EXCLUSIVE: 100+ Floor Elevator in the Sears/Willis Tower! (Machine Room)

Rode that elevator many times. We had radio equipment in the penthouse that I maintained. The RF energy was so thick up there that it was impossible to turn off the fluorescent lights.

Just saw your video. My grandfather, Dan Santini, spent his entire career at Westinghouse. At his retirement in 1965 he was the Chief Engineer. I can remember him testing relay logic diagams in his basement when I was a kid in the late 1950s. He held the patents for "automatic" elevators (as opposed to having elevator operators) for Westinghouse, which he invented in the 1930s. I suppose the elevator in the video is using his design, although he had retired by the time the Sears Tower was built.

I had an uncle who retired from Otis Elevator many years ago. He traveled all over the world working on them.

I worked at the Pennsylvania Hospital in the 70's and went to the elevator penthouse. The technology was just like this. There were only 6 floors, but the elevators were big, being a hospital, and the motor was about the same size. The sound of the relays randomly clicking is unique. That brake on the motor is huge.

This is true history! We don't even have enough DMR lifts today, MrMatt flimed one amazing Express one which got modernized. the way these work are just amazing, it's kinda weird that these could STILL be produced today, but never would be. heh, "oh its possible alright except its gonna be impossible"

Absolutely astonishing piece of kit, and I hope it's still going strong. Those DMR systems are a work of art, especially the "mini elevator" mechanism. The scale of it is incredible; reminds me of the Otis system in the old World Trade Centre towers. We had a few of the DMR systems in the UK but as far as I'm aware they're all gone now, sadly. Thanks for the great video!

That's crazy cool! And the selector, while huge, is considerably more compact than the enormous pie plate selectors on the Otis service cars at the old WTC.

I rode that elevator a time or two back in the day. I worked for an audio visual company who provided services to a law firm on the 90-something floor. When you got an express run ( no stops at any other floors) you could feel the wind come through the crack under the door. Also, your ears woud pop a time or two as if you were ascending in an airplane. And this elevator is fast! You would almost need to hold in to something as it shaked and shimmied through the shaft. The service elevators were (maybe still are) operated by union operators. Their job was to ride up and down all day and just push the button for you. Thats it, nothing else. If you had a full load gear, they would not budge an inch so you would have to split it into two trips. If it was a busy day, it could be over 20 minutes before that car came back down as it serviced all the floors between. Also DON'T piss them off, they would skip your floor and you would be screwed. One lady operator was as very obese. She sat in a rolly office chair with 3 of the 5 wheels broken off. She carried a long thin stick to reach the buttons for the upper floors so she did not have to stand up. The loading dock is cool too. All our gear had to pass through metal detectors before we could go to the elevators. They had a 100' long air lock to prevent the pressure differential in the elevator shafts from creating a windstorm. And after 9/11, they employed a full time bomb sniffing K9, and if he was on lunch or had the day off DOCK CLOSED! Thanks for this video to help me recall these stories.

This is so, so COOL! It's absoutely nuts on how the relay box is two stories tall!

This looks so exciting. So glad you did this!

This has to be the COOLEST video I’ve ever seen on YouTube.

The "6,7 and 99" cars in the original NYC World Centers went from the 6 story sub basements to the 107th floor. One set for the North "A" tower and the South "B" tower. I miss those among many other reasons to miss them.

Wow, that thing makes some noises. When an elevator makes those sounds in a video game, you know to be ready when the door opens.

Oh boy, I can’t wait to see this thing!

This has got to be one of Westy's best known intallations. Perhaps this is where people got the idea for the elevators from both Elf and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 😂

I remember riding that one up to the top! It was so busy that we had to take the westy! It was pretty awesome to experience.

If these get modded, that COP deserves to be in the Elevator Museum

As an elevator enthusiast myself (but still have yet to ride on a high speed elevator), I usually like looking at the brand whenever getting on one in general. I used to be terrified of elevators in my childhood days, but now as an adult, all of my fears have disappeared; I can comfortably get on an elevator without anything to worry about.

The whooshing air and the creaky sounds from the high speed is kinda satisfying

Gotta love Westy. What a unique machine room!