Electrical power transmission has replaced mechanical power transmission in all but the very shortest distances. From the start of the industrial revolution until the end of the 19th century mechanical power transmission was the norm. Factories were fitted with overhead driveshafts providing rotary power. Drivebelts would provide power to individual machines on the shop floor.
Mechanical power may be transmitted directly using a solid structure such as a driveshaft; transmission gears can adjust the amount of torque or force vs. speed in much the same way an electrical transformer adjusts voltage vs current.
