Otis SOB micro/drive...vintage 1938

When I had a route the oldest was an American Elevator-no car gate-wood rails-sash counterweight-dirt pit floor. The install was early 1920's. I have come across a Moline Elevator chain drive unit-early 1910's in donwtown Dallas.

PAYNE basement drum 5stops sliding gate with swing doors installed early 30's

1925 otis sob all original except i have overlaid a few newer relays.

Otis single speed AC, basement machine, installed by my grandfather in 1958... not the oldest around, but has a little sentimental value...

I have a 3stop freight, constant pressure, no car gates, water hydro, runs off of 9 relays total. No data plate, or manufacturer, GE 10,000 ohm coils. It's old?

1929 Otis traction, 7 stop, manual scissor gate and manual sliding doors. Did have to put on a retiring cam for the hall doors as the original closers weren't reliably locking closed. all original otherwise, no overlays, has a car switch and some one running it 10hrs a day Monday threw Friday with pretty good traffic! the direction arrows in the hall on all floors are still driven off the cotton cords.

have any of you ever seen a manually operated freight elevator? By manually operated I mean one that you actually have to pull a rope to make it move. YOu have to constantly pull the rope to get the car to move. It actually has two speed with a centrifigul gear to change speeds. It also has wooden rails and all of that sort of thing. We had to look at it maybe fifteen years ago or so. The guy actually asked us if we could mod it. LOL.Funny part was the mor weight the easier the rope was to pull. I think if I remember correctly that it was from the late 1800's to maybe 1902?
Pretty intersting elevator to say the least

Tiller rope manual elevator. We had one under maintenance in the mid 1980's when I first got in. We stopped working on it after the building started to make weird noises-it ended up coming out of the overhead-no one was hurt thankfully

Tampa city courthouse used to have one from 1924. anyone been there lately? Just wondering if they still had it.

We have a job with duplex Llewellyn gearless installed in 1930, the controller was moded in the early 80's with an MM II. This is the only Llewellyn gearless I have seen, saw a lot of geared.

Early 1900's Otis drum with wooden rails etc. I have some photos, perhaps someone might identify and help us pinpoint the age, or where they think the original motor was. I've heard stories of early otis Square/Pancake type motors but there isn't much room between the wall of the machine room and the shaft for a direct coupling, so perhaps it was always some type of belt drive configuration?
http://mcareavy.wordpress.com/elevators/

great pics Rollaway-it looks as though it was a belt drive conversion.

Ever seen a steam powered elevator??? The one I saw had been modded with new drive sheave so it had steel cables!!! When it was new it had hemp rope... Birdcage type with the old Otis broken rope safety. It had about 4 relays with water dripping off everything from the steam lines.