Reading 2022

LittleLEC 2022 Report

By John Billard, Reading Society of Model Engineers

Photos by John Billard except the last one which was by Richard Coleman

The Reading Society of Model Engineers was delighted to be invited to host the 2022 Little Locomotive Efficiency Competition (LittleLEC) for the first time on 18th and 19th June.  Long in the planning and delayed by the health emergency, all was set for what we hoped would be a fascinating weekend of friendly competition.

RSME has a long history from 1910, and the competition was held on our level multi-gauge raised track of about 1,000 ft length.

After several late changes and withdrawals, we ended up with seven entrants and eight engines; quite enough to make the event go well. We were in the interesting situation that while we, as organisers, were novices that was far from the case for many entrants! But with great help from our friends at Guildford MES, who oversee this annual event, and much enthusiasm from our fellow members, all ran smoothly.

I would like to thank all our team, particularly Stephen Millward who operated the software provided by Guildford and Jackie and Quinn Lunnon for their essential services at the tea bar!  Having had a practice to check the equipment a day or so before we were all set to go.

All images from the weekend are at the bottom of this report.

Saturday

The day started overcast with a promise of some light rain.

Run No 1 Photo 001  Stephen Harrison and Rob Roy on his first run plus ballast

After all our preparations it was good to see the first run by Stephen Harrison from Birmingham SME. His Rob Roy was built by Trevor Martin and finished in the early 2000s.  Steven inherited it and has run it ever since, being a regular LittleLEC competitor. Despite a sprinkling of rain, this already turned out to be the fastest ride of the competition achieving nine laps at 5.5 mph taking a 60 kg weight plus driver. Coal used was highish at 0.849 lbs achieving an efficiency of 0.216% but his driving consistence set a standard for the rest of the day.

Run No 2 Photo 002  Mike Foreman uncouples after his first finish

Next came North London’s Mike Foreman with his Rob Roy 56164. This engine was started by Mike in 1961 while at school, making it the oldest in the competition, and finished some years later and has run ever since.  It now has a radiant superheater and needle bearings on the axles and also has a re-tubed boiler. Again taking a 60 kg weight and a driving truck there was some slipping at the start. He ran well but slowed at five laps for more steam. Nevertheless nine were completed in a slight drizzle returning an efficiency of 0.184% with 0.922lbs coal used.

Run No 3 Photo 003  Peter Wardropper contemplates at his first start behind his Rob Roy

SMEE’s Peter Wardropper also started his Rob Roy at school back in 1968, the first steaming being in 1975.  It has been used ever since.  Peter showed his experience with a very clean start with two weights and a driving truck. The run was a little slower than Stephen Harrison’s at 4.6 mph with eight laps at very consistent times this still put him at the head of the leader board at that point at 0.278% and less coal consumed at 0.518 lbs.  Again, despite a fine drizzle of rain, this was a good example of a very solid and competent run, typical of Peter. At the end, this performance gave him a 4th place in the competition.

Run No 4 Photo 004  Les Pritchard with his family attempts his first run with his disabled Mona

This run was by previous winner Les Pritchard of Guildford MES with his well-known LBSC’s 0-6-2 Mona. It had been built by Alan Hall and left to Les in 1970. However on the day bad luck had intervened as the engine was dropped while loading up at home.  There clearly had some affect as the engine was proving very difficult to control, being all or nothing on the regulator.  However Les decided to give it a go with his daughter and grandson on board.  With much slipping, and also with a blow up stop on lap four, a creditable seven laps were achieved. Les described this run as “terrible!” This used 0.531 lbs of coal and at 0.321% he jumped to the top of the board with some amazement all round!  And at the conclusion of the weekend he was still on the podium at third place. Les found later that the water pump had been bent.

Run No 5 Photo 005 Peter Wardropper prepares his Jenny Lind for its run

Peter Wardropper once again set off, but with his delightful 2-2-2 Jenny Lind this time creating much interest. He started this engine in 1983 to the LBSC design, intended to be a “quicky”, but was not finished till 2016. It then won a host of prestigious prizes including a Gold Medal and the Curly Bowl. It went consistently well for seven laps despite the continuing light drizzle and was well up on the energy released. With 0.481 lbs of coal, this produced an efficiency of 0.116% that Peter said “was not bad at all”.

Run No 6 This was Stephen Harrison on his second run again with the Rob Roy. For this trip he had changed to a Rosebud grate.  Again a very smooth journey, slightly slower at 4.9 mph and eight laps, but with the same load as before. Appreciably less coal was used, down to 0.501 lbs. This improved his efficiency to 0.326% and he was then in the lead at that point and he only conceded to a final second place late on the second day.

Run No 7 Mike Foreman then had his second run with Rob Roy 56164. Mike’s approach was now to take as heavy a load as he could, 76 kg of ballast, and to go as fast as possible! But after two laps he slowed down and stopped to make steam.  Having recovered well he completed no less than ten laps at 5.1 mph.  During the run, in some rain, the cylinder lubricator linkage failed but as it was all situated in the cab Mike was able to twiddle it by hand at speed. Coal use was down at 0.811 lbs and efficiency was well up at 0.253%, bringing him a final fifth place.

Run No 8 This consisted of Les Pritchard out once again with his injured Mona and his family as load.  Again, much slipping to start and the engine seemed to be even more jerky.  He ran with some difficulty with a stop for steam and then reducing his load he achieved just five laps. Speed and efficiency were down at 2.7 mph and 0.170% with 0.584 lbs of coal used. But he was a finisher and deserved congratulations having achieved a final third place at the end of the competition with his earlier run.

After track cleaning that concluded the events for the first day with Stephen Harrison leading the field with Les Pritchard second and Peter Wardropper’s Rob Roy still at third.

Sunday

The day dawned bright and clear with hopes for a drier day.

Run No 9 Photo 009  Neil Furze at a water exchange on his first run with his Rob Roy

First out was Neil Furze from Worthing and District SME, up for the day with his Rob Roy Skye Dawn. This engine was from a deceased member gifted to his club. The original builder was L Griffiths of Lower Feltham.  Neil took two trucks and had a fast run averaged at 4.1 mph although he stopped on lap four for steam. He recovered well but stopped again at the next lap. Following a second restart seven laps were then achieved using 0.787 lbs of coal and that brought a 0.145% efficiency. This run brought him an eventual seventh place.

Run No 10 This was Peter Wardropper again with his Rob Roy on its second run.  This time he went for a greater load dispensing with ballast weights but adding a further truck in instead, equal to the same weight of ballast. There was a steady start but he ran more slowly at seven laps but very consistently this time at 3.6 mph. Peter said that he was encountering greater running resistance than using ballast. With 0.496 lbs of coal used, this all together produced a slightly lower efficiency at 0.230%

Run No 11 Photo 011a or 011b  William Powell sets off on his first run with Freya

This introduced Bournemouth’s William Powell with his 2½” gauge LBSC Ayesha named Freya after his daughter. William does not know who commenced the build but he acquired it as a rolling chassis. Running with his driving truck he took a 13.2 kg weight in addition. With a steady start, ten laps were achieved at 5.3 mph with little fuss or seeming effort, consuming 0.423 lbs of coal. Both driver and engine seemed more than at home on our dedicated small gauge track. This performance, that was greatly admired by all present, put William straight to the top of the leader board with a figure of 0.340%.

Run No 12 Photo 012 Tom Henderson starts his first run with his experimental Rob Roy

Next came Tom Henderson from Swansea SME with his Rob Roy Steam Me Up  Scotty.  Recently acquired with little history, this engine had been modified by Tom with a longer chimney, a rebuilt regulator, a feed water heater, and vacuum control in the smokebox. Taking a truck with a driving trolley he set off well but derailed early on probably caused by unequal weight on the train. He made steady if slower progress afterwards coming in at five laps with 0.512 lb of coal used and an efficiency of 0.151%.  Tom concluded that this was very satisfactory for him as a first attempt.

Run No 13 Peter Wardropper then steamed his Jenny Lind for his second go with this engine. This was a different run from what went before with the engine much slipping.  Single wheelers are always a challenge for adhesion and this was no exception. Having stopped for water out on the track just four laps were run using 0.412 lbs of coal at an average speed of 2.1 mph.  This resulted in an efficiency of 0.077%.  Peter was clearly disappointed with this run though it is always delightful to see this lovely engine in action.

Run No 14 This was Neil Furze once again with his Rob Roy Skye Dawn. His plan this time was to take two trucks and 72 kg ballast. There was a slow and slippery getaway and the train came to a stand at the curve on the first lap. Restarting became impossible and the ballast weight was reduced to 31 kg thus allowing momentum.  Four laps were achieved at slow speed, Mike having at one point regained a lost shovel! While this engine released the most energy of the competition it also used most coal at 1.103 lbs bringing the efficiency down to 0.081%. Nevertheless this was an obdurate finisher, one might say against the odds!

Run No 15 For his final run, William Powell was again ready with his 4-4-2 Ayesha, a driving truck and a 13.2 kg weight, and took off with a very smooth and controlled start.  William was soon lapping effortlessly and constantly at a slightly reduced 5 mph achieving nine laps.  Coal consumption was the slightest of the weekend at 0.368 lbs. Already at the head of the table William beat his previous best at 0.357% thus cementing his place at the head of the leader board.

Run No 16 The last run of the competition brought Thomas Henderson for his second run with his adapted Rob Roy.  Taking the same consist as before he just squeaked in a seventh lap.  With a higher speed of 4.6 mph and using only slightly more coal, 0.551 lb, this gave him an improved result of 0.196% giving him a final creditable 6th place. A new starter to watch!

Calculator Stephen Millward crunches the numbers

After all the calculations had been done it was time to declare the results.

It gave all at RSME great pleasure in declaring William Powell the overall winner of the LittleLEC trophy, a £50 award and a year’s subscription to MODEL ENGINEER.  Few could have doubted this outcome with his little engine shooting round like a hare at a greyhound track.  Congratulations William, especially as this was the first time that a 2½” Gauge locomotive had won LittleLEC.

Photo 014  William Powell receives the LittleLEC trophy from RSME organiser John Billard.

A close second came Stephen Harrison, last year’s organiser at Birmingham, who received £30 and third the heroic Les Pritchard, only just behind Stephen, with £20.  All entrants received a commemorative RSME mug and a certificate to remember, what was for us, a very special weekend at RSME.

The Leader Board table gives all the results:

The coordinators of the LittleLEC (now under the stewardship of Guildford MES) wish to express their thanks to John Billard and the team at Reading SME for hosting this year’s LittleLEC, and also to all the competitors without whom there would be no competition. The 2023 LittleLEC will be hosted by the Swansea SME with the dates to be published in due course. Details will be published early in the new year.

Please see all pictures from the weekend here: