In 1912 as the tall funnel of the Ransomes, Sims and Jeffries steam traction engine was going up, the four funnels of the doomed Titanic were tragically going down.
"She's 100 years old," the engine's owner, Wayne Clark, said as he affectionately gave "Henriette" a pat on her cast iron flanks as he began preparations for her big outing of the year - the Geon Art Deco Weekend which chuffs into life next Thursday.
"Built in the year the Titanic went down."
Unlike the Titanic, and other great ships which set sail on their maiden voyages that year, the 12-tonne engine is still running as strong as the day the last bolt was tightened.
Time is often not kind to ageing machines, but Henriette is a tough and uncompromising boiler. Mr Clark ensures she never wants for anything ... although he conceded age was catching up with the engine a little and anticipated a "major" maintenance upgrade in a few years to help the old girl through to another century.