IMLEC has been held at the Bristol Society of Model Engineers an impressive six times, the most recent in 2009. With the event returning to Ashton Court we look back on the previous competitions.

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IMLEC first arrived at Bristol in 1974, this was the 6th IMLEC and with the competition still in its infancy, experience would count for nothing. On Bristol’s relatively new track, Fred Winsall took 1st place with his Nigel Gresley, achieving an efficiency of 2.54%.

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It wasn't long before IMLEC returned to Bristol, with David Morriss taking the title home in 1979 with his Stirling Single (2.178%). There was also a record 13 locomotives in the 3 1/2" gauge category, South African Jack Love (driver Derek Heydenrych) coming out on top with his SAR 6C.

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1984 was the third time IMLEC came to Bristol, with Les Pritchard (Rebuilt Royal Scot) putting in an astronomic efficiency of 3.662% to claim back-to-back IMLEC titles, the judges at the time had to recheck their calculations as they could not believe such a high efficiency figure was possible.

 

IMLEC was back at Bristol for 1991, Kevan Ayling going one better than the previous year and taking the title with his BR Proposed 2-8-2 with an efficiency of 1.733%. The event also saw the Bristol dynamometer car severely damaged and replaced by the Birmingham car.

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A gap of 12 years followed until we returned to Bristol for 2003. John Ellis was to take victory at the regulator of Geoff Moore's "Minx" (2.456%). The competition also included Stuart Duncan driving Percy Wood's D49 exactly 20 years after Percy achieved 3rd place at Bristol, Stuart came home in 5th place, not a bad effort!

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The last time IMLEC was held at Bristol was 2009, the 40th anniversary of the competition. Neil Mortimer took the title with his Polly III, staying at the top of the leaderboard for the whole weekend . . . Neil was run No.1. Even IMLEC veterans Alan Crossfield and Paul Tompkins could not topple the Polly from its perch at the top.

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