Steam and Vintage Rally celebrating region's past hits 51st year

It's the 51st Steam and Vintage Rally, an event, says Border Steam and Engine Club president Darren Dakos, that delights kids and transports nostalgic grandparents back to another era.

Mr Dakos said families had been visiting the annual show, which was stalled by COVID, for decades with one attraction always drawing crowds, especially those who grew up in Albury, the Aveling and Porter steam roller.

"It used to be in Billson Park in Albury, many people who come here every year remember playing on it when they were kids," he said.

Mr Dakos said while kids delighted in riding in the old red carriages pulled by Engine No.3, a miniature old steam train built from pieces dating back to the early part of last century, around the 800m circuit around the farm, they were "blown away" when the heard the toot of an old steam whistle.

"The steam whistle, a lot of kids know about Thomas the Tank Engine, but to hear this one, well, some of them just go, 'wow', it's like nothing they've ever heard before," he said.

"One of the big traction engines that lives on the property here has a loco whistle and when you blow the whistle it just echoes all around the hills here, the sound of a real steam whistle."

Club secretary Peter Lawrence said the show attracted families, many of them third and fourth generation to the region.

"A lot of farmers make a day of it and they bring their grandkids out who are just amazed at what they see and hear," Mr Lawrence said.

"We have antiques and collectables and that sort of stuff, we do some ploughing at the back, so the kids can get to see the old tractors and have a little play out the back.

"There'll be vintage vehicles, tractors, steam engines, portable steam engines, lots of oil and petrol engines - something for everyone."

Roy Odgers, who has a long history with the area, said the kids' train was definitely a main attraction.

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"Parts of it go back to just before World War I, about 1912, so it's been cobbled together from many parts," Mr Odgers said. "The boiler, which we've replaced the inner firebox in it, goes back to 1906."

The event, at Beechworth-Wodonga Road, Leneva on Saturday, April 8 and Sunday, is $12 for adults, free for children under 16, with an additional cost of $4 for steam train rides.

There will be ice cream and coffee, trash and treasure, woodworking displays and wood raffle on site.

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