The Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club (MSTEC) is a volunteer club in Scoresby, Victoria, Australia, dedicated to the preservation, conservation, and restoration of

industrial heritage Industrial heritage refers to the physical and intangible legacy of industrialisation, including buildings, machinery, workshops, sites, and landscapes of historical and technological significance. Stefan Berger and Steven High define industrial h ...

, particularly machinery. The club's activities take place on the site of the National Steam Centre where there is a collection of mobile steam, stationary

steam engine A steam engine is a heat engine that performs Work (physics), mechanical work using steam as its working fluid. The steam engine uses the force produced by steam pressure to push a piston back and forth inside a Cylinder (locomotive), cyl ...

s, stationary IC engines,

diesel engines The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the die ...

, diesel generator sets,

tractors A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a Trailer (vehicle), trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or constructio ...

and other mobile machinery. There is also a library, an archive, and a miniature railway that circles the site.

History

Formed in 1963, the Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club has been at its present 6½ hectare site in Scoresby, Victoria since 1986. Previously it was located on land leased from Beamish Heavy Haulage at

Wantirna Wantirna is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Knox local government area. Wantirna recorded a population of 14,237 at the 2021 census. Its name is ...

. The site was originally a depot used for the tunnelling of the main trunk sewer and was an empty lot when the club took it over. Since occupation, the site has been developed with landscaping, tree planting, installation of the rail track, construction of the 9 sheds and toilet block and a man-made lake.

National Steam Centre display

The engines on display at the National Steam Centre represent many years of collection and restoration efforts by the members. In addition to the engines owned by the club, several members' privately owned engines are kept at the centre. A particular effort has gone in to ensure Australian steam and industrial heritage is preserved in Australia.

Run days & Miniature Railway

Many of the engines on display are operated on the last Sunday of each month. This opportunity allows visitors to see many of the steam and diesel stationary engines running, including several steam

traction engine A traction engine is a steam engine, steam-powered tractor used to move heavy loads on roads, plough ground or to provide power at a chosen location. The name derives from the Latin ''tractus'', meaning 'drawn', since the prime function of any ...

steam roller A steamroller (or steam roller) is a form of road roller – a type of heavy construction machinery used for leveling surfaces, such as roads or airfields – that is powered by a steam engine. The leveling/flattening action is achieved throug ...

s and tractors operating in the central arena. The

miniature railway A ridable miniature railway (US: riding railroad or grand scale railroad) is a large scale, usually ground-level railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are often models of full-sized railway locomotives (powered by Diesel engine, ...

at the site operates every Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm, except during inclement weather and the Christmas-New Year break. The 1km track encircles the site, and takes in a lake, grazing cattle, and museum exhibits. While only one train runs at a time, the last Sunday of each month may feature a steam locomotive, with a diesel engine on other Sundays. The grounds offer shaded picnic areas and a gas barbecue, and while general entry is free, special events may have an entrance fee.

Annual rally

The club's annual rally, known as the Scoresby Steamfest is held on the long weekend in March each year when many of the restored engines are exhibited and operated. Particular emphasis is placed on exhibiting engines as they were intended to be used, driving industrial or agricultural implements for example. Exhibits from many other associated clubs and historic machinery associations are also displayed and operated, as well as that from private collectors and enthusiasts. More recently, exhibits at the Scoresby Steamfest have grown to encompass many other hobbies and collections, including model and experimental engineering and crafting, collections of antique engineering artefacts and tools, oil lamps, mechanical music, and other items from bygone eras.

External links

* http://www.melbournesteam.com.au

References