I'm referring to very old types of hydraulic elevator from roughly the 1920s or earlier. This includes city water hydraulic elevators (water flows in from city mains to go up, water released into the sewer to go down), and early recirculating systems, which I think maintained a constant water pressure in the system, potentially for multiple cars, with a single pump unit (unlike modern hydraulic elevators, where the pump directly pushes the elevator up).
From what I have heard, the Flatiron Building in NYC still had water-hydraulic elevators in passenger service until 1999 or so, serving about 22 landings! I would love to have the chance to talk to someone that worked on them.
The Fitzwilly's Building in Northampton, MA had a water hydraulic elevator still in passenger service until 2017. This might have been the last water hydraulic elevator in passenger service in the United States.
If anyone has seen or worked on one of these in the past, I would be very curious to hear about it. I am especially curious to know of any installations that are still in service in the present day (I assume they would most likely be freight elevators).
I'm not sure if you would know but is it the very last in the city of LA's jurisdiction or are there one or more others still in service?
I actually live in California and visit the city of LA sometimes. I would love to see it but even if I was granted permission getting there in the next 2 days would be out of the question.