studying the Coalbrookdale area

Youre one of the very few of us that do study the area, one that I believe is, without a shadow of the doubt, one of the most important areas in the industrial world. I even did my dissertation on the impact of the industrial revolution upon the area. (Which I'd be willing to let you use as a source)

Back to the question, yes and no. They were both canal barge lifts, and both were powered mostly by gravity, assisted by a stationary steam engine.

The Hay inclined plane was in operation from 1792 to 1894, and Foxton (really well preserved) from 1900-1911. Hay is steeper and generally far quicker when it came to the movement of each barge, whereas the Foxton could carry more boats slower. The two are, however, not linked by an engineer or design, mostly due to the 108 year gap between their openings.