Material ropeway

View along the Forsby-Köping limestone cableway, Sweden

A material ropeway, ropeway conveyor (or aerial tramway in the US)^[1]^: 659 is a subtype of gondola lift, from which containers for goods rather than passenger cars are suspended.

Description

Material ropeways are typically found around large mining concerns, and can be of considerable length. The COMILOG Cableway, which ran from Moanda in Gabon to Mbinda in the Republic of the Congo, was over 75 km (47 mi) in length. The Kristineberg-Boliden ropeway in Sweden had a length of 96 km (60 mi).

Conveyors can be powered by a wide variety of forms of energy, such as electricity, engines, or gravity (particularly in mountainous mining concerns, or where running water is available).^[2] Gravity-driven conveyors may qualify as zip-lines, as no electricity is used to operate them, instead relying on the weight of carts going down providing propulsion for empty carts going up.

Double-rope (bi-cable) ropeways, have a stationary carrying rope and a separate hauling rope that controls their movement. Single-rope (mono-cable) ropeways use one carrying-hauling rope.^[3]^[4]

History

The first recorded mechanical ropeway was by Croatian Fausto Veranzio who designed a bicable passenger ropeway in 1616. The world's first cable car on multiple supports was built by Adam Wybe in Gdańsk, Poland in 1644. It was powered by horses and used to move soil over the river to build defences.^[5]

In Eritrea, the Italians built the Asmara-Massawa Cableway in 1936, which was 75 km (47 mi) long. The Manizales - Mariquita Cableway (1922) in Colombia was 73 km (45 mi) long.

Amongst the first material ropeways in India was the Amarkantak Ropeway^[6] in Chaktipani, Korba, Chhattisgarh, which was 16.8 km (10.4 mi) long with capacity of 150 TPH constructed by Damodar Ropeways & Infra Ltd. (DRIL) (formerly known as (Damodar Enterprises Ltd. (DEL). It was made for Bharat Aluminium Company (Balco) in collaboration with Nikex, Hungary.

In the United Kingdom, aerial ropeways used for conveying mining goods and materials were historically common; however, just one remains in existence and operation, in Claughton, Lancashire, constructed in 1924 and used for quarrying shale to make bricks. It is scheduled to be demolished in 2036, once the last of the shale has been quarried.^[7]^[8]

List

Closed ropeways

Ropeway line / Company	System	Type	Support type	Length	Fall/Rise	City/State	Country	In operation	Notes
American Agricultural Chemical Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood			Searsport, Maine	USA
Maine Insane Hospital	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	1,050 feet	150 feet	Augusta, Maine	USA	1899 -
Plymouth Cordage Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Steel	1,150 feet		Plymouth, Massachusetts	USA
Farnam-Chesire Lime Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood			Chesire, Massachusetts	USA
Cayuga Lake Cement Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		2,340 feet		Ithaca, New York	USA	1901 -
Magnetic Iron Ore Company	Trenton-Bleichert			290 feet	25 rise	Benson Mines, New York	USA
Solvay Process Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	16,500 feet	239 feet	Syracuse, New York	USA
Warner's Portland Cement Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,056 feet	48 feet	Syracuse, New York	USA
Catskill Cement Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		4,170 feet		Smith's Landing, New York	USA
Witherbees, Sherman & Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		3,668 feet	406 feet	Port Henry, New York	USA
United States Military Academy	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Iron	1,640 feet		West Point, New York	USA	1901 -
Edgewater Lime Works	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		360 feet	20 feet	Edgewater, New Jersey	USA	1901 -
Vermont Marble Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,600 feet		Proctor, Vermont	USA	1894 -
New England Talc Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	2,400 feet		Stockbridge, Vermont	USA
Pottsville Iron and Steel Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,100 feet	70 feet	Pottsville, Pennsylvania	USA
Cambria Steel Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Steel	3,260 feet		Johnstown, Pennsylvania	USA
Curwensville Fire Brick Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		2,337 feet		Bolivar, Pennsylvania	USA	1903 -
Philadelphia & Reading Coal and Iron Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Single cable reversible				West Shenandoah Colliery, Pennsylvania	USA
Keystone Plaster Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,500 feet		Chester, Pennsylvania	USA
Keystone Plaster Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,400 feet	200 feet	East Brady, Pennsylvania	USA
St. Bernard Coal Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Single cable reversible	Wood	600 feet		Earlington, Kentucky	USA
East Shore Terminal Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	700 feet	level	Charleston, South Carolina	USA
East Shore Terminal Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	650 feet	level	Charleston, South Carolina	USA
Pulaski Iron Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	960 feet	494 feet		Buchanan, Virginia	USA
Royal Coal and Coke Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		2,800 feet	820 feet	Prince, West Virginia	USA
Bagdad Chase Gold Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood			Atlanta, Idaho	USA	1903 - 1931
Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		9,000 feet	713 feet	Wardner, Idaho	USA	1891 -
Bunker Hill and Sullivan Mining and Concentrating Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,200 feet	370 feet	Wardner, Idaho	USA
Pillsbury-Washburn Flour Mills Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		320 feet	level	Minneapolis, Minnesota	USA
St. Louis, Rocky Mountain & Pacific Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood			Koehler, New Mexico	USA
United States Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood			Bingham, Utah	USA
Highland Boy Gold Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	12,700 feet		Bingham, Utah	USA
Highland Boy Gold Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		20,975 feet		Bingham Canyon, Utah	USA	1910 -
Utah Consolidated Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood			Bingham Canyon, Utah	USA
Yampa Smelting Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood			Bingham, Utah	USA
Vallejo Tunnel and Mine Company	Hallidie	Single-rope	Wood	2,400 feet	600 feet	Little Cottonwood, Utah	USA	1872 - 1874
North American Copper Company	Leschen	Double-rope	Wood	16 miles		Grand Encampment, Wyoming	USA	1904 -
Nevada Gypsum Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood			Mound House, Nevada	USA
Gold Prince Mine Tramway	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood			Animas Forks, Colorado	USA	1906 -
Compromise Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		3,200 feet	920 feet	Aspen, Colorado	USA
Aspen Public Tramway Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	9,850 feet	2,409 feet	Aspen, Colorado	USA	1890 - 1893
Carbon Coal and Coke Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Steel			Trinidad, Colorado	USA
Old Hundred Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	1,850 feet	1,050 feet	Howardsville, Colorado	USA
Victor Fuel Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,850 feet	57 feet	Hastings, Colorado	USA
St. Bernard Coal Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Single cable reversible		2,370 feet		Denver, Colorado	USA
Old Hundred Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	760 feet	515 feet	Howardsville, Colorado	USA
Old Hundred Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	1,610 feet		Howardsville, Colorado	USA
Silver Age Mining and Milling Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		6,240 feet	989 feet	Idaho Springs, Colorado	USA
Sunnyside Extension Mine	Huson	Single-rope		2,279 feet		Silverton, Colorado	USA	1891 -
Ross Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double cable reversible	Wood	1,400 feet	524 feet	Silverton, Colorado	USA
Iowa Gold Mining and Milling Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double cable reversible	Wood	8,625 feet		Silverton, Colorado	USA
Shendandoah-Dives Mining Company		Double-rope	Wood	10,000 feet		Silverton, Colorado	USA	1929 - 1960
Pay Rock Mine	Huson	Single-rope	Wood			Silver Plume, Colorado	USA
Smuggler Union Mine	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		3,150 feet		Creede, Colorado	USA
Bachelor Commodore Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		3,310 feet		Creede, Colorado	USA
Bachelor Commodore Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Single cable reversible	Wood	850 feet	400 feet	Creede, Colorado	USA
Smuggler Union Mine	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		400 feet		Telluride, Colorado	USA
San Juan Mining Company	Leschen and Sons	Double-rope	Wood			Telluride, Colorado	USA
Colorado Fuel & Iron Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		2,370 feet		Denver, Colorado	USA
Keane Wonder Mine	Double-rope	Wood				Death Valley, California	USA
Four Metals Mining Company	Montgomery	Double-rope	Wood	5,5 miles		Keeler, California	USA	1909 - 1914
Inyo Cerro Gordo Mining and Power Company	Leschen	Double-rope	Wood	5,6 miles		Keeler, California	USA	1914 - 1959
Morning Star Mine Tram		Double-rope	Wood			Keeler, California	USA
Mountain Ledge Gold Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		5,800 feet	1,600 feet	Sierra City, California	USA
Saline Valley Salt Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	13,5 miles	3,000 feet	Swansea, California	USA	1913 - 1936
Eureka Slate Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		13,300 feet		Slatington, California	USA
United Concentration Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		6,600 feet	1,820 feet	Monte Cristo, Washington	USA
Oregon Gold Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		5,000 feet	2,000 feet	Cornucopia, Oregon	USA
Old Dominion Copper Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,250 feet		Globe, Arizona	USA	1892 -
Keeler, Holcombe & Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		7,500 feet	1,850 feet	Kelly Switch, New Mexico	USA
Consolidated Kansas City Smelting and Refining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		2,500 feet		El Paso, Texas	USA
Bi-Metallic Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		9,750 feet	1,225 feet	Granite, Montana	USA
Granite Mountain Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		8,750 feet	1,207 feet	Granite, Montana	USA
Chilkoot Trail tramways	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	8,250 feet/7 miles	1,070 feet	Chillkoot Pass, Alaska	USA	1898 -
Nowell Gold Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		11,600 feet	2,297 feet	Juneau, Alaska	USA
Mond Nickel Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		11,400 feet		Victoria Mines, Ontario	Canada
Laurentide Pulp Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,500 feet	15 feet	Montreal	Canada
Compania Metalurgica de Torreon	Trenton-Bleichert	Single cable reversible	Wood	1,453 feet	730 feet	Coahuila, Mexico	Mexico
La Gran Fundicion National Mexicana	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Wood	8,650 feet		Santa Catarina, Mexico	Mexico
San Toy Mining Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Steel			Chihuahua	Mexico
Thomas & Spillane	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		825 feet	425 feet	San Luis Potosí	Mexico
Cia. Manufacturera de Ladrillos Areniscos	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope		1,950 feet		Coah	Mexico
Trinidad Asphalt Company	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Iron	5,100 feet	80 feet	La Brea, Trinidad	Trinidad
Compagnie Heitienne	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Iron	12 miles		Port de Paix, Haiti	Haiti
Vivero Iron Ore Company- Mina de la Silvarosa	Trenton-Bleichert	Double-rope	Iron	625 feet		Vivero, Spain	Spain	1899 -
British Australian Oil Company	Bleichert	Double-rope	Steel	3.5 miles	500 feet	Murrurundi, New South Wales,	Australia	1911-1915	Carried oil shale^[9]
Hoskins Iron & Steel		Single-rope	Steel	0.75 miles		Cadia, New South Wales	Australia	1918-1928	Carried iron ore^[10]^[11]
Kandos Cement Company	No.1	Single-rope	Steel	3 miles		Kandos, New South Wales	Australia	1915-	Carried limestone^[12]
	No.2	Single-rope	Steel	3.25 miles		Kandos, New South Wales	Australia	1920-	^[12]
	No.3	Double-rope	Steel			Kandos, New South Wales	Australia	1989-2011	^[12]
Warragamba Dam	(Construction phase)	Single-rope	Steel	22 km		Near Penrith to Warragamba Dam construction site, New South Wales	Australia	c.1952-c.1960	Carried gravel and sand^[13]

References

^ Ernst, Richard (1989). Wörterbuch der Industriellen Technik [Dictionary of Industrial Technology] (in German) (fifth ed.). Wiesbaden: Oscar Brandstetter. ISBN 3-87097-145-2.
^ Decker, Kris De (26 January 2011). "Aerial ropeways: automatic cargo transport for a bargain". lowtechmagazine.com. Low Tech Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
^ "Types of ropeway - LEITNER". www.leitner.com. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
^ "Ropeways - Double and Mono-Cable Systems".
^ Masłowski, Aleksander. "Adam Wijbe (1584?-1653)". rzygacz.webd.pl (in Polish). Akademia Rzygaczy. Archived from the original on 3 December 2006.
^ "Tracing the course of infra technology Indian ropeways have been using since the 1970s". The Financial Express. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2021-06-15.
^ Scott, Tom (12 July 2021). "The UK's last aerial ropeway uses no power, moves 300 tonnes a day, and will be gone by 2036". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21.
^ "Claughton Aerial Ropeway". nationaltransporttrust.org.uk. National Transport Trust. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
^ "Shale Works at Murrurundi". Muswellbrook Chronicle. 1911-09-30. p. 2. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
^ "CADIA: THE LAND OF PROMISE". Leader (Orange, NSW : 1899 - 1945). 1918-11-29. p. 7. Retrieved 2020-08-18.
^ "CADIA". Bathurst Times. 1918-09-27. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kandos History (2019-05-23). "Beneath a Moving Ropeway at Kandos". Kandos History. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
^ "1951-1952". www.waternsw.com.au. Retrieved 2022-07-06.