ABSTRACT
The potential productivity increases which may result from introduction of the trolley assist may be greatly overestimated, if it was based on a simple computer simulation run(s). While the potential productivity increase may be large, specially if the uphill haul is long, it is often moderated by a number of factors which are most often overlooked. Considering further, that the large mechanical drive trucks can better handle the difficult conditions at the mining face, and that their flexibility is not restricted by the location of trolley equipped ramps, they appear to a clear advantage over trolley assisted haulage. However, these benefits should be compared to potential losses which may result from the added capital and operating costs, from inflexibility of mine planning, and the restrictions imposed on mining operations. The energy price trends, recent developments in mechanical drive truck technology, the restrictions of haulage flexibility imposed by trolley assist make wider use of trolley assist in the near future unlikely.
