Puffing Billy
Apr. 26th, 2004 06:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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redcountess posted the entry below when the computer was logged in as me. It will show up on her journal tomorrow.
Todayreddragdiva and I ventured into the hills east of Melbourne to go on 'Puffing Billy', a narrow gauge train pulled by a steam engine (diesel on total fire ban days) that runs through 28 km of forest and farmland.
Opened in 1900, it was originally a branch line run by Victorian Railways that carried freight like timber and local produce as well as passengers from Ferntree Gully to Gembrook, but a landslide in 1953 followed by electricising part of the line from Ferntree Gully to Belgrave resulted in its closure and removal.
However, in the 1960s a small group of enthusiasts reinstated the line from Belgrave to Menzies Creek, about a quarter of the original route, and ran it on weekends. In 1970, when I first travelled on 'Puffing Billy', it was extended to Emerald Township, about halfway, and then a few years later to Emerald Lake, about 2 km away. In 1988 it was extended through to Gembrook, the original terminus, although there are no plans to extend it to Ferntree Gully at the other end, possibly because of the suburbanisation of the area.
Passengers have the choice of going to Emerald Lake or Gembrook, or by charter to one of the other stops along the way. There is lunch and dinner services available as well as special events like Thomas the Tank Engine days and a fun run where you try to beat the train.
I had not been all the way to Gembrook before, and David had not been on 'Puffing Billy' at all, so it was high on my 'to do' list while we were in Melbourne. It was $39 return each (about £15) but for the views and gorgeous smelling fresh air, well worth it. Our train was pulled by a tiny "A" class steam engine, and on the return journey we were in a lovely restored 1900 VR enclosed carriage but we had to change on the way back at Lakeside for a larger steam engine returning from the lunch service, or face a long wait until the "A" class went back.
To be honest, we both found the leg from Lakeside to Gembrook a bit boring, and would probably only do the Belgrave to Lakeside leg if we went again, and only then if we were taking people who hadn't seen it before.
But it was a fun day, and very romantic, probably the best day we've had together on this trip.
Photos to come!
redcountess posted the entry below when the computer was logged in as me. It will show up on her journal tomorrow.Today
reddragdiva and I ventured into the hills east of Melbourne to go on 'Puffing Billy', a narrow gauge train pulled by a steam engine (diesel on total fire ban days) that runs through 28 km of forest and farmland. Opened in 1900, it was originally a branch line run by Victorian Railways that carried freight like timber and local produce as well as passengers from Ferntree Gully to Gembrook, but a landslide in 1953 followed by electricising part of the line from Ferntree Gully to Belgrave resulted in its closure and removal.
However, in the 1960s a small group of enthusiasts reinstated the line from Belgrave to Menzies Creek, about a quarter of the original route, and ran it on weekends. In 1970, when I first travelled on 'Puffing Billy', it was extended to Emerald Township, about halfway, and then a few years later to Emerald Lake, about 2 km away. In 1988 it was extended through to Gembrook, the original terminus, although there are no plans to extend it to Ferntree Gully at the other end, possibly because of the suburbanisation of the area.
Passengers have the choice of going to Emerald Lake or Gembrook, or by charter to one of the other stops along the way. There is lunch and dinner services available as well as special events like Thomas the Tank Engine days and a fun run where you try to beat the train.
I had not been all the way to Gembrook before, and David had not been on 'Puffing Billy' at all, so it was high on my 'to do' list while we were in Melbourne. It was $39 return each (about £15) but for the views and gorgeous smelling fresh air, well worth it. Our train was pulled by a tiny "A" class steam engine, and on the return journey we were in a lovely restored 1900 VR enclosed carriage but we had to change on the way back at Lakeside for a larger steam engine returning from the lunch service, or face a long wait until the "A" class went back.
To be honest, we both found the leg from Lakeside to Gembrook a bit boring, and would probably only do the Belgrave to Lakeside leg if we went again, and only then if we were taking people who hadn't seen it before.
But it was a fun day, and very romantic, probably the best day we've had together on this trip.
Photos to come!