Century-old steam trains race through Sydney suburbs

The glory of the steam train era has returned to Sydney with hundreds of train enthusiasts hopping aboard for a trip back in time.

A steam train at Sydney's Central Station (AAP)

Heritage trains took to the tracks on Monday, racing side by side from Sydney's Central Station to Strathfield in the city's inner west as part of the Great Train Expo.

For more than a hundred years steam trains hauled mail, goods and passengers across Australia until being replaced by Diesel in the 1970s.

Young fans compared the heritage trains to something out of Harry Potter, while others admired "the fire, the soot, everything!"

Simone de Beuzeville-Howarth has driven trains for 16 years and said there's nothing quite like the puffing locomotive.

"I think it's just something in your blood, and it's a real passion of mine. I just love the smell and all the sounds," she said.