A Real Workhorse

A Real Workhorse. . Here sits the original Otis Elevator machine that transported millions of guests to the Chimney level from the day it opened to the public on May 15, 1949 for the next 68 years. , Installation of the elevator was completed on December 23, 1948 at a cost of $54,230.62, not including the shaft and the tunnel., This Otis-manufactured 72 double-wrap traction gearless machine weighs 12000 pounds and utilized five ½ inch steel hoist cables each approximately 610 feet long allowing the car to travel from the tunnel to the Sky Lounge., The capacity of the system was 3500 pounds, and the car traveled at a speed of 500 feet per minute, quite remarkable in this unique application., The machine was modernized during the winter of 1987/88 and again in 2011/12 and continued to run until it was removed from the shaft by a S64-F Aircrane helicopter on June 30, 2017 and replaced with a new Otis 15T gearless elevator machine., The large bright orange sign that beckoned guests to take the 32-second ride to the top when it first opened has been restored and sits above you to the right. , Photo caption: Erickson S64 Aircrane placing old machine on Meadows