An 18-tonne chunk of historic machinery is to be restored to its former glory.
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The Bega and Districts Historical Machinery Club has big plans for an old engine formerly used to power a Bermagui sawmill.
The 124hp Crossley OE221 was made in 1926 and shipped out from England.
It eventually made its way to the Bermagui area to power the town's sawmill.
Club member and project manager Peter Pullin said it was last used in the 1940s and then sold at auction for $200.
However, its new owner never collected it and it was left to rust away in the salty seaside air.
The local club tracked down the owner and bought it – for $10!
Members now plan to restore the massive engine, which Mr Pullin said is the largest project of this type of which he is aware.
The project will take two to three years and cost around $30,000, Mr Pullin said.
They are constructing a purpose-built workshop to house all the pieces – which include the eight-tonne flywheel.
When deconstructing the engine on site at Bermagui – and transporting to Bega on the back of two semi-trailers - members photographed all aspects of the machine as a reference guide for when they reassemble it.
The largest nut was a five-and-a-half-inch monster that had to be cracked with a spanner connected by chain to a tractor!
Mr Pullin said only a few original parts are missing and the rest is “recoverable”.
The parts will be sandblasted, undercoated, dummy assembled to make sure everything is in order, before disassembling, painting and assembling once more.
“There’s a couple of years work here and it’s all voluntary,” Mr Pullin said.
The club hopes to get it back into working order and mounted on a semi-trailer so it can travel with members to various shows.
Parts of the Crossley engine will be on display at this weekend's Bega and District Historical Machinery Club's annual rally at the Bega Showground.
Gates open at 10am both Saturday and Sunday with a gold coin entry fee.