Wyuna Steam Club members Rick Drust, Daryl Hangan, Rod Bain and Adam Fitton pictured with Adam’s steam engine, which was one of five that came to Australia in 1910.
Photo by
Bree Lambert
If you've heard an unusual sound around Kyabram recently, it might not have been a train — it could have been one of the Wyuna Steam Club's historic machines making its way through town.
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The group of steam enthusiasts has been taking its machines out on the road to events and towns around the region, attracting plenty of attention from residents along the way.
For members Rod Bain, Adam Fitton, Daryl Hangan and Rick Drust, it is about more than just displaying the old machinery.
Rod said it’s about the fun and the stories on the way.
The engines travel at only a few kilometres an hour, turning journeys that would be routine by car into hours-long adventures.
One trip to Rushworth took just over eight hours.
The slow pace also comes with its perks, with the group members usually cooking a roast and gravy rolls on their adventures.
Daryl Hangan, Adam Fitton, Rod Bain and Rick Drust with Rod’s restored 1911 steam engine ‘Deakin Lad’.
Photo by
Bree Lambert
The club formed through a shared interest in steam engines, with the members meeting and becoming friends before deciding to take their machines out together to share a piece of steam-era history with communities around the region.
Since then, the engines have travelled to places including Rushworth, Tongala and Echuca, as well as spending time around the Port of Echuca.
Their appearances around Kyabram have also caught the attention of the wider community, with residents stopping to wave, families coming out to watch and children fascinated by the unusual sight.
For the club, the reaction and support from the public has become one of the most “rewarding” parts of taking the engines out.
The group has several appearances planned to help celebrate the town’s 150-year milestone, including at Lancaster Primary School’s 150th celebrations on Saturday, November 7.
There will also be an unusual competitor at the Breen Avenue Walking Track parkrun Run Against the Foden event, with Rod’s steam engine set to take on the runners at 8am on Saturday, October 3.
With the events just around the corner, locals won’t have to wait long to catch a glimpse of the machines in action, before the warm summer weather puts their road trips on hold.
