The largest operating steam locomotive in the Southern Hemisphere has roared through en route to Dubbo and railway fanatics and residents will be able to book trips to nearby villages.

The City of Canberra, a Beyer-Garratt 6029 locomotive, will relive some local railwayhistory -

the same “locos” once operated in the Dubbo region.

The 6029 is operated by the Canberra Railway Museum, which says thousands are expected to come to see it and ride behind the massive locomotive in Dubbo on May 28 and 29.

The museum said when the Garratt powers across the countryside it leaves onlookers stunned with its sound shock load. People of all generations stand in awe.

They are amazed to discover such a large piece of 60-year-old industrial age machinery has been brought back to life by volunteers.

Even more surprised to hear these men and women worked out in the heat and cold of Canberra with very little equipment for eight long years.

“You restored 6029 in a railway yard?” they exclaim.

Older onlookers murmur, “Never thought I would see one run again.”

Alan Gardner, a driver of 6029 at Canberra Railway Museum, led the team that brought this dinosaur of the steam age back to life.

For its extraordinary efforts, the Museum was recently presented with a prestigious national award for outstanding heritage engineering achievement by Engineers Australia representing 100,000 professional engineers.

Gardner says the most impressive feature of 6029 -”City of Canberra” - is its sheer size.

“It’s built in England and identical in length to Captain Cook’s Endeavour and about the same weight. But the big locomotive has the extra dimensions of the sound shock load. People experience it as we power down the line toward them. Garratt 6029 creates a great sense of anticipation as it whistles and pulses its arrival.

“We have had whole villages set up barbecues and wait for us. When we come into hearing distance they perk up and then you see sheer amazement on their faces as we blast past them.

“You know Garratts like this operated in the Dubbo region every day years ago. Today, cars pull up everywhere along the way.

“Drivers suddenly change their route because you don’t see this type of size of mammoth machine in action every day anymore.

“In fact, it is very rare to be able to see a locomotive on this scale operating on a main line as we will be when visiting Dubbo.

“Actually, it’s extremely rare anywhere in the world.”

Alan Gardner emphasises that passengers in the trailing heritage carriages will get the full

authentic experience.

“They not only have the pulsing sound from the massive engine but also the rhythmical sway and the plumes of smoke

and steam streaming by their window as we gather speed. That’s another dimension altogether  from just standing by as an onlooker.”

And then there is the experience of driving such a large piece of machinery designed for another age but running in modern times.

Alan Gardner says that it is a big challenge.

“It’s a lot different to driving a motor vehicle, especially today where many functions are automated

and computer-controlled and the driver is cocooned in an air-conditioned capsule.

“The Beyer Garratt 6029 locomotive is very, very hands on.

“In the cab you have to work as a tight team with the fireman and synchronise your actions and management of a rolling bucking beast.

“You are being exposed to extremes of heat, noise and coal dust for intense periods and you have to be on the ball.

“We are running out on a main line amongst modern trains. This is not a closed-loop tourist operation.”

Alan Gardner says that while the driving experience is exhilarating, it is hot and tiring.

“Our crews are tightly monitored and regularly rotated.

“It takes many years to get to the top of the tree of driving modern diesels. I, with our best drivers, find that driving 6029 is another level altogether.

“It’s interesting, our passengers tell us they can sense the difference between drivers as we wrestle with our favourite black beast. They keep us on our toes - like 6029. We love them both.”

The 30-metre long locomotive’s mammoth weight of 265 tonnes includes 40 tonnes of water (40,000 litres) and 18.5 tonnes of coal - the equivalent of over 200 Toyota Corollas stacked on top of each other.

The Garratts were capable of hauling up to 1,500 tonnes. When working hard, 6029 consumes 37kg of coal a minute while converting 430 litres of water into steam per minute to produce over 3,000 horsepower.

At the end of its service with the New South Wales Government Railways, 6029 was purchased in 1975 by the National Museum of Australia, which operated it from Canberra until 1981.

In 1998, ownership transferred to the society operating the Canberra Railway Museum for the cost of just one dollar paid to the Federal Government.

The rebuild of 6029 by the society was funded with revenue from train trips and donations totalling nearly $400,000 over a period of eight years.

A massive injection of voluntary labour and a contribution of $50,000 from the ACT government helped bring the highly ambitious project to fruition.

In March 2015 6029 was proudly relaunched as The City of Canberra at the railwaymuseum headquarters in Canberra.

While steam locomotives are old transport technology, this 6029 has a sophisticated $80,000 telecommunications system fitted to the cab and is tracked by satellite.

Every crew decision is immediately observable as well as speed and brake applications noted in a special paper-based recorder.

It also has modern LED lighting and improved battery power fitted to enable 6029 to snake far and wide through the countryside at night.

The 6029 will run four trips from Dubbo to Geurie and one to Eumungerie each day of its stay.

The trips each last one hour and ten minutes.

Ticket prices are: Adults $30, concessions $25, children $20, family of four (2 adults 2 children) $80, children under 3 on lap free.