Toot toot: Leeton's iconic Lions train makes a snappy new purchase

The Lions train has been a fixture of the Leeton shire community for many decades.

Now, it is entering the technology era with new CCTV cameras set to be installed on the famed locomotive.

The initiative to do so has been made possible for the club thanks to Leeton Shire Council's community strengthening grants scheme.

The club has received $1500 for the purchase of the train camera system to enhance safety aboard the train for both passengers and the driver.

Club member Brian Collins said the cameras would be beneficial for a number of reasons.

"Since we put the new pod on and the new engine, we have a blind spot, so the camera will greatly help us out there when it comes to being able to see all of the traffic around us," he said.

"We'll put one camera on the back trailer and then we'll put one in the back (carriage) area so we can make sure our passengers are safe as well.

"The cameras will serve many different purposes, it's fantastic. We wouldn't have been able to do this without the council funding."

As part of the grants program, council has distributed just under $12,000 in the latest round of the initiative.

The miniature railway at Yanco received $2000 for a station shade roof to protect the young train riders, while Leeton United Football Club will be able to use $1300 for the purchase of two sets of foldable futsal goals.

Seven other community organisations received funding under the latest round.

For the Lions Club of Leeton, the money is another way to help keep the train chugging along in the years to come.

"The train has certainly been around for a long time, I guess you could say it's a bit of an institution for Leeton," Mr Collins said.

"It's got good seating, a good environment for passengers as well.

"We've had people of all ages on it. It's been used at basically every community event in Leeton, but also birthday parties for kids and we've even done three weddings with it."