YRTS Rail Design Challenge

The Yarra Ranges Tech School, Rail Design Challenge invited students from years 7 to 12 within the Yarra Ranges region to participate in a rail-related project. The Design Challenge allowed student groups to create a railway for the future, using advanced technology and design to showcase their final concepts to a judging panel. This challenge took place over 3 days in the school holidays with students using various technologies to assist them with their final designs; laser cutting, 3D printing, digital design, robotics, and coding, were some of the technologies the students were able to utilise.

The challenges main focus was for teams to showcase their teamwork and collaboration throughout the challenge, while also looking at innovative designs for future rail transport. Students worked hard as a team and were able to come up with some exciting concepts. They were fortunate to receive invaluable feedback and mentoring from Industry Partners, Puffing Billy Education, as well as insights from the Rail Academy on potential educational pathways and future career prospects within the rail industry.

With two exceptional groups taking away the final prize were:

1. Modular Train Carriage – Liam, Alex, Lucas, and Yoshi.

This group created a system where trains would become more adaptable by swapping out carriages to better suit the desired tasks. This concept would reduce the need of multiple trains to carry out different transport requirements and allow a single train to have multiple uses. They were able to demonstrate their concept by using the intellino trains and coding a robotic arm to swap the carriages. Simulating how a train system would run with multiple stops and swapping of the carriages at the depot.

• Lunar Rail with Matthew, Cooper, Heath, and Aidan.

This group created a future rail system on the moon. They designed their railway and train carriage using TinkerCAD and were able to 3D print each section of the track and carriage. They looked at various aspects of the challenge, creating a website for users, and explaining the practical application of their idea for the future.

Both groups demonstrated teamwork and collaboration and were able to draw upon the strengths of each team member to produce their final designs. This challenge not only highlighted the creativity and teamwork of these young students but also illustrated the immense potential for innovation and forward-thinking in the realm of rail transportation. This challenge not only served as a platform for their creative ideas but also as a steppingstone towards a promising future in the rail industry.