Abstract: A bucket type elevator having a head pulley and a boot pulley with a belt entrained about both pulleys is hydraulically driven. The drive mechanism comprises a hydraulic motor mounted in the boot pulley. It is connected, via flexible hydraulic lines, to an electric motor driven pump and fluid source located near ground level outside the boot housing, easily accessible for maintenance and replacement but far enough away from the elevator to avoid risks of explosion from the electrical power source. The elevator also includes a tensioning system for maintaining adequate and uniform tension across the width of the belt and for preventing slippage and miscentering of the belt on the boot pulley.