Under high pressure:

compressed air was the most important energy source underground.

Compressed air as an economical and proven energy source

The outer wall of the compressor house stood six metres to the right of your location. Due to their high noise and heat development, only the compressors were housed here.

Using the technology available at the time, compressed air could be used to power very large devices or vehicles, such as ore loaders, drills or mining hammers. The latter were very powerful with their compressed air drive - and light in weight.

Alternative electric-powered machines were weaker, more prone to failure, less long-lasting and more expensive - if they were available at all.

Short-circuit risk for the underground electrical system

Underground, only the hoisting shaft and the main lines were protected from water infiltration. The walls and ceilings here were lined with shotcrete, while swampy sections underneath the lines provided drainage.

In contrast, the secondary lines, tunnels and shafts underground were permanently damp and wet. Given the level of technology at the time, this meant a permanent risk of short circuits for all electrical systems, machines, tools and equipment.

For this reason, many devices were operated with compressed air: mining hammers, hammer drills for blast holes, injection pumps and even lights. The latter each had a built-in dynamo inside the housing, which converted the energy of the compressed air into power and rotation via a rotary wheel.

Compressed air-operated trolley conveyor systems

With the help of these systems, the wagons were driven into the hoisting frames both above and below ground, without the help of locomotives. They consisted of a wagon brake, pusher, shaft brake and swivelling floor. During so-called ‘push-through" haulage, wagons arriving on the track were first stopped and held by the wagon brake. Once the hook of the pusher, which folded up from below, had caught the wagon, the wagon brake was released, and the pusher moved the wagon up to the shaft barrier.

As soon as the conveyor frame floor was free, the swing floor folded down and the blades of the shaft lock were retracted. Now the pusher could move the wagon into the conveyor frame.

All these systems, devices and machines resulted in a very high demand for compressed air.