Steam at Work 6th & 7th September

The Rural Life Living Museum’s annual steam rally, Steam at Work has grown year on year.

Steam at work is so titled because this is not an event with long lines of polished engines on a rally field - nice as that is - it is a working event featuring engines powering different types of machinery and doing a job of work.

Steam at work is based within the 15-acre grounds of the Rural Life Living Museum, containing 300 trees making up the arboretum, over 20 relocated historic buildings and a collection of 40,000 objects telling the story of everyday life. Engines move around the museum site throughout the days of the event, so visitors can experience these majestic machines up close.

Steam at work 2025 will feature a dozen full sized engines, from traction engines and road rollers, to steam lorries and showman’s engines and will be joined by a small army of miniature engines to add to the movement. Stationary engines and portable steam engines complete the mix.

There are very few steam rally’s that include a narrow-gauge railway, but ours does! The Old Kiln Light Railway runs around the museum site. There will be multiple engines in steam alongside our impressive fleet of heritage diesel traction to enjoy and ride behind.

Steam at work runs for two days:

Saturday 6th September from 10.00am until 10.00pm with our live Music Sessions from 4pm. Bands playing are The Farleys, Broken Colours and Five Chambers Full. 

Sunday 7th September 10.00am til 4pm.

Each afternoon sees a grand parade of engines through the museum and this year this will be followed by a locomotive cavalcade on the Old Kiln Light Railway.

Join us and experience the sights, sounds and smells of working steam set within the Rural Life Living Museum. Bring family and friends to the Live Music Sessions and celebrate the end of summer. 

Exhibitor Entry Information:

Entries of full size engines, miniatures and stationary engines are all welcome. Coal is provided. Engines can arrive any time the week before the event and can be stored on site after the event by arrangement.

Those wishing to enter should email the event organiser, Rob Bentley - rob.bentley@rural-life.org.uk

• Name of Entrant
• Engine type
• Year of manufacture
• Whether you are attending Saturday, Sunday or both.
• Whether you require a camping pitch, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday night
• Whether you are roading the engine to us or using a low-loader / trailer and whether or not you require storage for your low-loader / trailer on site during the event.

Joining instructions will be sent out a few weeks prior to the event.