Historic Manually Controlled Otis Traction Elevator @ The Young Quinlan Building - Minneapolis, MN

(8-9-18) A huge Thank You to the elevator operator for showing us this amazing elevator!
Out of three elevators, this one is being preserved in its original state. The parts from the modernization of the other two elevators is keeping this beauty alive!

[@patrickrichmond9896]

I like what this building did in preserving history. Having one elevator run manually and the other ones still has the hand crank to resemble how they were all operated!

[@CrossOfBayonne]

I would argue that the crank elevators including this one are actually a lot more safer than the ones made now.

[@shortliner68]

One thing I miss from growing up in the 1950s and '60s is the manually operated elevators with attendants running them. Back then, the elevators in almost all of the downtown stores and office buildings in the city where I lived were still manual. By the end of the 1960s only a few buildings were left that hadn't converted them to automatic operation.

[@CrossOfBayonne]

Oh yeah back in those days it was common for buildings across the country to have lift attendants few places have them now.

[@FloridianElevators]

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ELEVATOR!!! If I ever come to Minneapolis, this is the first place I'm going to!!!! Manual Elevators are by far my favorite kind of elevators, along with Otis Autotronics, Westinghouse Selectomatics and Haughtons!

[@mannyistheman2221]

these are real elevators I don't blame you for liking them it's not like the cheap junk they make today that you have to take out after only a few years. The older stuff was built with love built with character built to last and built with pride. They will never make elevators of that quality ever again

[@dennismanbook]

Very nice! Love these old elevators!

[@elevatorssirensofmsp248]

Oh wow, I didn't know about this! Next time I'm in downtown I'll try and see it.

[@albert3801]

Thank you! I'm fascinated by manual elevators!

[@CrossOfBayonne]

This one has a lot of steel put into it and mostly of the ones I've ridden in mostly were wood.

[@upanddownadventures]

Year installed: Circa 1926 (based on when the building was built)

[@stlelevators]

That’s about right for these.

[@TXMNElevators]

I never get here when this is running. I need to go film this.

[@stlelevators]

They said there is an operator most days during business hours.

[@LittleRockElevators]

Excellent elevator

[@jacksonslaterelevatorraila6444]

I am so riding this in 2025

[@FloridianElevators]

I'm just curious, how does the guy open and shut the doors without manually doing it by hand?

[@EWPA14]

They're controlled by the pedals @ 1:07. As for them actually opening/closing, I believe it detects if the car's lined-up w/ the floor.

[@upanddownadventures]

I could be wrong, but my guess is that turning the car switch closes the hoistway door, and when the elevator stops at a floor, the hoistway door opens. I think if one pedal is pressed down, it allows normal operation, and if the other pedal is pressed down, it holds the hoistway door open when the elevator is turned off. From what I have heard, I think the door is a pneumatic/air operated door.

[@christopher-2000]

Cool lift

[@CrossOfBayonne]

The only thing unsafe is somebody could put their hands through the scissor gate and can result in injuries.

[@ZZ9ProductionsOFFICIAL]

awesome elevator!

[@CrossOfBayonne]

Sure is and the 3rd car was kept original for historical reasons to show how life was back then

[@CrossOfBayonne]

One of my Uncle's used to be a attendant on a lift like this one as his first job at some warehouse in Queens NY, The salary was probably a few dollars by then standards by now has risen in cost since the line of work is diminishing in fewer numbers with crank elevators being automated to suit modern needs.

[@stlelevators]

That's really cool!

[@CrossOfBayonne]

@@stlelevators This was back in the 70's I believe and was employed by a warehouse where there was a old freight elevator which have actually been push button but still operated by an attendant.

[@upanddownadventures]

Do you know if this has a Micro Drive machine (separate slow speed leveling motor) or is this not a Micro Drive?

[@stlelevators]

I am not sure.

[@ARelevators]

Nice