Lift Tracker | Incredible 1940s Manually Controlled Express Lift - Only One Ever Found! @Lift.Tracker | Uploaded November 2022 | Updated October 2024, 2 hours ago.
This lift is incredibly rare and possibly the last of its kind!
It’s the only one which has ever been filmed.
This is an unknown lift from 1903 which was later modernised by Express, likely sometime in the 1940s.
The lift is manually controlled using the ‘crank’ on the car operating panel. The lift automatically levels by its self though, which is really nice!
When you let go of the crank, the lift will instantly stop, then go at levelling speed to the nearest floor.
The lift is designed to always have a lift conductor inside the car who manages the lift.
The multiple mini Express indicators on the car operating panel are to indicate to the lift conductor that someone has called the lift on that floor, and to go and get them.
The ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ buttons outside on the call panels make the car operating panel inside the lift illuminate the corresponding lamp to inform the lift conductor that you have called the lift.
The row of orange indicators mean down calls’, and the row of green indicators mean ‘up calls’.
The motor for this lift is very unusual. It uses what’s known as the ‘Express TruLeveller’ (See 13:49).
It’s two completely separate motors connected to one sheave which drives the lift. A gear switches between which motor is connected to the sheave at each time, and this is how the levelling speed is achieved.
The lift uses the main large motor to run at full speed, then when you let go of the crank, the gear switches and connects the small motor to the sheave which slows the lift down.
The levelling speed had to be done this way because in the 1940s, AC motors with separate windings for different speeds hadn’t been invented yet. The only way was to have two separate motors with two different speeds which the lift switches between using. It’s fascinating stuff!
Unfortunately I didn’t have the opportunity to film the motor room for this lift.
I know someone who did though! Take a look at this video from High Rise who shows the amazing motor room for this one of a kind lift!
youtu.be/7Pj_GuJ1NlA
Thanks for watching!
This lift is incredibly rare and possibly the last of its kind!
It’s the only one which has ever been filmed.
This is an unknown lift from 1903 which was later modernised by Express, likely sometime in the 1940s.
The lift is manually controlled using the ‘crank’ on the car operating panel. The lift automatically levels by its self though, which is really nice!
When you let go of the crank, the lift will instantly stop, then go at levelling speed to the nearest floor.
The lift is designed to always have a lift conductor inside the car who manages the lift.
The multiple mini Express indicators on the car operating panel are to indicate to the lift conductor that someone has called the lift on that floor, and to go and get them.
The ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ buttons outside on the call panels make the car operating panel inside the lift illuminate the corresponding lamp to inform the lift conductor that you have called the lift.
The row of orange indicators mean down calls’, and the row of green indicators mean ‘up calls’.
The motor for this lift is very unusual. It uses what’s known as the ‘Express TruLeveller’ (See 13:49).
It’s two completely separate motors connected to one sheave which drives the lift. A gear switches between which motor is connected to the sheave at each time, and this is how the levelling speed is achieved.
The lift uses the main large motor to run at full speed, then when you let go of the crank, the gear switches and connects the small motor to the sheave which slows the lift down.
The levelling speed had to be done this way because in the 1940s, AC motors with separate windings for different speeds hadn’t been invented yet. The only way was to have two separate motors with two different speeds which the lift switches between using. It’s fascinating stuff!
Unfortunately I didn’t have the opportunity to film the motor room for this lift.
I know someone who did though! Take a look at this video from High Rise who shows the amazing motor room for this one of a kind lift!
youtu.be/7Pj_GuJ1NlA
Thanks for watching!
