Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Interests in elevators

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Community » Film-Yak » Interests in elevators

Author

Topic: Interests in elevators

Matthew Bailey
Master Film Handler

Posts: 461
From: Port Arthur,TX
Registered: Sep 2000

posted 04-26-2009 07:01 AM

Anyone have an interest in elevators? I have one on You Tube I made myself that shows the machinery room of several geared traction elevators & well as related elevator videos by others. Thyssen Krupp/Dover/Otis machine room

| IP: Logged

Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006

posted 04-28-2009 05:14 PM

When I was about 10 years old, my father had an office in the
Empire State building in NY. He knew the building engineer and
once got him to take me on a "backstage" tour of the building
to places the public never gets to see.
(This would have been in the early 1960's)

I got to go up to a platform ABOVE the viewing deck open to the
public and about as high up as you can go without actually
having to climb the antenna tower.
I also got to see the TV transmitter room just below the tower.

The building was so large, it had to have its'own telephone
exchange which at that time used the old rotary step-by-
step relay swtiches. I got to see that too.

But one thing I'll never forget is that the guy took me
into one of the elevator machienery rooms at the top of
the building. Not all the elevators go to all 102 floors,
but several do. He took me to top of one of the shafts
that ran the down the whole building. The elevator
motors were supported by big steel beams above and
he had me stand on a metal grate covering the top of
the shaft and flipped a switch that turned on lights
all the way down to the basement. As that elevator
went up and down the shaft it was like a giant piston,
creating a rush of air as it came up, and creating a
vacuum effect that felt U were going to sucked into
the shaft as it went down.
It was quite an experience for a young lad!
I never forgot that day.

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.