The committee was axed in an emotion-charged meeting of council on Wednesday, and after all this time it is still unclear what the future of the locomotive actually is.

Cr Graham Cross moved a motion for the committee to be disbanded and a working group set up to investigate options for the Fowler.

A vote ended the committee's controversial control of the engine 5-2.

A packed gallery witnessed speeches from locals Noel Woodyard and Don Graham who pleaded for the Fowler to be kept permanently in Wellington.

Mr Graham said he was the first person to drive the Fowler on its return to Wellington in early 2000.

"I think the community believes it deserves to stay here and be maintained here," he said.

"Please leave our engine here."

The packed gallery backed his call with loud cheers and encouragement. Mr Woodyard said council's proposed contract with Goulburn's Ainsworth Engineering was ludicrous.

"There is a lie around town that there are no qualified people to operate the Fowler steam engine," he said.

"Well let me tell you there are two, myself being one and I understand there could be a third."

Mr Woodyard criticised the committee.

"Right from the word go the Fowler committee has been dysfunctional and the chair has done nothing to stem the problem," he said. "They have not consulted experienced people when needed and have therefore made some bad decisions."

Mr Woodyard claimed the committee was about its own agenda and pushed to have a new group oversee the engine's future.

"The Fowler engine is currently stored incorrectly, the engine is parked in a shed at the works depot and it has many faults and will only deteriorate from there," he said.

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He urged council look at other options.

"Lets end this farcical idea of entering into this contract with Ainsworth Engineering and at least investigate the proposal we are offering," he said.

At no stage was any party criticising Ainsworth Engineering's standards or capabilities.

Cr Mark Griggs said he was disappointed with the controversy which had plagued the steam locomotive.

"Put simply, we have a handful of old boys throwing a tantrum because they no longer have full control of their old toy, their plaything," he said.

The gallery was upset and called accusations of 'not true'. It forced the mayor to call for order at the meeting.

"We heard from two persons who are representing the people who used the community's Fowler as their personal toy from the moment the engine arrived in Wellington until they drove it nearly into the ground and disrepair, at the expense of the community and Wellington Council, the very people they say own the engine," Cr Griggs said.

"Now these people want to take back control and they produced a petition which attracted 400 signatures.

"Each of those 400 people signed that petition under false pretensions, the truth being very much stretched, so they were hoodwinked.

"Don't let Council be held to ransom by a few old boys who want their toy back and let the community and council pay for their fun," he said.

Cr Graham Cross said the purchase and management of the steam engine locomotive had been wrong from the start.

"It is a commonly held point of view council is funding their hobby," he said.

Cr Cross suggested the Fowler stay in Wellington and be used as a promotional tool within the town and be used for tourism opportunities.