The engine was used to construct roads in the shire, and was one of the last of its type to be manufactured by the famous English firm John Fowler & Co, in 1925.

It is understood the Hamblin family of ‘Avoca’ Narromine donated the engine to the council in the 1970s after recognising its links with the shire’s past.

Council has commissioned a conservation management plan for the engine, which will allow a precise estimation of its heritage significance and restoration potential. The plan will hopefully enable heritage funding for restoration of the engine over the next few years.

Steam engine enthusiast Ian Larcher said the engine was the largest imported into Australia and was especially made to Narromine council’s specifications.

“I can confidently say there’s no other engine anywhere else in the world that was made the same as this one,” he said.

Mr Larcher said initial investigations revealed the engine was in reasonable condition and could be made operational for display.

He said there were only three others like it in the world, one at the National Museum in Canberra, one in the UK and the one owned by Narromine Shire Council, which Mr Larcher believes “has the most potential to be a working engine”.

Mayor Dawn Collins sees the potential of the engine as a year-round tourist attraction for the town.

“Wellington Shire Council has a similar engine which has extensively travelled since restoration and attracts a great deal of interest wherever it goes,” she said.

Mr Larcher estimates the engine could be restored to a minimal operating standard using volunteer labour for $5000.

“The real cost in doing this up is the cosmetic work, I could easily see $50,000 to $60,000 in cosmetic work,” he said.

A B6 engine was sold last year for over $1 million with a brand new engine and Mr Larcher said an unrestored traction engine would price between $60,000 to $80,000 at on-farm auctions.

Narromine Shire Council is interested in any photographs of the engine at work in years past, and are especially keen to learn of the whereabouts of the original wagons or implements that it used to haul as well as any other old engines or boilers, no matter what condition.

If you are able to assist please contact John Gibson on 0412 036 055 or council’s planning manager Melissa Ward on 6889 9950.