MOTOR THILL RAILWAY VACAT is designed for personnel and material transportation. It can be operated in underground excavations of mining facilities, in methane and non-methane environment, including headings with “a”, “b” or “c” methane explosion hazard degree and class A and B coal dust explosion hazard, at the maximum concentration of methane of 1,5%.. The VACAT Motor Thill Railway is all-included transportation system with stand-alone drive including:

• railway transport unit,
• railway route,
• route marking and signalling elements.

The railway transport unit is moved onto specially-designed trackage laid on the thill. The track profile is made of two shelves facing each other spaced 900 mm apart and joined with channel sections. All the straight, concave and convex track segments (rails) are made of the profile. Dependent on the intended use, special track joints are welded to the end of the tracks. A friction bar or a friction bar and toothed bar is located inside the track transmitting the pulling force of the motive power and braking units. The cable car is powered by a combustion engine. The tractor consists of four power and braking units linked with specially-designed couplings (couplers) and safety lines. Operator cabs are situated at the two external power and braking units positioned front to the driving direction and two central units are intended for placing the motor compartment. The tractor drive is ensured with a hydrostatic torque converter operating in the closed cycle. Wheel drive is transmitted with low-speed hydraulic piston motors. Power transmission from the hydraulic motors onto the track is done through the friction coupling of driving wheels with the friction bar or through the shape coupling of the toothed gears with the track toothed bar. Power transmission changes without the operator having to alight the cab. Transport platforms with the load capacity of 60, 120 or 220 kN are used for raw coal transport.