Industry team SNC Lavalin (www.snclavalin.com) defended their crown at the sixth IMechE Railway Challenge (www.imeche.org), which pitted 11 teams of budding engineers against each other.

Held at Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire from 30 June to 2 July, the competition assessed the teams’ miniature locomotives in a series of challenges designed to test aspects such as speed, ride, design and efficiency.

The locomotives are designed to work on a 101/4in-gauge track and must be powerful enough to move a 600kg load — including one of the Railway Challenge judges.

David Westcough, leader of the nine-person SNC Lavalin team (which had previously won the competition in 2012, and again in 2016), said: “We are delighted that we’ve been able to retain the crown as Overall Winners.

Taking part in the Railway Challenge has allowed us to put our imagination and resourcefulness to the test and given us the hands-on experience of what’s needed to make a locomotive from start to finish.”

“The judges were impressed by the creative approaches taken by the teams, particularly in the Energy Storage and Energy Efficiency challenges.

Simon Iwnicki, chairman of the organising committee, said: “These are two big issues currently being faced by manufacturers, so solving them could help these young engineers to revolutionise our railways.

“The Challenge is aimed at getting more young people interested in a career in railway engineering. The railway industry has a skills shortage, and we really need more engineers of all types to join it.”

The second, third and fourth places went to: the University of Birmingham and AEGIS Engineering Systems; the University of Huddersfield; and the University of Sheffield.