ALBUM - THE PEOPLE HOIST - Rewanui. Middle Brake Coal mine.

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DescriptionTHE PEOPLE HOIST - Rewanui. Middle Brake Coal mine. A long walk up a creekside track from lower Rewanui to the Middle Brake was shortened when a passenger hoist (sometimes referred to as a cable car) was commissioned in August 1920.
Construction had begun in the early days of mine development, but unfavourable reports on mining prospects caused work to be suspended for about five years until the Morgan seam was proved and the future assured. There were plans to have the hoist running uphill beyond the horse tram, but although some groundwork was done, Middle Brake was as far as the system ever went.
Reached via a track up Seven Mile Creek from the railway station, the hoist route was 480m long, tunneled for half the distance, with a grade of 1 in 3.5. Running on parallel lines were two open trolleys, one going up and the other down, powered from the top by a Tangye steam engine. It was rebuilt in 1935 to be driven by electricity.Map^[1]ContributorTony Kokshoorn

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Location (city or town)Rewanui

Category Information

Category TagCoal Mining

From Facebook

Date Created9th February 2024CommentsPhillip Lee
Brings back memories, when we were at primary school a mate and I would go up to Rewanui by train, walk up to the cable car, ring the the bell and arrive at the middle break alone, great times.

Malcolm Gollan
Thank you for putting this together. Hopefully one day there are some interpretation panels etc put up there for one of our more important historical industrial sites. Seems a bit forgotten like Point Elizabeth.

John Clark
Awesome pictures!

Vern Pattinson
Thank you for sharing this!

Colleen Yee
Interesting - thanks for posting.

Vern Pattinson
Awesome

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