IMechE competition tests engineering student innovators

Eleven student engineering teams will compete in the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Railway Challenge this June and July, at the Stapleford Miniature Railway near Melton Mowbray.

Ten teams from the UK and one from Germany will compete to design and manufacture the best, most innovative, efficient and quietest small-scale locomotive.

Competing this year are: University of Birmingham; Bombardier/Derby University; Brunel University; FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences; Manchester Metropolitan University; University of Huddersfield; SNCLavalin (defending champions); University of Sheffield; University of Southampton; Transport for London; and WMG, University of Warwick.

Previous winners competing include University of Huddersfield (winners in 2013), current champions SNC-Lavalin (which also won in 2012) and TfL (winner in 2014 and 2015).

Philippa Oldham, head of Transport and Manufacturing at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “The Railway Challenge gives competitors a fantastic chance to test their engineering skills and get the hands-on experience of what’s’ needed to make a locomotive from start to finish.

“The competition is run along the lines of a real-life tendering process, and teams have to prepare a business case, finance, design and build a locomotive from scratch.

“Each year the entries impress the judges with new innovations - of particular note are the solutions proposed for the energy storage and energy efficiency challenges. These are two big issues currently being faced by manufacturers, and so solving these challenges could mean that these young engineers could help to revolutionise our modern railways.

“This year looks set to be a tight contest, with more teams than ever and three previous winners taking part.”

The competition comprises a series of track-based and presentation challenges, including a design report and an ‘Innovation Challenge’ which involves the production of an academic paper on the innovations in the locomotive. The track-based challenges include energy storage, traction, ride comfort, noise, maintainability and energy efficiency.

The locomotives that will be competing are designed to work on a 10¼-inch gauge railway and must be powerful enough to transport a 600kg load - including one of the Railway Challenge judges.

The competition will take place from June 29-July 2.