WELCOME
Maitland welcomes visitors from far and wide to experience all things steam this weekend and celebrate the 35th anniversary of Burton Automotive Hunter Valley Steamfest - one of Australia’s premier festivals of steam.
Steamfest features a diverse program of family friendly entertainment. Enjoy live music, historic heritage walks, explore the Railway Street Market, jump on your favourite amusement rides at Carnival Lane and explore all the food stalls on offer.
Hop on the trackless train or people mover at The Rally Ground and explore your way through an impressive display of traction and portable engines and antique farm machinery. Hop off to watch demonstrations and unique live wood art being carved by a chainsaw, explore our brand new Maker and Merchant display, steampunk games and enjoy a bite to eat from one of the food stalls, including juicy corn cobs cooked by the power of steam.
The undeniable highlight of Steamfest each year is the ARTC Great Train Race on Sunday. This year, we will have locomotives 3801, 6029, 5917 and R766 running parallel in a race against a Tiger Moth aeroplane. This will be the second quad run seen at Steamfest in its 35 years!
The annual Show ‘n’ Shine brings Maitland Park to life on Sunday 30 April with over 500 classic cars, food stalls and live rock ‘n’ roll entertainment.
Before you leave, be sure to stop by the Merchandise Tent to purchase some Steamfest memorabilia.
Steamfest would like to thank you for attending and sharing our vision of keeping the tradition of steam alive for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.
Share your weekend with us by using #Steamfest
STEAM TRAINS
The 2023 ARTC Rail Program features an impressive line up of steam locomotives at Steamfest this year.
3801
After returning to the tracks in 2020, 3801 is arguably Australia’s most loved steam locomotive.
3801 was often used on special services operated by railway heritage organisations, the most famous being a non stop run from Sydney to Newcastle in June 1964.
6029
The largest operating steam locomotive in the Southern Hemisphere, Beyer Garratt 6029 will be joining the program for 2023.
The AD60 class included a total of 42 locomotives and was the only type of Garratt to operate in New South Wales.
Built by Beyer, Peacock and Company, 6029 is the largest and most powerful steam locomotive to ever operate in New South Wales.
5917
5917 was built in 1952 by American company Baldwin Locomotive Works. 5917 was part of the D59 class with a wheel configuration of 2-8-2, and like the rest of its class was originally built as an oil burning locomotive. This was due to the coal shortages impacting New South Wales at the time of the order.
R766
R766 was commissioned in 1952 as one of 70 members of the Victorian Railway’s R-class 4-6-4 ‘Hudson’ main line passenger locomotives.
R766 was among the last of the class in traffic when withdrawn in 1968, many sisters having already been scrapped.
If you haven’t pre-purchased tickets for a Steamfest rail journey, limited tickets are available from the ticketing marquee near Maitland Train Station.
RALLY GROUND
The Rally Ground is a steam enthusiasts dream, a bustling hive of activity, showcasing engineering ingenuity across a range of machinery from the era of steam. With Australia’s largest collections of portable and traction engines and vintage farming equipment brought together by the Maitland Steam and Antique Machinery Association, Steam Punk activities, our brand new Maker and Merchant display area and more there is something for everyone to enjoy while visiting The Rally Ground. Entry to the Rally Ground is $5 per person. Children under the age of 16 are free but must be accompanied by a paying adult.
RALLY GROUND PROGRAM
TIME
WHAT’S ON
Trackless train and people mover rides
Traction and portable engine display
ARTC display and demonstrations
Face painting
Steam punk activities
9.00am to 4.00pm Saturday and Sunday
Penny Farthing displays
Tractor pull
Food stalls
Free coal shovelling obstacle course
Steam powered corn cooker
Maker and Merchant demonstrations
SHOW’N’SHINE
Held on Sunday in Maitland Park, the Show ‘n’ Shine is certainly something not to be missed.
It features over 500 classic and show quality cars as well as food stalls and live music from Jumpin’ Jukebox.
Entry is free for all from 9.00am.
STEAMFEST AFTER DARK
Expanding the heart of the festival, Maitland Station Precinct for the first time will be running into the night on Saturday 29 April.
Join us for:
• An array of food trucks.
• Carnival rides for all ages.
• Live music from Wes Pudsey & the Sonic Aces and Huckleberry & the Devil’s Dandruff.
• An up close and personal experience with the legendary 3801 on the station platform.
• Traction engine displays.
Hours will be extended from 5.00pm to 9.00pm on Saturday night only.
SITE MAP
MAITLAND STATION PRECINCT
The Maitland Station precinct is the heart of Steamfest. Here you will find the ticketing booth, information tent, merchandise tent, food stalls, amenities, kids activities, amusement rides and the main stage, featuring a lively program of entertainment throughout each day.
HERITAGE WALKS
Take a 30 minute walking tour with the Maitland and District Historical Society to learn more about the Railway Station Precinct and surrounds, including the significance of the railway to the local area.
Tours are available at 11.30am and 2.00pm on Saturday and Sunday.
The walks cost $6 per person and include a printed brochure.
You can book your walk at the Information Tent at the Maitland Railway Station precinct which is where the walks depart.
ARTC (AUSTRALIAN RAIL TRACK CORPORATION)
Gain an insight into the workings of a rail network and see behind the scenes of all the action by watching a live feed of network communications, which is broadcast over the Phoenix Screen at the ARTC stand in the Station Precinct. Chat to one of the network controllers and learn about the logistics involved in making trains run safely, reliably and efficiently.
On the Rally Ground see tamping and welding displays on the track panel along with static tools and machinery.
If you have any questions about ARTC’s activities, be sure to ask one of the friendly staff members, who will be manning the displays.
RAILWAY STREET MARKET AND CARNIVAL LANE
Railway Street Collectors Market will be filled with products of yesteryear, world charm, nostalgic memorabilia and rustic relics, forgotten crafts and rare trades.
Located in the Maitland Station Car Park right next to our amusement rides, explore showbags, fairy floss, candy and more.
Carnival Lane will be open until 9.00pm Saturday and 4.00pm Sunday.
STEAM POWERED CORN COOKER
How do you like your corn cooked? Steamed or steam powered?
Steam from a Marshall Portable Steam Engine will power a custom boiler made from a 150 gallon milk cooling vat. This one of a kind piece of steam powered machinery will not only create a tasty snack for your family to enjoy, but carries on a long history of engineering ingenuity that flourished in the era of steam, all yours for a gold coin.
VINTAGE GAMES AND PENNY FARTHING
Sanjex Seratti is a curious engineer from the Victorian era. A maker at heart, Sanjex has hand crafted lawn games with a late 1800’s theme that bring back ‘good old fashioned fun’.
Try your luck on the crowd favourite ‘Beat The Wheel’ or have some throwing fun as you take the journey of the ‘The Knight’s Peril’.
He also rides prominently on his Penny Farthing and enjoys educating the crowd about early bike history and its evolution. Witness Sanjex Seratti down on the Rally Ground from 9.00am to 4.00pm each day.
MAITLAND RAIL MUSEUM
MARQUEE
Visit and talk to members of the Rail Museum at the Rally Ground on Saturday and Sunday at Steamfest.
Go back in time to the early days when steam locomotives reigned supreme.
You will see displays of interesting old tools and artefacts, historic photographs, maps and timetables as well as model trains and a model layout of the Hebden Coal Washery Plant at Liddell.
ANTIQUE VALUATIONS
Auctioneer and Valuer Alex Renwick will be conducting antique valuations in Railway Street, from 10.00am to 4.00pm each day.
Bring your objects of curiosity along and together with Alex you can find out more about them. Alex has over 30 years’ experience in both Australia and the United Kingdom auctioning and valuing objects.
MAKER AND MERCHANT DISPLAY
Be transported back to a time when the art of handmade was an essential skill.
Meet the makers as they demonstrate their traditional arts, forgotten crafts and rare trades.
A silversmith, tool maker, artist, woodworker, jewellery maker, stonemason and leatherworker will immerse
Steamfest audiences in the skills and crafts of yesteryear, by allowing audiences to engage, interact and be educated by ‘The Maker and Merchant’.
Disclaimer: This program has been prepared by Maitland City Council from information available as at 12/04/23. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information herein however Maitland City Council accepts no responsibility for any consequences resulting from misdescription or inadvertent errors.
