Below is the timeline reproduced from the document.
The whole document, complete with all references, is available here (90 pages, 12 mb PDF).
Aerial Cableways and Inclines
Also known as self-acting aerial tramways, aerial trams, wire tramways; and self-acting ground tramways, or self-acting inclines. At Karangahake they were all self-acting, i.e. gravity did the work.
How did self-acting aerial cableways work?
This description of the Woodstock No. 2 Level cableway, from 24 September 1886:-
It [the ore] comes out of the mine in small trucks, which hold half a ton each, and is tipped out of them into twin hoppers, or, as some people would call them, binns. Each of these holds about 20 tons. These hoppers are on a hill, about 400 feet above the horse tram, at the end of which is a large single hopper of 50 tons capacity, and this large hopper is connected with the two small ones above, by means of two wire ropes, each 700 feet long, and 1¼ inches diameter, fixed at an angle of about 30 degrees, on which travel two box trucks, each of which holds one third of a ton. These trucks are worked by a wire hauling line three-eighths of an inch in diameter, and are self-emptying into the bottom hopper, so that the brakeman at the top fills them and works them himself, and he can send down about 25 tons a day.[1]
G. E. Alderton in the "Northern Advocate." 1 May 1897
The sides of the mountain rise up perpendicularly forming what in America is commonly called a canon [canyon]. Overhead are stretched innumerable wire ropes, these cross the gorge or canon and carry the ore from one side to the other. The ingenuity of the miner is here displayed to great advantage. The manner in which these aerial trams, looking like spider webs across the sky, are managed reflects great credit on the mine managers in this region.[2]
Self-acting inclines worked in a similar way to self-acting cableways, with rails instead of cables.
[1] https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18860924.2.48
New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7751, 24 September 1886, Page 6
[2] https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OG18970501.2.34
Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume VII, Issue 388, 1 May 1897, Page 6
|
Cableways Also called aerial ropeways, aerial trams, self-acting aerial trams… |
|
|
1883 |
Hauraki Company. First section of tramway beside Waitawheta River, and first cable way, from western side of what will be called the Woodstock Blow. |
|
1885 |
Woodstock Company connects to the Hauraki cableway, connecting with their workings on the western? side of the Woodstock Blow. [1] Ivanhoe Company erect cableway on northern side of Taukani. |
|
1886 |
Woodstock Company erect second cableway, to eastern side Woodstock Blow, No. 2 level. [2] |
|
1887 |
Monastery Gold-mining Co. complete installation of cableway early in the year. [3] The cable across the river (that we see today) was for hauling ore trucks across the river, and up to the battery hoppers. It was not a self-acting cableway. |
|
1893 |
Woodstock create No. 3 level aerial cableway, from eastern side of Woodstock Blow to the Crown tramway beside the Waitawheta River. |
|
1894 |
Woodstock install firewood wire tram to bring fuel for their kilns. Talisman do likewise. |
|
1896 |
Talisman construct first aerial cableway from their No. 4 level. It presumably included a section of ground tram, and another aerial section from the flank of the Woodstock Blow to the battery. Woodstock modify their aerial cables to deliver to kilns level. |
|
1897 |
Talisman aerial cableway from Level 5 to Level 6. |
|
1901 |
Talisman No. 8 level, with aerial cableway, created. Talisman No. 7 Level cableway to No.8 Level. |
|
1912 |
Crown No. 7 Level aerial cableway constructed from the County Road to hoppers on the Crown tramway. Possible cableway from level 4a? by their River Level mine entrance. |
|
1915 |
Talisman construct new aerial cableway to the battery from Woodstock No. 2 crosscut on the side of the Waitawheta River. |
|
1933 |
Talisman-Dubbo Talisman No. 1 level aerial cableway. Cherry Crown 5a level aerial cableway. |