The Test
The teams arrived at the Bluebell Railway for the big test to see which of them would be going through to the next round.
This week's tinker time was more crucial than ever. For the Subs it was used for just a minor modification – adding guide wheels from a rail trolley to make sure the Land Rover stayed on the tracks. But for the Sweet Chariots it was a different story – they frantically bodged final drive to the rail wheels. They added two more sprockets to reduce their gearing down to one-ninth of what it was, giving them a fighting chance of getting that giant wheel turning.
Race one – sprint
The first race was a no-nonsense 100-metre flat out sprint. This would be seriously tough work for the teams and their machines.
The Super Subs inched into an early lead, despite them not being able to see much of the action! But in a blur of limbs their loco gave out when Mark's chain slipped off, giving the Sweet Chariots time to catch up.
At the 50-metre mark the teams were neck and neck, with everyone screaming encouragement and wincing from the effort of it all. Mark managed to get his chain back on and the Subs were back on full power. They managed to pull away from the Chariots, crossing the line just three seconds ahead of the opposition.
Race two – haulage
For the second race, hauling four tonnes of wet sand, the Subs should have had an advantage with more gears to choose from, but they weren't as fit as the rugby playing Sweet Chariots. The Chariots put Ben in the cage and Captain Scouse took the controls.
From the off it was easy to see that the Subs' loco was better suited to hauling, but the Chariots closed the gap through sheer will, charging around their wheel like lunatics. But their wheel just wasn't geared correctly and it took all of their effort to produce a modest speed. As the Chariots tired, the Subs cruised over the line to victory, the exhausted but elated winners of this week's challenge.
