Elevators

Arlington

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This post by @chrisbrat inspired me to ask a bunch of questions about elevators, starting with:

Do all elevators undergo burn-in testing, it’s just that when it happens in tall buildings nobody is looking through a glass elevator shaft to see it the way that @chrisbrat has seen the elevators burning in on the green line?


This morning, I noticed that the elevator on the School Street side of the soon-to-open (fingers crossed) Gilman Square station was going up and down, nonstop. I didn't see any staff on-site, but I figured it must be some type of stress-test or something.

Anyway, it's now been about 13 hours and the elevator has just continued to go up and down, up and down -- nobody in it, nobody on site or monitoring it in person.

The other elevator at the stop -- the once closer to the high school -- is remaining stationary, so... it seems like maybe someone just accidentally left the School Street elevator running(?).

Figured somebody at the T might want to know b/c at this rate by the time workers return on Monday morning, that elevator will have gotten more wear-and-tear than in an average two-month period of commuter usage. Can't imagine "aging" a brand-new (and presumably quite expensive) elevator like that is great for the lifespan of the thing.

Or is this "standard operating procedure" in terms of getting an elevator -- specifically at a train station -- ready for usage?
 
In the “how tall are Boston’s buildings…could they be taller” thread we talked a little bit about how there are breakpoints in elevator expense as a building gets taller. Is there a building that seems to have paid the extra and gotten a good payback?
 
Prior to folks on aB chiming in to confirm that what was happening at the stop near me was standard procedure for newly installed elevators, I had messaged the GLX contact info just to be like, "Hey, so I've noticed this the past few days. Probably totally normal, but figured you'd want to know in case it's not." The reply:
Chris,

Thank you for reaching out. At the MBTA, we always say, "if you see something, say something", so we greatly appreciate your heads up. In the case of the elevators, the testing protocols are actually quite rigorous. What you have witnessed is one of the many tests required before an elevator can be put into public service. A continuous, non-stop service without passengers that runs the elevator 24/7 for several days is routine. During this time there can be no glitches whatsoever. While the testing may seem excessive, the testing is carefully regulated and I've been assured that elevators are designed to withstand far greater wear-and-tear stresses over many years of service.

Again, we greatly appreciate your observations. Please continue to reach out if you have any questions or further concerns
 
I loved opening my aB feed to this new thread. On theme but off subject--everyone should check out the new Beacon Hill Bookstore that is the current Instagram-crowd hotspot. The elevator ride in that building up to the children's section on the fourth floor was one of the most nerve-racking experiences of my week. I thought "if this thing drops, what a way to go."
 
I loved opening my aB feed to this new thread. On theme but off subject--everyone should check out the new Beacon Hill Bookstore that is the current Instagram-crowd hotspot. The elevator ride in that building up to the children's section on the fourth floor was one of the most nerve-racking experiences of my week. I thought "if this thing drops, what a way to go."

Glad I didn't take the elevator then--just the stairs! Cute little bookshop, and will be nice to check out the back patio cafe, but didn't understand why it was so so busy. The selection actually seems fairly limited.
 

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