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About Puffing Billy

The journey aboard Puffing Billy takes you through the magnificent Dandenong Ranges, located only one hour east of Melbourne.

With lush fern gullies brushing past and Mountain Ash trees towering overhead, Puffing Billy makes for a wonderful opportunity to relax and breathe in the fresh air whilst the train makes its way through the temperate rainforest.

Visitors from around the world enjoy travelling aboard Puffing Billy as a stand-alone experience or as part of a Melbourne day tour. If you are a Melbourne local, you can bring friends, kids, other family members or interstate visitors, pack a picnic and travel aboard this historic Melbourne attraction.

Step back in time as you enjoy this authentic experience. Parents and grandparents can relive their own childhood memories whilst introducing the next generation to this unforgettable part of Victorian history.

Don't forget to capture some amazing photos whilst the train travels over the historic Monbulk Creek Trestle Bridge!

A little bit of history...

This century-old steam train continues to run on its original mountain track from Belgrave to Gembrook in the magnificent Dandenong Ranges 40kms east of Melbourne.

Puffing Billy was built to serve at the turn of the century and is a genuine relic of our more leisurely days. The Railway is the major survivor of four experimental lines used to develop rural areas in the early 1900s.

Puffing Billy Railway is now a major tourist attraction and operates every day except Christmas Day, thanks to the tireless efforts of more than 900 dedicated volunteers.

The Journey

Passengers starting their journey here will experience Puffing Billy's most famous landmark - the iconic Monbulk Creek Trestle bridge.

Passengers can pack a picnic or purchase lunch from our station kiosk (Lakeside Tearooms). Emerald Lake Park offers BBQ facilities, picnic tables, and walking trails.

1. Starting from Belgrave

   Belgrave is the first station on the Puffing Billy train line. All Puffing Billy trains will commence their journeys at Belgrave and travel to Lakeside or Gembrook. Passengers may choose to start their journey at either Belgrave or Lakeside Stations.

   Belgrave station is the headquarters of the Railway, with both operating and administrative facilities. Passengers can visit the refreshment room for souvenirs, food and beverages. Belgrave is also home to our Locomotive Running Shed & Workshop. This where storage, maintenance and restorations take place on the Puffing Billy family of locomotives.

    

2. Locomotive Depot

   On departure from Belgrave station, the locomotive running shed and workshops may be seen to the left of the train. Extensive servicing and repair facilities provide for continuous maintenance and restoration.

    

3. Sherbrooke Forest

   The southern reaches of the forest extend to the Puffing Billy track on the left of the train and to the area beside the Trestle Bridge. The forest has many magnificent examples of the native 'Mountain Ash' trees, a form of eucalypt and the tallest flowering plant in the world.

    

4. Trestle Bridge

   This famous timber bridge of 15 spans, now classified by the National Trust of Victoria, carries the Railway over Monbulk Creek and the main Gembrook Road. It is 91.4m (300 feet) long, 12.8m (42 feet) high. The car park below is a popular place for viewing and photographing the train.

    

5. Selby

   Opened in 1904, the station on the left served the nearby village, named after a local landowner.

    

6. Landslide

   A landslide closed the Railway in 1953. A remnant of the old track may be seen to the left of the train. Before the line was closed, a water tank for the locomotives was located here.

    

7. Menzies Creek

   Named after an early miner who worked in the area. Menzies Creek is the first stop after Belgrave and destination for many tour groups.Trains in opposite directions often 'cross' here. As Puffing Billy is a single rail line, it is only at stations such as Menzies Creek, where you can view trains pass by.

    

8. Emerald (Township)

   This is the highest station on the line. This is also the venue for the popular 'Day Out With Thomas' events. The station building is the only original station building that remains intact along the line. Emerald offers shops, cafes and bakeries. On the third Sunday of every month, a trip aboard the train to Emerald can be combined with a visit to the Emerald Market. In the yard is the Railway's carriage repair workshop. Picnic and toilet facilities may be found at the station.

    

9. Nobelius

   Named after the former Nobelius estates, this small wayside station on the right of the train is almost half way between Belgrave and Gembrook.

    

10. Lakeside (Emerald Lake)

    Lakeside is the perfect destination for families! Located within Emerald Lake Park, Lakeside is the half-way point along the line to Gembrook. BBQ facilities and picnic tables make this an ideal place to relax alongside the lake. Passengers can pack a picnic or purchase lunch from the café. Playground facilities, a wading pool (summer only) and paddle boats (for hire) are available to keep the kids entertained. Lakeside was the terminus of the line before reopening to Gembrook in 1998. Trains usually pause here for the crew to fill the locomotive water tanks.

     

11. Wright

    On the left of the train, this was formerly the station for the town of Avonsleigh.

     

12. Wright Forest

    Between Wright and Cockatoo Creek, the Railway skirts the northern boundary of the un-spoilt Wright State Forest, with large stands of Stringy Bark and other eucalypt trees.

     

13. Cockatoo

    Originally named Cockatoo Creek, the station was an important loading point for timber from sawmills in the area. 17.3km (10.8 miles) from Belgrave. Altitude 188.7m (619 feet).

     

14. Gembrook

    Gembrook Station is located at the end of the Puffing Billy line. Stroll along one of the signposted walks in town, as well as the Avenue of Honour that commemorates local soldiers' sacrifice during the Second World War. Trains usually stop over for an hour or more for visitors to explore the historic town before the return trip.