I like your ideas!
The normal mine hoist and cage installation is sized to raise and lower pretty much anything used underground. That would/should include battery locos if used and ore cars full of ore, supplies, and men. The cage that I have here was designed for loaded cars and men, with roof sections that opened up to allow long materials like timbers and drill steel to be loaded in the car. It is a small cage.
The cage we had at the first mine I worked at was large. Not huge, but large. I think the shaft was 21 feet in diameter and the cage fit front to back across the shaft. We could raise and lower any of our tracked equipment on the rails in the cage. Men rode the same cage there also. The large roof opened to allow things longer than the 18 feet or so on the floor of the cage to be moved. I remember lowering a 14G Cat grader hanging from the hoist mounted in the top of the cage. That was fun...
Anyway, yes, I think you could use your 'elevator' as you describe. Safety is relative... what era are you modeling? Many things considered safe in 1930 would be prohibited now due to lawyers... You know...
Make some sketches. I'm interested in seeing more of this.