Young engineers gear up for IMechE Railway Challenge

Student teams from the UK, Germany and Egypt are designing and building miniature locomotives for the IMechE’s Railway Challenge 2018.

The annual competition launched in 2012, and requires teams to create a 10 1/4-inch gauge locomotive to precise specifications, and complete a series of challenges at Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire.

This year, 11 teams are taking part, including last year’s winners, SNC Lavalin, and a team from Helwan University in Egypt. The competition finals will take place from 29 June to 1 July.

“The railway industry is entering a period of rapid changes due to the global demand for producing efficient high-speed transport systems, taking freight on to rail and off road, and driving down carbon emissions from transport,” said Simon Iwnicki, a professor at the University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research, and chairman of the Railway Challenge.

“These challenges must be met by the next generation of railway engineers, and the Railway Challenge is providing teams of young engineers with experience of designing and manufacturing a prototype vehicle to meet these demands.”

Luke Foy, a former leader of the Transport for London team, said the competition gave students and apprentices invaluable experience. “Not only did it align perfectly to the UK-SPEC to help towards my getting chartered, but it also allowed everyone to get involved in many areas they may not have had the opportunity to in their day-to-day roles.

"In addition to a vast increase in technical knowledge, the larger benefit to me was the soft skills the project provides: leading people, collaborating with a team of peers, meeting personal deadlines, reporting to directors and corresponding with external media, all of which has made me a more rounded and confident engineer,” he said.