Puffing Billy Railway, Melbourne
Puffing Billy is a narrow gauge (2'6") steam railway in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, Australia. The line was opened in 1900 to serve the local farming and timber community. It originally ran from Upper Ferntree Gully station (now a suburban station on the broad gauge Belgrave line); it now begins at the Belgrave narrow gauge station, adjacent to the Belgrave broad gauge station. The Victorian Railways closed the line in April 1954. Shortly after, the Puffing Billy Preservation Society was formed and restored services over the remaining usable section, Upper Ferntree Gully to Belgrave. This continued for four years until the line was closed for conversion to a broad-gauge, electrified suburban line. The society then started work on restoring the Belgrave to Lakeside section, and in 1962, restored trains operations between Belgrave and Menzies Creek. Subsequently operations were gradually extended over the remainder of the original line to Gembrook which was completed in 1998. Today the railway operates daily (except for Christmas day) as a popular tourist activity over 24km with original steam engines, and is operated by a band of dedicated volunteers which still perform some of the practices of a railway person from the Victorian Railways era, such as using the old "Staff and Ticket" safeworking method and having conductorss on board the trains.
List of stations
Only stations that are listed in bold print are stopped at by regular Puffing Billy services.
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