STEAMFEST ROLLS INTO MAITLAND FOR 30TH YEAR

It was full steam ahead for day one of the Hunter Steamfest in Maitland, as thousands rolled in to admire the vintage machinery.

Celebrating its 30th year, the festival is expected to draw record crowds of up to 100,000.

“It’s an incredible milestone. 30 years of any type of event and I suppose the success of Steamfest is the volunteers and all the people behind the scenes who maintain the engines and come along year after year.” says event coordinator, Adam Franks.

To mark the anniversary, tomorrow’s Great Train Race will feature a world first, with four locomotive steam engines battling for line-honours with four Tiger Moth planes, racing from Newcastle into Maitland Station.