As Victoria springs back into action after months of lockdowns, Australia’s favourite steam train is excited to resume daily train services from Monday the 6th of December, the first daily train service since April 2021, and in perfect time to make magical memories these school holidays.
Not only can visitors ride Victoria’s most iconic railway, but they will also be able to pay a visit to the highly anticipated $24-million-dollar Lakeside Visitor Centre. Here, visitors can shop at a unique gift shop, grab a delicious bite to eat at the modern Railway Café and explore a collection of expertly curated steam artifact displays, including Puffing Billy’s first ever locomotive, 3A, built in 1900.
The railway also offers a range of memorable experiences, including a full day, stand-alone journey to Lakeside or Gembrook complete with pre-purchased picnic or lunch packs, or shorter trips to Menzies Creek, paired with a morning tea and visit to the Menzies Creek Museum.
The Menzies Creek historic museum houses over 80 exhibits and allows guests to peer into Victoria’s past for a glimpse of more leisurely days, displaying a collection of rare operational steam and diesel locomotives, and railway-related artifacts.
Large families and groups of friends looking to gather and enjoy Puffing Billy’s unique heritage experience can also book their own exclusive carriage to comfortably embrace the living theatre as they travel along the railway.
For the daily train schedule with departure times and key information, please visit www.puffingbilly.com.au.
About Puffing Billy Railway
The historic steam train ran regularly in the Victorian mountain district and was built to serve at the turn of the century to transport goods and passengers throughout the district. The railway travels 24kms through the forests and fern gullies of the magnificent Dandenong Ranges to Emerald Lake Park and Gembrook – the original terminus of the line – and is one of two survivors of five experimental narrow-gauge lines used to develop rural areas in Victoria during the early 1900s.