A Last Ride in New York's Disappearing Horse Elevators

Key Concepts

• Historical elevator
• Horse stable elevator
• Early elevator technology
• Elevator safety regulations
• Elevator removal process
• Counterweight system
• Worm gear mechanism
• Knife switch
• Grandfathered status
• Bittersweet feelings about change

Historical Context and Significance

• The building was originally a stable, converted to residential use.
• Carriages were on the ground floor, and horses were transported to upper floors via the elevator due to the high cost of real estate.
• The area was the epicenter of New York City from the end of the Civil War until 1900.
• Wealthy citizens needed stables near their homes, making stables a central part of the culture.
• The Fifth Avenue Hotel at 23rd and Fifth Avenue was a major reason for the area's development.
• E.A. Darling, connected with the Fifth Avenue Hotel (in charge of buying all the food for the hotel), owned the five-story brick stable with the elevator, built around 1888.
• Elevators made higher rooms more desirable, reversing the previous preference for lower floors.

Elevator Mechanics and Operation

• The elevator operates using a brake system that allows the stop to engage.
• A knife switch controls the motor, rotating to make contact and power the elevator.
• The motor turns a gear, including a worm gear, which drives a drum with cables.
• The drum moves the car up while the counterweight moves down, and vice versa.
• The elevator is described as unique, with a leather belt, unlike any other the elevator technicians have encountered.

Regulatory Compliance and Replacement

• The elevator was grandfathered in under previous regulations.
• New safety laws, expected to be enforced in 2025, will outlaw such elevators.
• The current elevator cannot meet new codes, particularly brake tests.
• The decision was made to replace the elevator proactively.

Elevator Removal Process

1. Preparation: Survey the job to identify challenges due to the elevator's age.
2. Power Disconnection: Cut the electrical cables to the elevator.
3. Controlled Descent: Use an electric chain hoist to lower the car to the basement.
4. Cable Removal: Clear out the cables that were lowered down.
5. Counterweight Removal: Remove a wall of the cab to access the counterweights.
6. Counterweight Extraction: Remove the counterweights one by one from the top to the bottom, placing them in the elevator.
7. Finality: The elevator's last ride was when it came up. The main line is locked out, and the elevator is manually run by a hoist.

Unexpected Motor Failure

• During the final operation, the elevator motor shorted out and blew up.
• The elevator was in downward flight for about 30 seconds before the motor failed.
• The motor failure added significant complication to the removal process.

Sentimental Value and Professional Pride

• The speaker expresses sadness and bittersweet feelings about the elevator's removal.
• He reflects on the history of the elevator and imagines horses being transported in it.
• The elevator has been a part of his life for a long time.
• The elevator technicians take pride in their ability to work on and remove such a unique and historical piece of equipment.
• They emphasize the need for problem-solving skills and engineering intuition, as there is no readily available information or expertise for such tasks.
• The technicians acknowledge the rarity of encountering such elevators and the unique experience of working on them.

Notable Quotes

• "Every time I get into the elevator, I think about the horses. I really do. And what it must have been like to be in that elevator with a 2,000-pound horse. Very sobering."
• "Out with the old, in with the new. Yeah. This one’s different though. We’ve taken on a lot of elevators before, but nothing really like this. Nothing that was designed to haul horses up and down."
• "You can’t Google this stuff. Anybody that put anything like this in has been dead before I was born."
• "Part of our job is going to the job, engineering it in your mind so you could figure out how this thing comes apart and then doing it. But it's the first time you’ll ever do that. And probably the last time. But you have to be really good at it the one time you do it."
• "It's not my fault, but now it's my problem."

Technical Terms

• Grandfathered: Exempted from new regulations due to pre-existing status.
• Knife Switch: A type of electrical switch that uses a hinged blade to make or break a circuit.
• Worm Gear: A gear consisting of a screw-like worm meshing with a toothed wheel.
• Counterweight: A weight used to balance another weight, especially in elevators.
• Hoist: A lifting device, especially one using a rope or cable.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The video documents the removal of a rare, historical horse stable elevator in New York City. It highlights the elevator's unique design, its historical context within the city's development, and the challenges of removing such an antiquated piece of machinery. The process is complicated by an unexpected motor failure, underscoring the unpredictable nature of working with old equipment. Beyond the technical aspects, the video captures the sentimental value associated with the elevator and the pride the technicians take in their specialized skills. The removal marks the end of an era, as stricter safety regulations render such elevators obsolete, leaving behind a bittersweet feeling for those who have interacted with it.