Powering Up and Riding a Westinghouse Escalator

Today I got the opportunity to power up this old 1975 Escalator and take a ride on it! This is inside of an old Sears store and what's cool is I actually rode this escalator back when the store was open! Unfortunately we only get to ride the one escalator, but the direction can be changed so we get a ride up and a ride down.
Become a Channel Member!
/ stlelevators
Connect with Me!
Instagram: / stlelevators
My website: www.stlelevato...

[@domfjbrown75]

Can't go wrong with those classic knocking noises on old escalators!

[@stlelevators]

Nope! I'm glad I was able to start these up again.

[@GoobsGoob]

At 0:41 it sounds like a sick beat

[@stlelevators]

Yeah it kinda does!

[@EGM5135]

That Store Is Dead

[@Aiden202X]

Planet Escalators would love this!

[@stlelevators]

Anyone who likes escalators would like this. It's not every day you get the chance to start one up like this (well, unless you work somewhere where you can haha).

[@jamesmonroe7903]

This is the escalator set at the former Sears in Chesterfield Mall-I recognized them right away! I shopped that store many times over the years and I still remember that sound like yesterday! Those escalators always had a distinct bom-bom sound compared to the quiet Kones,Schindlers and Otises elsewhere at the mall-Sadly half those escalators are no longer in use due to the decline of this once-great and busy mall-most of which is slated for demolition and redevelopment in coming years! PS-I wish you guys could have restarted the nice Westy public and service elevators at this former Sears-had it not been for the oil leakage I saw in another video awhile back that caused both of them to sink! Too bad-they were really nice!😢😰

[@stlelevators]

We tried getting the elevators to run. The passenger has an oil leak and the freight has an issue with the gate.

[@jamesmonroe7903]

@@stlelevators Yeah-it’s pretty sad!😢😰

[@Dana_Danarosana]

Both cool & sad at the same time...

[@stlelevators]

Yeah..

[@historiclift27]

I worked at a Sears. We turned ours off every night by using the emergency stop button. Not sure it was the best way to turn it off but it’s how we were told to.

[@stlelevators]

That works too.

[@Jamestube8439]

That's awesome Jason! Glad you got this opportunity!

[@stlelevators]

Me too! This was really cool to do!

[@Bombiedude.]

Its actually a real shame only one was still working it would be nice to see both of them running

[@stlelevators]

At least the one did work.

[@domfjbrown75]

I'd have tried starting the allegedly knackered one anyway. I mean, you don't have to ride it...

[@ZHD1987E]

Apparently the flat step area is much shorter than now… …imagine the surprise you get when you realise you are at the end of the escalator! Fun times, now safety rules make it mandatory for that flat step area to be longer.

[@stlelevators]

Some of the new ones are really long too.

[@PrinceMarco]

Works PERFECTLY well!

[@patrickrichmond9896]

Between the time I worked at Lafayette Industries and when I worked at Mercy, I used to work at what is now Macy's, which back then it was Famous-Barr. To clean the escalator, the escalator had to be turned off so I wouldn't get my fingers chewed up by the moving steps. When I would see the Midwest Elevator guys working on the escalator at Mercy, I would see the inside of the escalator step area. I was one of the very few that got to look down inside the pit where the steps dump their loads of fine dirt. The only part of the escalator to be cleaned would require it to be running is the handrail. A big detailing of an escalator takes a lot of skill and sometimes in a department store, you hope and pray that the customers are going to bring patience with them due to that to fully detail an escalator, you have to take the steps out, climb down in the step shaft with as much cleaning rags or a mop to wipe down the inside of it. All you would be having are the step axles that are used to help guide the steps on the tracks.

[@stlelevators]

I can imagine the full cleaning process of an escalator is a very long and tedious one.

[@icecolespears]

That escalator has the diamonds and the circles on the handrails.

[@wayneblay9532]

I'm bit scared of escalators. because never knew, escalators may go unfuction without any reminder could happen like that sonestimes even in mear future. like could happen to me in near future and kinda dangerous too! so that's how I'm bit scared of escalators.

[@stlelevators]

What would malfunction that would make it dangerous?

[@tomadamowicz9047]

How did you gain access to the old store and the escalator key?

[@stlelevators]

I know someone who gave me permission to do this.

[@SamSitar]

it runs very well. UP/OFF/DOWN is a three way switch. UP uses one power wire and the traveler wire. DOWN uses the other power wire and the traveler wire.

[@anindrapratama]

the escalators look like they’re built for heavy use

[@stlelevators]

Well, they were built for department store use!

[@cathbeck6643]

These escalators are great I've never ride on this escalators

[@stlelevators]

It was cool being able to ride them again because I rode them as a kid.

[@OnyxDash]

I love how almost all the 70s and 80s Westinghouse Escalators had that unique clicking and tripping of the steps. Doesn't it have something to do with the emergency brake catching?

[@stlelevators]

I'm not totally sure.

[@FranzFerdinandVIII]

A similar sound is present on a pair of 70s Montgomery-Escalators i have filmed several times...

[@DuckboyTheDuck]

@@FranzFerdinandVIII its the turn around track

[@kylebroussard6826]

That was awesome Jason, were you able to ride the elevator as well?

[@stlelevators]

The elevator doesn't run sadly.

[@wendyokoopa7048]

It's so uplifting

[@stlelevators]

Yes it is!

[@matthewlindstrom8728]

What store is this Jason

[@stlelevators]

Sears

[@escandelift1915]

Is the motor in the middle of the escalator

[@stlelevators]

It's on the end

[@escandelift1915]

When you were halfway on the escalator it’s rattling and then when you got to the top it got quieter

[@robbiewales3007]

Very nice escalator. It's certainly unique in today's standards compared to the modern escalators. Hopefully this one stays around for many years to come

[@stlelevators]

It won’t sadly.

[@MarioDSLife]

What is that building used for, how did you gain access to it and it’s escalators?

[@stlelevators]

It’s empty now.

[@purpelanimating]

I guess this was when hvac was still in its debut

[@jonathancreveling8699]

They briefly ran again, 2 or 3 years later!

[@matthewlindstrom8728]

And does the elevator work

[@stlelevators]

No

[@LadyOfMaine]

I was at the mall yesterday and a nice kid around 20 years old was trying to overcome his fear of escalators. He was there with a friend, at least. I wished him luck, but regret not telling him to watch a video and to come back when the place wasn’t so busy, so he could take his time.

[@stlelevators]

Hopefully he can overcome his fear!

[@swedishfierce4042]

It makes a sick beat

[@relevanteaglealarms109]

Nice catch on starting on the escalator, but try to like demonstrate the emergency stop.

[@stlelevators]

Yeah I realize I didn't do that after the fact. Kind of wish I did.

[@nguyentruongminh4722]

This is some soft of abandoned place

[@stlelevators]

It's not totally abandoned.

[@archiecampbell3211]

What mall is that but I know that the store you’re in is Sears

[@stlelevators]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGKbc5yEjLGhpdE

[@philipp4850]

Did this escalator run up or down when the store was open?

[@stlelevators]

I think it was up, but I don't remember 100%

[@stlelevators]

@@ShowMeStateElevators Ok. I couldn't remember xD

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

How did I have a feeling it was a Sears? I recorded an older Westinghouse escalator from 1950, I believe at a Sears here in Denver before it closed down.