ABSTRACT
The question of haulage of ore or coal along the levels to the shaft, or out of the mines through adits, provides an interesting evolutionary study. In the early nineteenth century, especially in thin coal seams with insufficient headroom for wheeled corves, the conveyor was introduced. Early in the twentieth century, small compressed air locomotives were used to haul coal cars along the main roadways. In metal mines, rail-bound locomotive haulage to the shaft has been common since the nineteenth century. In small mines, steel-wheeled box type ore cars were pushed manually on steel rails and either discharged into an ore pocket at the shaft or run into cages for hoisting to the surface. George Stephenson built the first passenger train in 1825 to run between Stockton and Darlington using a steam engine called “Locomotion”. By 1829 he had built the “Rocket” to operate the first passenger service on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
