Brief Overview
To celebrate the 50th IMLEC, the competition returned to where it began in Birmingham. I recall the weekend being a most enjoyable competition with fantastic weather - clear blue skies.
It was rather fitting that for the 50th IMLEC, the most successful locomotive and driver in the competition's history should return and once again take the title. This was Lionel's 7th IMLEC win and the locomotives 6th win. Stephen Harrison gives us some more details:
"Next up was Lionel Flippanc from Worthing & District SME with his proposed BR 2-8-2 George Eveniss
which is a past IMLEC winner and also won the OMLEC competition back in 2001. Lionel took 26 passengers (the largest load in the competition) and was ready for the off. At the start of the run Lionel suffered quite a bit of wheel slip getting things moving but was soon away. He then suffered a bit more slippage just before the start of the back straight where the gradient is worst but managed to keep things in check. Once on the move after the first lap he put in a solid run with no stoppage and ran for a total time of 30:49 minutes covering 17 laps with an average speed of 6.67mph. His work done figure was 464,854 ft-lb and all done on 1.498lb of coal giving Lionel an efficiency of 2.751% - top of the leader board."
Interesting Facts
Paul Tompkins added to his list of 2nd place finishes, this being his 5th whilst attempting to defend the title he won the previous year in Southport.
The top two locomotives are the same as the top two 18 years previous at Leyland. On that occasion Len Steel drove the Britannia to 2nd place.
This was the first IMLEC to include an "off the shelf" locomotive. Roger Hopkins drove his Silvercrest/Kingscale Jubilee to 19th place.