• LittleLEC - A Fun Competition for Drivers of Small Model Steam Locomotives
  • LittleLEC - A Fun Competition for Drivers of Small Model Steam Locomotives
  • LittleLEC - A Fun Competition for Drivers of Small Model Steam Locomotives
  • LittleLEC - A Fun Competition for Drivers of Small Model Steam Locomotives
  • LittleLEC - A Fun Competition for Drivers of Small Model Steam Locomotives

Welcome to LittleLEC - A Fun Competition for Drivers of Small Model Steam Locomotives

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The LittleLEC competition is now heading for it's fifth event at the Swansea Society, having started at the track of Guildford Model Engineering Society in 2008. During this time it's fame has been spreading, and we now have plans in place for the next six competitions, preliminary details being in the Forthcoming Events section.

LittleLEC is intended to introduce a more light-hearted approach to efficiency competitions, than that encountered in IMLEC. It gives the oppotunity for people with small workshops, limited transport, or other difficulties in building or transporting larger models, the chance to compete against similarly placed model engineers. There is also a significant number of builders who started out with the likes of Tich, Juliet, RobRoy, Canterbury Lamb, small Lion, Mona, and any number of other models of similar size. Many of these models have been put away in favour of something bigger and easier to drive. We hope that LittleLEC will entice builders and owners to get their models out of the closet and challenge themselves to a couple of 20 minute runs, and compete with others in the same situation.

Yes, challenge is the right description. Had you seen the last event at the North London Society track at Colney Heath, and witnessed the prodigious efforts put in there, you would know how challenging it can be! There is little more satisfying than to run a loco like Tich, weighing no more than 22 pounds (10Kg), up the gradients on the half mile circuit at Colney Heath, or around a track like that at Guildford Model Engineering Society hauling two adults for 20 minutes, and feeling you could keep going. The competition allows for entry of models weighing up to 50 pounds, excluding coal and water, so even some small 5" gauge models can be eligible, see the guidelines section to check. If you have a suitable model, why not enter the next competition and see what you can do? There are generous prizes put up by Model Engineer magazine, Warco and the host society, and there is a trophy, donated by Station Road Steam, awarded to the winner to keep until the next event.

LittleLEC was to be hosted by the Salisbury Model Engineering Society in June 2015. Owing to access problems, the Society has had to withdraw it's offer to stage the event. The Fareham Society has kindly stepped in with an offer to host the competition, though they may not be able to stick to the now preferred date the weekend after Father's Day. Watch the Forthcoming Events section for updates.