The Monocable Aerial
Ropeway.
In the 1950s the Mines Department decided to install an
electrically-powered aerial ropeway to convey coal to the bins from
the Whareatea and Escarpment Mines. The new monocable was made by
Ropeways Limited of London, and had a capacity of 800 tons per day.
It was commissioned in 1952, and the surface rope road was then
closed. After the closure of the incline in 1967, continuing
falling demand for coal resulted in the ropeway also being closed
in 1968. It was replaced by road haulage from the mines to the
bins.
The cache, a 400 ml sistema
container is placed at ground level near one of the remaining
towers.