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Category: train

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Maitland Steamfest 2023

Steam traction engine

Maitland Steamfest 2023

This took place on 29 and 30 April 2023 in Maitland, New South Wales. Maitland Steamfest 2023 was a festival of steam and industrial heritage. The festival celebrates Maitland’s rich steam and industrial history, which dates back to the 19th century when the city was a major coal mining and railway centre. Featuring a diverse program of family friendly entertainment, with a steam theme (well generally but not always) it was a great day out.

Train Rides

Several historic steam engines made their way to Maitland for the festival, providing rides around the Hunter Valley’s nearby towns. Starting at the Maitland train station, we arrived just in time to see the Garratt 6029 leaving. The photo below shows how well maintained the train is despite its age. It was great to be able to get close while it was running, but the noise when it let off steam was deafening.

Steam Locomotive Beyer Garratt #6029
Steam Locomotive Beyer Garratt #6029

The Rally Ground

Across the road from the train station, the rally ground had displays of antique machinery such as traction engines, portable engines and steam rollers. Most of the steam engines were running and demonstrating how they operated. Several were also driving around a loop track outside the rally ground.

Foden steam truck
Foden steam truck
Traction engine giving joyrides Maitland Steamfest 2023
Traction engine giving joyrides
Traction engine doing loops around the other displays
Traction engine doing loops around the other displays
Traction engine giving joyrides Maitland Steamfest 2023
Joyrides on a traction engine
Steam traction engine
Steam traction engine
Line up of steam engines Maitland Steamfest 2023
Line up of steam engines

Steampunk and Town Crier

We found several steampunk enthusiasts wandering through the grounds, along with a town crier who were all happy to pose to photos. They also had a display tent selling steampunk themed merchandise. They all seemed to be having a great time and staying in character.

An area was set aside where blacksmiths demonstrated their skills, which apparently are in high demand again and is a growing in popularity as a profession again.

Steampunk lady Maitland Steamfest 2023
Steampunk lady
Steampunk gentlemen
Steampunk gentlemen
Town Crier
Town Crier

Vintage Military Display

One of the not quite steam related display was a large collection of military equipment in the middle of the rally ground. They were a great addition to the other displays and had a huge crowd looking at them. With no barriers, we were able to get very close and see inside most of them.

Willys Jeep Maitland Steamfest 2023
Willys Jeep
Ferret armoured car
Ferret armoured car
Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen Maitland Steamfest 2023
Volkswagen Type 82 Kübelwagen
Humvee
Humvee

What Did We Think of Maitland Steamfest 2023?

We had a great day out at Steamfest because of the relaxed atmosphere and variety of thing to see. All things steam from trains to traction engines and steampunk people.

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

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Yass New South Wales

Yass Courthouse

Yass New South Wales

An hour’s drive north of Canberra, or west from Goulburn, Yass is an historic New South Wales Town. We were passing through on a drive from Canberra to Orange so stopped to have a quick look around. Being early morning, parking was easy, and we found a spot outside the Banjo Patterson Park, named after the famous Australia poet.

Several coffee shops were open, so we ordered a coffee before setting off to explore the town. The main street, Comur St contains several well preserved nineteenth-century buildings. The Post Office looks great, but the courthouse looks like a small palace!

Yass Post Office Yass New South Wales
Yass Post Office
Yass Courthouse Yass New South Wales
Yass Courthouse
Banjo Patterson Bust Yass
Banjo Patterson Bust
Banjo Patterson Park Yass New South Wales
Banjo Patterson Park
Tootsie Gallery and Café Yass New South Wales
Tootsie Gallery and Café

Yass Railway Museum

The Yass Railway Museum is small with only a few trains and pieces of rolling stock on display. However, it’s a great place to visit, see some interesting trains, memorabilia and find out about the history of trains in Yass. You can find a full story of our visit here.

1307 Steam Locomotive Yass New South Wales
1307 Steam Locomotive

Abandoned Railway Bridge

We drove to the old railway bridge over the Yass River, parking at Joe O’Conner Park and walking down to the river. Disused since 1988 when the rail line closed it’s now a tourist attraction and heritage listed. It was interesting to walk around, especially as there are trees growing through parts of it.

Old Tramway Bridge Yass
Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge
The Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge
Old Tramway Bridge

What Did We Think Of Yass?

Although this was only a quick visit, we enjoyed our time here. The lovely old buildings on the main street, abandoned bridge and railway museum are all worth stopping to see.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Our photos are available for purchase on

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Yass Railway Museum

1307 Steam Locomotive

Yass Railway Museum

Located in the old Yass Town railway station, the Yass Railway Museum displays some of the old rolling stock that used to work here. The main rail line passes four kilometres to the north of Yass, because two river crossing would have been needed to bring it through town. Because of this, Yass lobbied for a light tramway into the main town. Opened in 1892, but never operating at a profit, it was closed in 1988.

The old railway station building houses a small giftshop, railway memorabilia and a model railway. All the main exhibits are outside on the old tracks.

The main attraction is the 1307 steam locomotive. This coal fired steam locomotive operated at Yass from 1910 to 1964. On leaving Yass, it worked around several of Sydney’s train workshops, including Eveleigh and Clyde. When finally retired, it had operated for 94 years. Fortunately sent to Thirlmere Railway Museum for preservation, 1307 relocated to Yass in 1999.

Sitting on the tracks just passed 1307, a line of rolling stock includes a freight wagon, a covered wagon, fuel truck and brake van. At the head of the line-up is X203 diesel locomotive. Although usually employed for shunting trains around stations, at Yass it was the sole locomotive from 1964 to 1972. Scrapped in 1989 the Yass diesel locomotive was actually X202, but X203 stands in for it at the museum.

Awaiting restoration, an open carriage and brake van sit outside the goods shed. As with all the displays, you are able to enter them.

What Did We Think?

With only a few displays, it doesn’t take long to look around, but it was a fun visit, and we were pleased we went. Plenty of parking makes access easy.

Yass Railway Museum
Yass Town Railway Station – Now a Museum
Yass Railway Museum
Old Yass Railway Station
1307 Steam Locomotive Yass Railway Museum
1307 Steam Locomotive
1307 Steam Locomotive
1307 Steam Locomotive
X203 Diesel Locomotive
X203 Diesel Locomotive
X203 Diesel Locomotive Yass Railway Museum
X203 Diesel Locomotive
Open End Carriage No. 1259 Yass Railway Museum
Open End Carriage No. 1259
Model Railway Yass Railway Museum
Model Railway

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Our photos are available for purchase on