Melbourne 6th - 8th March 2010 - Scoresby Steamfest

[Sorontar]

I wasn't sure if anyone was aware of the Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club in Scoresby. I go past them every day but have never visited them.

http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mstec/

Anyway, they seem to be having their main annual event in March but are open each weekend, with machines operating on the final Sunday of each month. Unfortunately the only public transport is a Bus 693 Oakleigh-Belgrave (once an hour on weekends), but that goes via Ferntree Gully station.

Sorontar
ps. if you use Google Maps, you'll find the location given is slightly incorrect. The museum is the grey area to the west of the tollway, not to the east.

[Horse Brass]

I wasn't sure if anyone was aware of the Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club in Scoresby. I go past them every day but have never visited them.

Oh you really should go in some day! I go to the March Steamfest most years, it's definitely worthwhile.

To give you an idea of what they have, here are a couple of video clips I took last year.

A few of the stationary engines:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Scoresby Steamfest 2009 - Stationary Engines	DQ

And the Grand Parade:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Scoresby Steamfest 2009 - Grand Parade	DQ

[Sorontar]

I love the parade video, especially the little vehicles. But the tank perplexes me a little. Is it steam powered or there because it is represents traction? Are there any steampunkers who members of the club?

Also, can you remember when during the day the grand parade was roughly?

[Horse Brass]

I love the parade video, especially the little vehicles. But the tank perplexes me a little. Is it steam powered or there because it is represents traction? Are there any steampunkers who members of the club?

The tank was there because it was cool and unusual. 
Although the focus is on steam during the steamfest, they do have a lot of other vehicles and equipment there too. Old trucks, vintage cars, a display of little farm engines, some steam, others not. If the day turns out to be a total fire ban, they are not allowed to run any of the mobile steam engines, so they park them around the sides of the arena, and do various displays with the IC powered vehicles instead. This is their big money making event for the year, so they stretch their scope to historical things the public is likely to enjoy.

Also, can you remember when during the day the grand parade was roughly?

My photos of the parade are timestamped from 2pm onwards, but I don't always get daylight savings right on my camera.