FINAL RIDE: Westinghouse Dry-Powered Scenic Hydraulic Elevator - (fmr) Crystal Mall; Waterford, CT

(Recorded March 28th, 2026 - Crystal Mall's final weekend). As of this upload, the Crystal Mall has ceased operations as a mall after a period of decline. This decline started in the later 2010's with the closure of the anchor stores, and was accelerated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. The property was subsequently purchased by Electric Boat in October 2025. They will convert the building into office space. Therefore, I came out of "retirement" and filmed one final ride on this elevator. I am not sure if the elevator will remain once the building is converted, but more than likely will not be able to ride again as it will no longer be open to the public. Despite the various cosmetic upgrades over the years (one during a 1997 renovation, and another in a 2012 renovation), the elevator remained mostly original. I believe the only additions were the addition of electric eyes as opposed to door bumpers and an ADA compliant phone in the phone box (not featured). One awesome thing about this elevator is the Dry Powered motor. It seems louder compared to when I originally filmed it in 2009. One of the times when I originally filmed this elevator, I lovingly called this elevator "Chewbacca's Aunt." The elevator seems to run well, although there was a period of time where the elevators/escalators were broken in 2024-2025. Not sure when they were fixed, but it was shortly before the announcement of the mall closure. LOCATION HISTORY: The Crystal Mall opened on September 30, 1984, anchored by Sears, JCPenney, Jordan Marsh, and Filene’s. In 1996, Jordan Marsh was rebranded as Macy’s. After Filene’s closed, its space was divided into a dual anchor, with Christmas Tree Shops occupying the first floor and Bed Bath & Beyond the second. The mall underwent a renovation in 1997, introducing a predominantly “snow-white” decorative scheme. A second major renovation followed in 2012, bringing warmer, earth-toned finishes and overall modernization to the complex. By the late 2010s, the mall began to decline, starting with the closure of Sears in 2018. Store vacancies continued to rise in the years that followed. Macy’s closed in 2021, followed by Christmas Tree Shops and Bed Bath & Beyond in 2023, and JCPenney in 2024. The mall was sold to Namdar Realty Group in 2023. Since then, the mall has remained without anchor stores, with only a limited number of smaller tenants operating prior to its closure. Electric Boat purchased the property in October 2025, with plans to convert the structure into Office Space. Here is a photo of how the mall looked in 1996, prior to the commencement of the 1997 renovation project:   / original_interior_of_the_crystal_mall_in_1996   Here is a newspaper article with the elevator in the background: https://www.reddit.com/r/Connecticut/... Here is an article on Caldor Rainbow about some history of the mall circa 2007: https://thecaldorrainbow.blogspot.com... Elevator Specs: Manufactured By: Westinghouse Propulsion System: Dry Powered Hydraulic Controller System: Relay Floors Served: *LL - UL Doors: Center Opening Door Safety: Sensors Interlock: Westinghouse Phone: ADA Compliant (unknown model) Car Operating Panel Fixtures: Westinghouse AE -Illumination: Orange/Red Hall Fixtures: Westinghouse AE -Illumination: Orange/Red Lantern: Westinghouse AE -Illumination: (disabled) Indicator: (none) Speed: 70 FPM Capacity: 3000lbs Installed: 1984 Decommissioned: 2026? Cab: Glass Walls, LED Lighting Other Information: Mechanically original from 1984 installation. Elevator has seen various cosmetic upgrades over the years. One in 1997, and another in 2012. Filmed on a Samsung S25 in 4K 60FPS. Edited in Davinci Resolve on a Dell Optiplex XE-3 w/ i7 (with a GTX 1060 GPU). #crystalmall #connecticut #waterford #deadmall #westinghouse