"PW Staff Competition 2010"

The Staff Challenge 2010

To celebrate the 180 years since the Rainhill Trials, the directors of the Permanent Way Model Forum have taken it on themselves to conduct a competition in the same vein, with the twist that the entrants must compete as three famous railway companies from within that time period. The rules of the competition are as follows:

The Rules of the Competition:

1. The Directors of the Permanent Way Model Forum issue a challenge - to produce a locomotive suitable for both top link express and high speed freight work.

2. The locomotives will be judged based on the level of scratch building or kit bashing, and will be marked down for the use of ready to run items used (aside from sundries such as valve gear, wheels, wire handrails, buffers and kit items such as whitemetal and brass components).

3. After building, the locomotives will meet in competition simultaneously, and shall be subject to a series of tests, which shall test tractive effort, speed and reliability.

4. The locomotives will also be subject to an inspection by a panel of judges independent of the forum board to judge the aesthetic and functional qualities of these designs.

5. The winner of the competition will be given a contract by the directors of the Permanent Way Model Forum, for the chosen locomotive to act as the flagship locomotive for 2011.

6. Projects must be finished by the competition deadline, which is...

The Deadline: 20th July 2010

The date will be set for the trials during the month of August in the year 2010, subject to the successful building and delivery of the three challenge locomotives.

The directors of the forum board wish the Chief Mechanical Engineers of the LMS, LNER & SR railways the best of luck in completing their challenge this year.



So of course, I am planning to be the London & North Eastern Railway representative. And yes, I am building a large express engine. So the photograph above will give some hints as to what I am building, and with what available components.



So in order of procurement- we have driving wheels (to be painted in a black undercoat today), a new front pony truck I have made for the chassis.


There are also whitemetal castings for a better cartazzi truck, tender sides and similar.


Valve gear with cylinders procured, the cylinders will be modified to better represent the locomotive in mind.

I'm not saying what it is yet...I suspect some of you will know the class already. But which number, and in what form?

Until next time!