I agree with your assessment of the PacMan and scoop trams etc., however that is only cost effective down to a limited depth. Using diesel to haul rock that is 99.99% rock with only grams of gold per ton up steep hills is going to get very expensive as the cost of oil rises. The surface ramps now being deployed to haul ore will have the future use of bringing equiptment and personnel down to the stopes. The A-shaft cannot be utilized efficiently for hauling ore if you need to transport other things down to the workings. Since the grades get higher and the widths wider at depth, the plan I now see is a conveyor or rail tram system on the 10,16 and 26 levels hauling ore to the A-shaft that will be dedicated to deliver the ore directly to the mill.with a system of ramps that will be built to transport men and equiptment down to the mine below. There will be multiple ramps connecting up with these three important levels and bottlenecks will be eliminated and safety will be improved. If the width get wide enough and the veins are continuous to surface from the 26 level and beyond a long hole method can be implemented and costs will drop ddramatically.