Well yes. That's the sash weights hanging down at the bottom of the wall cavity. The weights don't need replacing, just the cord that runs over a pulley and connects them to the window sash. The next challenge was getting the sash out. In one of those impossible chicken/egg things, it was impossible to remove the window without removing an aluminum track between the sliding part of the window and the frame. Somehow, they had managed to get a NAIL into the aluminum track in a spot that could not be reached without first removing the window.

Somehow I managed to get that nail out, with the help of a nail puller, plyers and a lot of bad language, and the window sash is out. Now I'm trying to talk Richard into reglazing the window, since it's out and all.