Neville had the collectors eye for rare machinery

Mr Morris, now aged 86 years, first started collecting rare parts some 75 years ago.

He said as a youngster he started with push bikes, before moving onto steam engines and then decided that anything with an internal combustion was interesting.

A total of 400 lots including tractors, crawlers, steam engines, trucks and vehicles will be offered at the sale without reserves or buyers premium and free of GST.

Selling agent Matt Beer of Bundaberg Auctions Australia Wide said the sale represented a collection of a lifetime as Mr Morris certainly had the right eye for a collector.

Mr Beer, who specialises in machinery auctions, has sold thousands of vintage tractors and said Mr Morris had models he had never seen before.

"It's not everyday you get to sell these items that you may never see again - that's how rare some items are," he said.

"We even have interest from overseas."

Mr Morris said the auction would be a sad day but it would be nice to think the equipment went into the hands of people who appreciate it.

"The best part of being a collector is the people you meet and I have made wonderful friends," Mr Morris said.

"I was also lucky my wife Bev was not interested in my collection but she tolerated it. Unfortunately my two children are not interested so I decided to sell so I know where it all ends up."

Some of the major items are a 1914 Marshall Colonial oil tractor, Avance tractor, Case 65 traction engine, Marshall Colonial traction engine, Foden trucks, Lanz Bulldog tractors, other tractors, trucks and stationary engines and a 1911 Southern Cross steam engine manufactured in Toowoomba.

The auction is on-property and set for 9.30am on Karingya, 783 Dalby-Cooyar Road, Dalby.