The steam locomotive 5917, built in 1952 will carry passengers journeying the six-day Great Southern Loop, rediscovering slow travel from Sydney to Melbourne and returning via Echuca, Deniliquin, Parkes, Orange and Bathurst.

Those who get to see the old train pass through their home town or city will also experience a little nostalgia and charm, Cruise Express managing director Meg Hill said.

Cruise Express, an Australian travel agency specialising in rail and cruise holidays, has chartered the historic locomotive and carriages.

The steam train will travel along the main lines and through stations, arriving in Goulburn at 9.20am and Yass at 10.54am on Thursday, May 30.

The train will then carry onto Junee, also passing through Cootamundra at 1.14pm.

Steam trains rarely travel a long distance in Australia and some sections of the planned route have not seen steam trains in many years.

"There's a growing interest in great old trains," Cruise Express managing director Ms Hill said.

"As life speeds up, more of us want to slow down and return to simpler, more graceful times and these beautiful old trains offer us an opportunity to step back in time for a few days."