Big bros eye towing record

Twins Thomas (left) and David Joyce help the police team to victory in a previous Carnival. This year they'll try pulling a 28-tonne locomotive on their own. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Twin brothers from Kawakawa hope to succeed this weekend where New Zealand's strongest man has failed.

The muscular Joyce brothers, Tom and David, will attempt to pull the 28-tonne locomotive Gabriel down Kawakawa's main street as part of the town's annual Puff and Pull Carnival on Sunday.

New Zealand's strongest man, Levi Vaoga, the big guy in the Mitre 10 ads, attempted the feat in 2009 but failed.

With twice the muscle the Joyce brothers think they might be able to put themselves in Kawakawa's train-towing record books.

Joining them, albeit in much larger teams, will be schools, sports clubs and businesses, all of whom will compete to pull Gabriel through town in the shortest time. Trophies will be awarded for the best school and community group. Current title holders are Kawakawa Primary School and the Taniwha, Northland's ITM Cup rugby team.

Sunday's festivities will start at 8am with Trek the Track, a Bay of Islands Vintage Railway fundraising walk geared at schoolchildren; train-pulling will start at 10am. At 1pm the action will shift to Johnson Park for an afternoon of music, dance, kai, market stalls and classic car displays. State Highway 1 through Kawakawa will be closed from 10am-1pm. Diversions will be in place.