future, such as an OTIS series 1, a KONE EcoSpace, and some more Schindlers!
ALL Elevators in the video except for the last set is all WESTINGHOUSE, not Schindler. Since the video was taken, the elevators HAVE been modernized by Otis.
Now, to what is in this video:
Here we have an Exclusive video of some of the elevators at the Sears Tower in Chicago! The elevators that you will see in this video (with the exception of the last one) are in the main office building, which is RESTRICTED through turnstiles (makes sense...). I had permission to be there, as my family had business to do.
Going up the Double-Decker (lower) skylobby elevators: 3/4, 33/34, 66/67 (1600 FPM)
Skylobby 2 High Rise Elevators: 67, 89-102 (800 FPM)
Going down the Skydeck Elevators: LL2, 99, 103 (1600 FPM normal | 1000 in video)
All these elevators except for the Skydeck Express ones have now been modded by Otis w/ Compass+ Series M4
The two videos that you see in the end are more pre-youtube videos, but were TERRIBLE in quality, so you won't see the full video. See if you can find out where those elevators are...

[@aceee06]

There is NO problem with this video! I know you are trying to be respectful but please don't invite paranoia as it's bad enough with the paranoia that exists thanks to 9/11. Elevators are not confidential (even behind turnstiles) so there is no reason to remove this. There are some people in Pittsburgh who have snuck there way into a couple of places with turnstiles just to film elevators. While I would NOT approve of that and they WERE T-passing I still appreciate an elevator video that doesn't show obvious bad examples in the video itself. The more elevators filmed the better! Once again this is not a problem KEEP this up!

[@elevatorsof14s]

THANK YOU!! Major burden just removed from my mind! 😯😌 I also didn't want the management to think I was doing something I wasn't supposed to...

[@aceee06]

@@elevatorsof14s NO Problem! BTW The entire turnstile situation was caused by 9/11 and the mods just go to show the surprises and potential missed (pre-mod) elevators that come under the elevator community's radar as a result of 9/11. Fortunately Chicagojoe28 and Jimlielevators got the skylobby express and Jimlielevators got the 90-102 set pre-mod. It looks like they've opened 101/102 for anyone who can access the elevators they needed a separate key in jimli's video.

[@elevatorsof14s]

@@aceee06 The elevators that serve 67 and 80-102 now use an RFID reader.

[@elevatorsof14s]

I think these are now on the Open House Chicago buildings list!

[@user-ge8rx4jl6f]

@@elevatorsof14s nice elevator

[@LiftMaster8365WGuy]

I heard “hello ladies and jellyfish” I stared at my phone laughing 😂

[@rodney1279TheFlip]

Do not worry. I like how you are being polite. These are nice elevators at the Willis Tower/Sears Tower.

[@elevatorsof14s]

Thank you! 😀 I just don't want to get into trouble or seem like I'm causing problems!

[@ElevatingChicago]

I just got to see these for my self yesterday! they are super super cool!

[@elevatorsof14s]

AWESOME!!

[@ElevatingArizonaByGageWilliams]

3:31 rare floor passing chime

[@elevatorsof14s]

Interesting. I have seen it before in a few places (Hyatt Savannah and Barnes Jewish Hospital), but it didn't come to me as rare! WOW!! 😀

[@ElevatingArizonaByGageWilliams]

Elevators of 14S the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston has some with those floor passing chimes

[@elevatorsof14s]

@@ElevatingArizonaByGageWilliams Cool!

[@EWPA14]

@@ElevatingArizonaByGageWilliams It's not rare.

[@elevatorsof14s]

Yea, I think you're right about that... I think it is just a generic beep that is seen on the occasion.

[@mannyistheman2221]

I personally don't think you have anything to worry about. If you had permission to be on the property and you were in a common area. nobody is going to get on you about taking a photo of an elevator and how it works. But if you had gone to somebody's private office and did it without permission that would be a different story

[@EWPA14]

It seems like all Schindler did to most of these is a slap-on, esp. the 1 @ 5:40.

[@elevatorsof14s]

That's what I figured, as the indicators and operations of the old and modded ones behaved the same! 😀

[@ElevatingArizonaByGageWilliams]

Actually the local elevators in each zone (lower, middle, and upper) go the following speeds: Low Rise: 500 FPM Low Mid Rise: 700 FPM Mid High Rise: 800 FPM High Rise: 1000 FPM And the express elevators in this tower go the following speeds: Express to Middle Zone (33/34): 1400 FPM Express to Middle and Upper Zones (33/34, and 66/67): 1600 FPM Express to Skydeck: 1600 FPM

[@elevatorsof14s]

I knew something wasn't right... Thanks!!!

[@jalilmuhammad8270]

Elevators of 14S Willis Tower to be exact.

[@elevatorsof14s]

It induces nostalgia with the older name. 👍 Sorry if this is a problem... 😯

[@diegoalonsodienemannsoto153]

From 103 to -2 (Minus Two)

[@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214]

The latter is the basement.

[@elevatorfilmersg]

So that original Westinghouse service elevator has now been modernised? So disappointing. Are there any other original elevators from 1973 left in the building now?

[@elevatorsof14s]

Not sure about the current state of these elevators. All I know is that the main elevators have been modded to Otis Compass+. The service car may still be original. I'll have to look around on KZbin to see... 👍

[@elevatorfilmersg]

@@elevatorsof14s then do you know if the indicator in the original Westinghouse elevator is original? I would think that if it was installed in 1973 it should be using analogue

[@elevatorsof14s]

@@elevatorfilmersg Don't know, it probably was replaced sometime (you're right, I doubt there was a matrix display in the 70s)... I don't know much about the elevators here😥

[@elevatoralarmcoasterandarc1214]

The Willis Tower achieved the record for having the highest number of floors on any building once the Twin Towers in New York City were demolished by stolen airplanes in September 2001. This record has been surpassed by Burj Khalifa.

[@catboypjmasksakaevangarcia1671]

NOW they call it the Willis Tower

[@FloridianElevators]

Didn't the service elevator in the middle of the video have it's original fixtures?

[@elevatorsof14s]

Yes, it still had the original fixtures, but the same indicator as the main ones. These may-or-may-not have had an IIE indicator before a dot-matrix display.

[@wiebevanderveer7037]

De distance to the 66th floor is 880 feet. I don't understand why it is 70 seconds for that distance.

[@elevatorsof14s]

If you look closely, I had cut the video. Sorry if this causes any problems!

[@ElevatingArizonaByGageWilliams]

Did you have to go thru a metal detector in order to ride the elevators?

[@elevatorsof14s]

Yes, as we were visitors. Tennants only have to scan their badge at the turnstile, though this is being replaced with hand-pattern biometric access. 👍

[@upanddownadventures]

7:00 It is hard to tell from the video if the fixtures are original, but judging by the indicator behavior the controller is probably original. Do you know if the service elevator is still original or has it since been modernized? From my research, the service elevator probably is the highest-rising original Westinghouse elevator in the world, and if it is on a relay logic controller (most likely it is) it might also be the highest-rising elevator in the world with a relay-logic controller!!!

[@elevatorsof14s]

WOW!! I don't know if it has since been modded or not, as I don't know if they are modding everything or just the major banks. 👍 I think the ones serving LL3 to 102 might take that title as highest rising, as the one in this video goes from 67, then 89-106. However I have heard rumors that the main service elevators (LL2-102) got modded a long time ago to MICONIC 10...

[@upanddownadventures]

@@elevatorsof14s The service elevator you rode does not go from ground level to floor 103? If so, then it probably isn't the highest rising (in terms of total travel distance from bottom to top landing) original Westinghouse elevator in the world (one of the service elevators at the US Steel Tower in Pittsburgh is an original Westinghouse elevator going 60 floors high), and it almost surely wouldn't be the highest rising relay controlled elevator in the world. The farthest traveling elevator in the building would probably be the highest rising Westinghouse elevator in the world, but possibly not the highest rising ORIGINAL Westinghouse elevator in the world.

[@elevatorsof14s]

@@upanddownadventures The service elevator thatI used seemed to terminate at the 67th floor. It does seem like it's relay controlled, however... 😁

[@ElevatingChicago]

upanddownadventures There is an original service car in the building, yes, it is the highest rising Westinghouse in the world, and, it still has its original AE fixtures as well.

[@elevatorsof14s]

Is that the one that goes from LL2 to 102? I have a map of the elevators in a book and I noticed two service cars that travel between those floors. 👍

[@aceee06]

What happened at 9:48, sky ledges?

[@elevatorsof14s]

Yes, but I had no video of me ON the sky-ledges :( Next time, I will get a view on the ledge. And yes, I DID go on them...

[@catboypjmasksakaevangarcia1671]

Is that lower or upper deck?

[@elevatorsof14s]

Lower deck, as it goes to 3L, 33, and 66. Upper decks go to 4L, 34, and 67.

[@plushbatfan]

This Sears Tower is also known as Willis Tower.

[@elevatorsof14s]

Yes it is! 👍 I just put it "Sears" there for nostalgia... However, looking up "willis tower elevators" on KZbin will also bring you here from a "tag" I put in the video!

[@greenshell389]

When I did it I was on the lower car

[@elevatorsof14s]

The video here actually does show the lower car, as well as the transfer elevator. 👍

[@ElevatingChicago]

How did you get on these?

[@elevatorsof14s]

My family was going to the Metro Club on the 67th Floor for an event. After that, we went to see the skydeck on the 103rd floor.

[@ElevatingChicago]

Elevators of 14S Wow! That’s cool, I’ve heard of that club before (The Metropolitan) it’s a place i want to go, these are being modded to Otis Compass though :/

[@elevatorsof14s]

@@ElevatingChicago I believe these are actually completely done by now. I could be wrong though. I saw the Otis workers modding them when I was there, and he told me they should be done in a couple of months. Oh, and for the Metropolitan Club: www.clubcorp.com/Clubs/The-Metropolitan

[@ElevatingChicago]

Modernizing the observatory shuttle cars would be a pain due to how busy those can be on certain days, not to mention there are only TWO of them

[@elevatorsof14s]

@@ElevatingChicago Not sure if they are modding those. Don't think they are getting modded, as they run just fine and wait times are always the same.

[@elevatorsof14s]

I believe that quite a few Chicago elevator enthusiasts may have watched this video. Therefore, I will do 'yall a favor: www.google.com/maps/@41.8823598,-87.6296093,3a,78.9y,89.85h,71.01t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sAF1QipM068KNaluRWpEisSwgX7C-TidjrSjM9-V3YIpQ!2e10!3e11!7i8364!8i4182 Vintage Otis on G-maps at 10 North Dearborn. I'm unable to tell if it is a Lexan or Circle Touch, nor can I tell if tis place is accessible. Seems like it is, however.

[@catboypjmasksakaevangarcia1671]

And an extra floor 103 for

[@elevatorsof14s]

Did you know the second to last elevator I rode went up to the penthouse PAST the skydeck?

[@ElevatingArizonaByGageWilliams]

Communications/Mechanical floor