MOST EPIC PARKING GARAGE ELEVATOR EVER???? ANCIENT 1906 GATED OTIS Elevator in Chattanooga, TN!!!!!

First, and foremost, I want to wish you all a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! I hope your Turkey dinner is really good too!!!!!

Also, please watch the whole video!!!!!!

Anyways, with that being said, to Celebrate Thanksgiving, let's ride what I believe is the MOST EPIC Elevator ANYONE in the Elevator/Lift Community has EVER found in a Parking Garage!!!!!! Located at the Volunteer Parking Garage in Chattanooga, Tennessee, one of the FIRST Parking Garages' EVER BUILT, stands this AMAZING, MOSTLY ORIGINAL 1906 GATED OTIS WINDING DRUM TRACTION ELEVATOR!!!!!!!! The Cab, the Crank, Motors and machinery, annunciator, call stations, Gated Doors and much of this elevator is COMPLETELY ORIGINAL FROM 1906!!!!! Making this Elevator 111 YEARS OLD!!!!!! WOW!!!!!! There are a few things that aren't original such as the added COP and controller which is probably from the 1910s, 1920s, or early 1930s, but with that said, the only thing on this elevator that is modernized is ALMOST 100 YEARS OLD!!!!!!! And THEY LEFT THE CRANK AND ANNUNCIATOR INTACT!!! It's not EVERYDAY you see a PARKING GARAGE that is OVER 100 YEARS OLD, Along with a PARKING GARAGE With a Elevator that is OVER 100 YEARS OLD!!!!! For a Parking Deck, this Elevator is PHENOMENAL, AND Absolutely FREAKIN' AMAZING!!!!!! In addition, unlike most Parking Garage Elevators, this thing is SUPER SMOOTH (It stops hard and doesn't level as it's single speed, but still, otherwise, super smooth), IT RUNS LIKE NEW, IS IN GREAT CONDITION, AND IT'S A REAL TRIP BACK IN TIME 100 YEARS AGO FROM NOW!!!!!! Not something I can say about many Parking Garage Elevators....
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS THING TO DEATH, AND THIS WAS BY FAR MY MOST FAVORITE ELEVATOR I SAW ON MY SEPTEMBER 2017 TRIP TO ASHEVILLE AND CHATGANOOGA!!!!!!! (Even more so than the Manual Elevators in Asheville to be honest) And I want to thank the AWESOME Otis technician that was in front of the Dwell Hotel for telling me about this AMAZING HISTORIC, ANCIENT Elevator!!!! With this all being said, HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING, and let's ride the MOST EPIC, AMAZING PARKING DECK ELEVATOR ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH!!!!

Installed: 1906 (Manually Controlled Gated Otis with Winding Drum Motor)

Modernized: Circa 1910s, 1920s or 1930s (Controller upgrade with new Floor Button COP, otherwise left untouched!!!!)

[DieselDucy]

Fun fact! This is actually not a mod! This is original! This elevator was designed to be run either automatically or by an attendant. The mode would have been switched by a key switch. The elevator at the Corinthian Ballroom actually has the key switch however sadly they removed the car switch. This elevator has both the push buttons and the car switch however it appears they removed the key switch. If the key switch was present, you could change the mode and run it off the car switch and the push buttons would be disabled.

[DieselDucy]

The damn door restrictor was beeping in my

[jacksonslaterelevatorraila]

at 9:53 notice on the elevator the flame sign see it's on something that's covering something so I kinda wonder now if it was two elevators way back in the day

[PAelevators]

The neatest I seen in a parking garage was a lexan. I think this wins out of everything. Amazing find. Hope you have an amazing thx giving Julian

[VancityElevators]

That ecodisc looks decent, but that gated lift though, A score of 1 million out of 10.

[NathanDavisVideos]

I have never EVER seen a parking garage that was built back in 1906! Let alone; one that has an ancient gated Otis elevator in it!

[NWIndianaElevators]

Oh yes!! The video I’ve been waiting!! This elevator is awesome!!! The EcoDiscs on the other hand... they need to be replaced with a much more reliable elevator system...

[jacksonslaterelevatorraila]

Totally gonna ride this sometime and where's the Lexan you told me about ?

[upanddownadventures]

It is hard to say if this elevator is from 1906 (the fixtures, car switch, and door sill look a little newer to me). It could be possible this elevator was added on a little after the building was built (maybe in the 1920s-early 1930s?) I know of an elevator with this type of Otis car switch from c. 1933, but not sure when they started making this type of car switch.


Either way, it is actually possible both the car station and the car switch & annunciator are original to the elevator, though hard to say for sure.


This could be (or have been) a very rare type of elevator called a "dual operation" elevator. A dual operation elevator could either be operated as a car switch elevator, or a single automatic (responds to only 1 call at a time) elevator depending on the position of a keyswitch (I am guessing the way it would have worked is when the building is busy, the elevator would have an operator and be in car switch operation (operator can respond to multiple calls at once), when the building is quiet, the elevator would be in single automatic mode)

[TechNerdNolan]

I’ll make sure KONE replaces it with an EcoDisc with KSS 140 and a stainless steal cab!

[upanddownadventures]

There are some antique freight elevators (including some that are manual) in NYC parking garages with no car gate, and there are even a few parking garages with "Wonkavator-like" elevators, but those are valet parking garages and the public are not allowed to ride the elevators. Counting public elevators, this is probably the most epic. I think there are 1 or 2 parking garages in Portland with gated elevators, but I think they are modernized with new fixtures, and possibly new controllers though I don't know for sure.

[qeelevators]

Do you have the location? Also one of the garages have 60/70’s Dovers. Sadly the power units are replaced but they kept the logic 😂

[SPSelevatorsoflakecounty]

LOL maybe this garage was originally built for people to park their horses and carriages!

[upanddownadventures]

I sent a PM with some vintage elevator locations in Florida.

[patrickrichmond]

1906 Otis gated elevator? Now THIS is what I call an elevator. I am not sure when the first parking garage was built, but if it was a parking garage back then in 1906, that was about the time when automobiles were starting to become available to people, but back then, there were something to drive. No power steering, no seatbelts and you had to shift the car. But this elevator is a real elevator.

[CAelevators.]

This is by far the most awesome and beautiful parking garage elevator yet! This is most likely one of the first elevators ever installed in a parking garage! That Kone in the beginning really got me confused.