A vintage steam locomotive formerly based in Goulburn will be offering 50 km train rides on the October long weekend as part of Goulburn’s Lilac City Festival.

Volunteers from the Canberra Railway Museum are running steam train trips in heritage carriages from Goulburn to Lynwood near Marulan and return.

There will be five trips each of the three days departing at 9.30am, 11.00am, 12.45pm, 3.00pm and 4.35pm.

They will start from Platform 2 at Goulburn Station and take about 75 minutes for the return journey.

The 3016 locomotive pulling the train was built in Manchester by Beyer Peacock in 1903.

It commenced life in NSW as a tank engine pulling suburban trains around Sydney before electrification.

The little loco was threatened with scrapping several times over its long life. Yet it survived to grow into a bigger engine with a tender and a superheater to help it go further and faster on country lines.

On the long weekend it will be pulling carriages which were built back as far as the 1930s.

Their ornate interiors feature varnished wood finishes, sepia photos and etched mirrors.

Prices are $25 for adults, $15 for children (aged two to fifteen with babies in arms free) and a special family fare of $60 covering two adults and two children.

Bookings can be made on line at www.canberrarailwaymuseum.org, by phone on 6232 6405, or with the volunteers on Platform 2 at Goulburn Station over the three days.