The Krangruvan hoisting engine

Before the Reorganisation of the 1860s

The Krangruvan hoisting engine was built in 1840 and consisted of a breastshot water wheel with a diameter of 24 feet (7.1 m). Hoisting one barrel from a depth of 50 fathoms (approximately 89 metres) took about 3.5–4 minutes (Carlborg, Persbergsmalmtrakt, p. 359).

The canal leading to the hoisting engine can still be easily traced from the wheel pit belonging to the Krangruvan pumping wheel. It is likely that the hoisting engine was located on the same site where the so-called Krangruvan storage building was later erected.

This was the first hoisting engine in Persberg designed for iron wire ropes. As early as 1838, trials with iron wire ropes were initiated on the proposal of the mine steward Fitinghoff – an early step in the transition from traditional ropes to more modern technology.

Image Source

Archive: Jernkontoret Image Bank
Year 1856 – ink drawing by Johan August Winqvist