They came with their vintage engines - over 400 of them - and a dream of setting a national record.
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They did much more than that.
Excitement was as thick as the diesel fumes at the Macksville Showground as the Mid North Coast Machinery Restoration Club Inc (MNCMRC) president revved the gathering crowd up through the PA system.
And it was a large crowd; never before had they seen so many come through the gates.
They travelled from near and far, and many attended for the first time, to see history made in Macksville.
Yesterday, on September 1, at 11.11am, all the aces lined up at the Rusty Iron Rally as 333 engines of thirty years or more ran simultaneously for ten minutes.
That number eclipsed the old world record - held by South Africa since 2007 - by well over 100 engines.
"We're all absolutely over the moon about it," MNCMRC member Brian Pade, who entered four engines, said.
The whole club is just elated.
Scrutineers were on hand to make sure the engines ran the full ten minutes - if they failed to last the distance (and many did) they were ruled exempt from the record.
"Some are just old and run hot. But then others will go all day and not miss a beat," Brian said.
Some were giants, some no bigger than a chicken...one was 102-years-young. But most ended up doing their bit for the world record attempt.
Australian Book of Records publishers John and Helen Taylor - who hold nearly 100 world records between them - were thrilled to present the club with their certificate at the end of the feat. The record will also be published in the next edition of the book, due to come out in October next year.
With more to see and do this year than ever before, the record number of attendees all left satisfied, with full tummies, a story of the time they saw a world record made in Macksville - among many others, and a promise to return.
Congratulations to the club, the show society, and all the other volunteers who worked seamlessly behind the scenes to make the weekend a resounding success.