Railway Challenge at Sheffield

Railway Challenge at Sheffield (RCAS) is a student-led, co-curricular activity at the University of Sheffield. It involves the design and manufacture of a 10 1/4 gauge locomotive to compete in the annual Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Railway Challenge competition. The locomotive is assessed in various areas such as traction, ride comfort, and business viability. The team is split into three main teams, Mechanical Systems, Structures and Electronics. Students from all disciplines of engineering work together in these teams to collaboratively produce a locomotive in time for the current competition. The team has approximately thirty undergraduate students from across engineering disciplines. New members immediately get stuck into the design process, looking at structural, mechanical and electrical components and systems. Manufacturing and testing stages allow students to experience all parts of the engineering process. Additional personal skills are developed by workin...