Historic Hand operated Otis elevator in South Boston VA

(1-21-2014) This MAY be the coolest elevator I have EVER come across! I really hope you enjoy this! Facebook: / dieselducy
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[@Highwayelevators]

It looks like that this was one of the oldest OTIS ever installed, before the electrically powered traction elevator came out. This is a piece of history.

[@ag6371]

This was the original "Safety Elevator"

[@CenTexElevators489]

Wow, that is one unique elevator, and I bet it's from the 1850's-1860's. Also, I think they should make this place a National Historic Landmark, because of this elevator.

[@Ham549]

***** They had them up to the 1920s

[@ag6371]

​@@Ham549 *1880s, then manual cranks were used upto the 1940s

[@ericsturniolo]

Now THIS is an elevator!

[@LY-jk1cl]

Someone from an old building called the elevator company I worked for one time saying their elevator fell. It turned out that they had this exact same one in their building. It was an extremely interesting thing to work on. The serial number plate was one that was made way later because it said “OTIS ELEVATOR CO. Serial no. 1” . The gear reduction should have been in a museum. We had to make new brake pads out of fire hoses. The ropes needed to be managed properly also, as anyone on any floor could pull on them and release the ancient brakes and it would freefall. I had pictures of it but unfortunately I can’t access them. I didn’t realize it was older than 1880s. Wow

[@jimstevens1726]

I rode one of these hand operated ones in a pipe organ factory in the 1970s!

[@muleman1701]

Now that is an awesome, historic elevator. The, I guess you could say, 2nd generation MPE. With Stairs being the First generation MPEs. Great video as always.

[@shawnaburns5158]

This is totally cool!!! I still love the 60's and 70"s elevators too

[@N617A]

i was not expecting to see something so awesome beyond visual comprehension that i would drool all over the desk but hey surprises happen.

[@magnetique12]

It's beautiful, a real historical patrimoins to be retained in the state, and maintain, even if the building would be renovated or remodeled. A wonderful backup system for disabled persons in the event of power failure.

[@retroolschool]

Man u cant get more archaic than this!

[@rachaelpurves1080]

I have a similar otis elevator... older one I believe, with a large wooden spool at the top....located in Biggs California....it was used to miscarriages 2 The Second Story building... it was built in the late eighteen hundreds

[@SirensAndElevators]

Today I found a non-electric freight elevator in the 3rd Ward District in Milwaukee. Sadly I didn't ride it and it was the only elevator in the building in some hallway. I was looking all over for the buttons until I found the rope which is when I found out it was a non electric elevator. I'll for sure ask the building owner to ride this some other time. And If you ever come up to Milwaukee I'll show you this and several historic elevators in the 3rd Ward district including an innerdoorless 1890's frassenger elevator. Milwaukee is basically a hidden gem of historic elevators in my opinion.

[@passengersplace]

They should install one of these in a high rise marketing company building. It would make "elevator pitches" a whole lot easier!

[@DieselDucy]

Appalachian elevators take : Otis non electric manualy controlled elevator in south boston VA

[@QuietSundayLibrary]

Truly a wondrous find in an equally historic and intriguing region of Virginia. Very much enjoyed this, Andrew! :)

[@LDTV22OfficialChannel]

This is the most astounding early 20th century Otis I have ever seen due to it being manual

[@karrimara]

i know somewhere different with the same elevator used to volunteer and we'd bring hay bales up with it

[@PAelevators]

a good friend of my mom told me that are are two elevators just like that in Washington PA. He said one still works and the other one doesn't but i would love to ride one

[@Ham549]

***** You should go film them.

[@PAelevators]

I'm trying to

[@BuildingToursForLife1660-4]

EPIC Elevator y'all this elevator is definitely a treasure and a treat!

[@davidng2336]

Talk about an amazing piece of history!

[@firesurfer]

I had to use a rope hold elevator in the 80s. To go down you held the down rope and the motor would operate it down, to go up you held the other side. I guess you could call it semi automatic.

[@EthanBruha]

That's an awesome elevator!

[@RandomPerson00998]

Health and safety in the UK would have had this removed decades ago. Congratulations on a tremendous find.

[@ham5497]

I have seen some photos taken in the UK of similar units?

[@ag6371]

Since 1854 this mechanism was used until the 1880s with a safety leaf spring on the bar above (the "Safety Elevator")

[@DieselDucy]

Correct

[@georgef551]

FINALLY! A mechanical MPE!

[@Ham549]

I have filmed two of these on my channel "ElevatorHistory" just search for "Hand Elevator" or my other video "Otis Invalid Elevator"

[@Subgunman]

Now I remember an old Otis in Columbus Ohio. It was a freight elevator that had the capacity to lift an automobile. Lifting gates and a 'master' power switch that you had to turn on to send power to the motor but to run the elevator there was a steel cable that you had to lift to go up and pull to go down, not a self leveler. This was home to a small church production company that put on a musical performance once a year and we used the elevator to run sets and risers up for storage or construction. The show was forced out of this old warehouse as the area was redeveloped and the warehouse was remodeled into offices. Last I heard the elevator was still there and operating.

[@upanddownadventures]

What is the name of the building with that elevator? Do you know if the elevator is still there and original after the renovation?

[@Subgunman]

+upanddownadventures, this was from the mid seventies when a church group rented the building. I have only heard rumors that they left the elevator in place when the building was renovated. I believe the address is 77 E. Nationwide Blvd. and houses one of Columbus's largest real estate firms today. Very few structures from the early nineteen hundreds remain today in that immediate area, as it has under gone extensive renovation in the last decade.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

This may possibly be the oldest elevator in the world that still exists

[@Ham549]

It's called a hand elevator on the ElevatorHistory channel on you tube there are they have some good videos of hand elevators, one Sedgwick and one Otis.

[@YummyBaer]

Friggin Awesome Video!

[@jimster586]

I haven't seen one of these before...

[@qeelevators2960]

This intro = the most rare things he ever sees

[@andrewschannel4259]

If this EVER gets modernized I will scream

[@lormarina]

TOTALY AWSOME!

[@akunsaya6538]

Organic elevator

[@toothrepairman]

There is a similar Otis Elevator in Elloree South Carolina probably older but in better working condition. It is located inside the Sweetgrass Artisan Market.

[@sarahsullivan8024]

Now that is an awesome elevator wow! :)

[@qeelevators2960]

*THIS IS GOING ON MY TIER 2 AMAZING SPECIAL ELEVATORS*

[@americanpancakelive]

seems like some extra gears and a hand crank or flywheel could of even don without the rope- very cool

[@codybrandoncargle3129]

Wow Dieselducy this is very cool, this would be considered an Amish elevator or a huge dumbwaiter however, but that's awesome that non electric elevator would still work after after the power went out in the building, well I would have never thought this was an elevator, because of the way it looks, but I bet it's a pain or struggle pulling up and down the rope to take it to the upper and lower levels of this building.

[@ham5497]

They are quite easy to use in reality.

[@codybrandoncargle3129]

Rowan de la Barre Forreal hmm!

[@johnwebster3072]

Exciting ! That looks cool .

[@janmcguire5268]

COOL!!!!!!

[@coondogtheman]

That looks fun to ride as you are the "motor". Do you have to hold the brake rope while going up or can you just release it and then double hand pull the up/down rope to go up? Also you need some elevator music playing LOL.

[@shsav2012]

one of the few elevators that requires 2 people to film

[@WestCoastElevators]

This gives a whole different meaning to MPE.

[@qeelevators2960]

Very *RARE*

[@cubsrule2040]

Now this is the first REAL man-powered elevator uploaded by an elevator filmer, but recently I came across a video of a man powered elevator in a tree house: Treehouse with pulley system for human powered elevator

[@ham5497]

I filmed two elevators like this before this video was uploaded on my Elevator History channel. the videos are called "Hand Elevator" and "Otis Invalid Elevator"

[@Aheitchoo]

So cool

[@ronangell5064]

really amazing genius invention !

[@swedhgemoni8092]

OTIS manufactured this 🤯

[@DieselDucy]

Yep

[@qeelevators2960]

Intro music please?

[@michelsmet2611]

A Bruxelles, j'ai habité un immeuble de 1934 où existe un monte-charge manuel manoeuvré à l'aide de cordes ; j'ignore s'il est toujours en place et fonctionnel. Il permettait aux habitants de monter le charbon nécessaire à leur chaudière de chauffage central individuel. Adresse : Rue de Pervyse 21, à Etterbeek.

[@highlanderdetroit5370]

BIG MOUTH LET THE LADY TALK

[@tsicby]

If I could find something like this, I would totally cut it down and put it in my split level house. Maybe I could at least find the pulley system and build the rest of it to size.

[@DieselDucy]

That would be awesome!

[@sethbower11]

Now THATS a man powered elevator!!!

[@NeilPrasad_1905]

From which year?

[@ag6371]

*Around the 1850s to the 1880s

[@thor3d29]

AMAZING

[@asparrow63]

So cool!!! Is it hard to pull up and down?

[@stonedsavage7814]

Anthony Sparrow smooth as melted butter.

[@leno4399]

I've seen two of these but I have not allowed to ride them due to "safety issues"

[@Daniel28021991]

Awesome!!

[@danilopeterson3467]

Is this in a private house or in a commercial building? If the latter, can we other enthusiasts ('wall trolley enthusiasts') know where this is at, and enjoy this nice gem as well? I am considering starting a non-profit international 'wall trolley' fan organisation for lift enthusiasts as to organise such meetings and excursions to unusual historic and modern interesting lifts in the world (such as the Hammetschwand Lift in Switzerland). That through our 'clout' we can secure special permission to ride and visit the motor rooms of unusual lifts, paternosters, incline lifts and ropeways, etc.

[@DieselDucy]

+Danilo Peterson I've been contemplating doing that for years as pretty much the leader of this whole movement. Unfortunately this is in a private place

[@videospessoais6055]

elevator and descendator

[@leno4399]

a true "man powered elevator"

[@qeelevators2960]

Now this is the oldest elevator in the world

[@realandrewcinque22]

Was this a factory

[@Maaaagiccc]

Wow that looks very old

[@ag6371]

It's from the 1880s to the 1890s

[@phillies4100_mainsite]

I have one question: Is it Hydro or Traction?

[@ham5497]

traction duh

[@blueauraretriever]

+phillies4100 TRACKSHIAN! Jesus Christ.

[@akunsaya6538]

elevator for healty

[@upanddownadventures]

When was this installed?

[@ag6371]

1880s to 1890s

[@princetugade9344]

2:59 It's so fast

[@DieselDucy]

It sounds epic.

[@princetugade9344]

@@DieselDucy It Does

[@OUDELIFTCOM]

wow niche

[@ollieollie3912]

Bebebe e

[@ChrisNicholas1]

A non-electric elevator? That sucks.

[@Ham549]

Chris Nicholas No it's awesome.

[@ag6371]

It's the original "Safety Elevator" invented by Otis

[@akunsaya6538]

It's primitif elevator

[@AnilKumar-ud1dv]

Menntal persons lift

[@CTCTV-jw8ol]

Wtf ?

[@ghostelevator140]

noisy

[@stonedsavage7814]

GhostElevator1 nut it works and is super effective its not like its in your house is it? then stop complaining.