A four-train race, a record crowd and the opening of the railway line through to Cessnock are just three of the highlights organisers hope they can pull off.

One of the event's organisers and Maitland councillor Peter Garnham said Steamfest 2016 had attracted widespread national and international attention and he tipped an 80,000-strong crowd to visit Maitland over the two days on April 9 and 10.

"Some of the events we have planned this year can't happen every year, but we are committed to getting them off the ground for this very special anniversary," Cr Garnham said.

He said the four-train race is probably organisers' biggest feat with consultation between committee members, the Joint Coal Board and ARTC to shut down the Hunter Valley rail coal chain for four hours.

Cr Garnham said the event has been about three years in the planning and while still not set in stone he is confident it will get the green light.

He said organisers are also hoping to run trains out to Cessnock by reopening the line to the Coalfields heartland.

Maitland City Council has allocated extra money for the Steamfest committee to create additional activities and to market the event.

Cr Garnham said he was unsure how accommodation bookings looked at this stage but believed Maitland and surrounding towns would be hanging out the "No Vacancy" signs over the two days.

He expected train buffs and steam enthusiasts from the United Kingdom and the United States to make to trek to Maitland specifically for Steamfest.

The National Historical Machinery Association will hold its annual general meeting in Maitland on Friday, April 8, to coincide with the three decades of steam.

"It's a pretty exciting time for us, we're still working on the program and locking things in place and we want this one to be the biggest and best yet," Cr Garnham said.

"There will be some new trains running, many different classes of engines and plenty of attractions at the rally ground including a steam powered radio, something I have never seen before."