Cable-railway of Janikowo Sodium Plant "Janikosoda S.A." is presently one of the last, if
not the last at all, goods cable-railway in Poland. Cable-railways have served to transport mass
dry goods for many years. They have been used in mines, quarries, cement plants and
forestry. They allow for easy transport over ground obstacles and help to avoid expensive
ground works. The basic drawback of this kind of transport is its small flexibility and the fact
that it can be used for one kind of goods only.
Over the years a few types of railways have developed:
- With one cable
- With two cables
- With inflexible track
In the first of the three systems the car is connected with the cable by the special kind of
harness which simultaneously keeps it on a certain height and ensures the drive. In two-cable
system one cable serves the carrying purpose as the track for car's wheels. The second cable is
a draught one and it moves the car. The last system works alike the second one - the only
difference is that instead of a carrying cable there is an inflexible track made of steel
elements.
"Janikosoda S.A." cable-railway is a typical example of two-cable railway. It was first
used in 1960 and it connected the lime mine in Piechcin with two sodium plants in Janikowo
and Mątwy. From Piechcin the railway track goes in a straight line to bend station by Janikowo
Plant. On the way it runs over the roads: Pakość - Radłowo, Pakość - Krzekotowo, Pakość -
Jankowo, over Pakoskie Lake and road Janikowo - Pakość. Along the last of the mentioned
routes, till 1970's, there used to run the only in Poland sugar railway from Janikowo
sugar-refinery to old Pakość sugar-refinery. After the bend station the railway turns about 30
degrees and reaches Janikowo plant. In the past (however I do not know how long) the bend
station was a distributive station. According to the map and the state of the railway from
1969 the part reaching Janikowo was only a branch of cable-railway heading for Mątwy plant.
The part leading to Mątwy ran over the railway tracks on Inowrocław - Poznań route,
Piotrowickie Lake near Krusza village where there was a bend and after changing direction with
45 degrees it ran over the tracks of Sugar-refinery Kruszwica and it ended up in Soda plant in
Mątwy.
Analyzing the map one may say that the part Piechcin - Janikowo was about 6,5 km long and
the non-existing one leading to Mątwy was about 12 km long.
Nowadays the part of the track is 7180 m long. There are 164 cars which move with the
speed of 2,3 m/s and they are powered with 75 kW engine.
Maciej Kucharski
translated by jaszka
Sources:
1. M. Malczewski "Towarowe kolejki linowe" - [w] Świat Kolei 3/1996
2. E. Raabe "Kolejki linowe" -Warszawa 1936
3. Z. Schneigert "Kolejki linowe napowietrzne" -Warszawa 1957
