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FEATURE
Best challenge yet DAVID SHIRRES
A
t this year’s Railway Challenge award ceremony, its chief judge, Bill Reeve announced that, without doubt, this was the best challenge yet as the quality of entries and locomotive performance was the highest that the judges had seen. He advised that the judges considered it a privilege to work with the teams and learn of their clever ideas.
This report shows that it is hard to disagree with these comments. It also demonstrates how organising and running this complex challenge is a significant achievement that greatly benefits the industry by developing future engineers. The circa 20-strong team of judges and other volunteers from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Railway Division deserve much credit for making the challenge happen.
Rail Engineer | Issue 203 | Jul-Aug 2023
RULES AND SPECIFICATION The Railway Challenge takes place on the 3km, 10 ¼ inch gauge Stapleford Miniature Railway on the Gretton Family estate near Melton Mowbray, operated by the Friends of the Stapleford Miniature Railway (FSMR). A Railway Division steering group directs the production of the competition’s rules and technical specification. Items covered by the rules include: » Maximum team size is 15, with no more than 40% previously entering the challenge. » Members must be over 18 and either a student, graduate of no more than two years, or an apprentice. » Safety requirements including the need for method statements for defined hazardous activities. » The method of scoring and application of penalties.