Old Schindler R-Series Traction Elevator - 85th Ave. - GO, BR

And it's not an April Fools joke! You wouldn't think there would be Schindler R-Series here, right? Well, there are! I've knew about them in the country, and it wasn't much of a surprise to find one, more because of finding a pristine unit. Schindler has been in Brazil since the 1920s, they had a plant in Rio de Janeiro (now deactivated), was somewhat big but never a top player like Atlas or Otis. They only grew to be the largest in the country after buying Atlas in 1999. Still, there is a number of pre-Atlas installs, mostly of them R-Series and the SWU escalators and treadmills. It's located in a small offices/commercial center, which at the time of filming was undergoing a renovation in the ground floor. It's not that big of a place, only a corridor with vacant store spaces with the reception in the end, along with the elevator and stairs. Not the most exciting place around, it's pretty dead and looks exactly like it did in the 1970s.
The elevator, runs good for an old model, it's clunky, makes a little bit of noise, but it's acceptable. Some few indicator lights still work, and when reaching the ground floor, it made a sound similar to a bell, but it's very unlikely that this would have one. Build quality is not the strongest but still feels very solid. The small panel only has the floors, alarm, and door controls, although the door close button doesn't even press, it's static. Relays can be heard too, and the chances that the selector here is that "wheel" type that Schindler used in their models in the mid-to-late 20th century. The bad part here, is that there aren't any door safeties at all, and that is even worse when they behave like Westinghouse doors. And as you could see I discovered this the hard way at the end of the video, when they nearly smashed me as I was exiting at the ground. First time riders might actually have some injuries with it. Maintenance here is done by OTIS, given the stickers. There is still an old Atlas Schindler one above the Otis, but it was too dark for my camera to film.
Special thanks to the owner, which was a very nice and friendly person. He even asked me for an opinion on the machine, which I of course said to him.

Specifications:
Brand: Schindler
Mantainer: OTIS (formerly Atlas Schindler)
Model: Supermatic?
Fixtures: R-Series
Type: Passenger Commercial
Hoisting: Traction
Doors: 2-speed telescoping
In Service: 1970s
Operation: Relay-controller
Floors Served: 5 (T* - 1/4)
Rating: 9/10 Very interesting find, good conservation state despite not being perfect. Runs good for what it is. No door safeties at all, very dangerous doors. Could also be a bit more lit up, cab is too dark, even in person...

Shot: February 28, 2020
Camera: Quantum SKY
©2020 Naves Film Productions