Puffing Billy Railway — Attraction in Melbourne

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Filipa F

United States61 contributions

Amazing

I took the Puffing Billy trip in November, and I'm glad I brought a jacket! It's advisable to wear warm clothes during that time as it can get quite cold. The journey was absolutely worth it! I loved traveling by train with my feet out! The train staff is also very friendly. Belgrave is beautiful. I loved it! The best experience I had in Melbourne!

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Visited November 2023

Travelled as a couple

Written 26 November 2023



Chillybilly

Ballarat, Australia301 contributions

Wow , wow , wow Polar Express Christmas Special

Fantastic experience Just beautiful ! It’s was foggy and the atmosphere was just magical for adults and kids Made me cry It was truely beautiful Dancing elves and other performers made quite a show Highly recommend It a must in Victoria A really special experience for all . Mountain and forest is spectacular Puffing billy steam train makes it a day out not to be forgotten

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Visited December 2023

Travelled with family

Written 11 December 2023



AbbottHsu

Serang, Indonesia2,322 contributions

Adventure

Puffy Billy railway trip is a very wonderful journey to whom never takes the steam train before. Based on the historical information, railway was used for logging delivery from the mountains to the ground in the past. It is really similar with what you can find in Mt. Ali railway from Taiwan. You can finds lots of different pines and various plants around the railway. The surroundings and environments are maintained primitively and naturally. It is always cool and comfortable around this areas. The journey comes from Station “Belgrave” to “Lakeside” and it takes you around 1 hour +15 minutes. Since it is steam train, you can find the burning ashes, smokes and the whistle all the way around. Since the speed is not so fast, you can just sit beside the designated seats around the windows. Really energetic to sit there, seeing everything new around the trip. We are so impressed with the railway because it is maintained by lots of volunteers and currently it is well organized. Lots of historical buildings or construction can be found during the trip, such as the residential areas or stations. You can tell the hard work and smart artwork for people in the past. The schedule for Puffy Billy is not so many and it is almost crowded on weekends or holidays. You may need to book the tickets via website or agents in advance. For me and families, it is really touching to be here, enjoying the exploration by taking the seam train in forests. Just come and visit it. Enjoy.

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Visited November 2023

Travelled with family

Written 12 December 2023

John Adams

3 contributions

A must for any steam train enthusiast

If you're a stream train enthusiast, this is a MUST. The journey starts at Belgrave and works its way along a most scenic route which includes rainforests and a trestle bridge. There are multiple steam trains about which adds to the experience. We encountered a pickle on our return journey resulting in us waiting a good 30 minutes at Menzies Creek. Announcements were made although unclear. Many passengers became restless as a result. Although this didn't detract from the overall experience.

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Visited January 2024

Travelled with family

Written 8 January 2024



Mike255100

Melbourne, Australia243 contributions

Too early for tickets

It was a great experience, and we enjoyed it. Their website stressed the need to be on time. As the location of all-day parking seemed confusing, I wanted to be there early to find a place and exchange my payment receipt for an actual ticket. We parked near the rail station but on the other side of the tracks. It worked, but I am sure there are better locations. On arriving at the Puffing Billy ticket window, I learned that the tickets with their train car allocations are not available much before 45 minutes before departure. So, my plan to obtain the tickets and go elsewhere for breakfast did not work. It was no great problem...

Train of Lights is good fun for adults & kids alike. Tickets which are $$ were released in May this year - pretty much sell out within a few hours, if not within a day. There is no family or concession fare, only infants ride free. Light projections are from the same mob - Resolution X that do White Nights events in Melb city. So it is slick & well executed - projected from the train itself.

You will be advised in pre-event email to arrive early like 4.30pm for 6 pm on the dot departure. Cardinia Council will rip you off for parking - it is $2 for 2 hrs or $8 for whole day. As event duration is 2.5 hrs return - be prepared to pay the latter.

The train leaves from Lakeside station to Gembrook & returns the same way. About an hour halt there for food, entertainment & loo break.

You will be advised to order & pay ahead for food from eateries in Gembrook if this is your choice. Byo or or order the grazing platter for 2 ($40) when tix are purchased online. Platter in a box was good quality with bikies, dips, cheeses, charcuterie etc & disposable cutlery. To avoid queuing up for drinks, we had hot drinks in flasks. Pre-order/byo saves time & you can find seats near the heaters in the entertainment Marquee (solo singer soiree). We should have walked around to check out the station precinct which had sausage sizzle, hot choc, warm braziers & of coz - more lights! But we got too warm & comfy in the Marquee..😊

Everyone swaps sides on return journey & the best bit on this leg is the trundle over Wright Forest Trestle Bridge. Really does not matter where you sit & no choice anyway as seats in designated carriages are auto-allocated.

Some improvements can be made given most citysiders have attended sound & light projection events in the city. Synchronised music & storytelling accompanying projections will add greater immersive experience inside the train. Perhaps some lit lanterns & sculptures along the stations in between for fun factor & interest. Otherwise, it is just light projections & the novelty of a night steam train ride which is good fun but somewhat monotonous. I think most fun is free - the jolly spectators & tripod wielding shutterbugs lining the route seem to be enjoying it just as much - sometimes at the most...

I arrived at Puffing Billy Railway early in the morning with a return ticket for the 11:10 AM – 4:00 PM service. Around 10:00 AM, I went to the ticket checkpoint after collecting my tickets. The first staff member punched my ticket and directed me to move toward the X carriage. As I walked further in, another male staff member saw my ticket and shouted at me, saying, “Your ticket is for 11:10 AM. The current train is for 10:00 AM passengers.” It was then that I realized I had arrived too early. Concerned that my ticket, already punched, might no longer be valid, I asked him for clarification. He confirmed that my ticket would still be valid but added rudely, “This is not your excuse!” His tone was impatient, and he instructed me to leave the area in an unfriendly manner. Feeling uncomfortable, I decided to sit nearby and wait for the next train.

Shortly after, a white woman with a child approached the same checkpoint. She told the staff that her ticket was also for 11:10 AM. A female staff member, in stark contrast, politely asked if she would like to board the 10:00 AM train instead. She gladly accepted the offer and was allowed to pass through without issue.

Later, a group of Chinese tourists arrived at the checkpoint in a hurry, hoping to catch the 10:00 AM train. The same male staff member who had been rude to me said to them repeatedly, “You are so lucky. We could’ve been left already!” His tone was condescending, and he repeated this remark two or three times. However, when two white tourists arrived late to board the same train, he said nothing to them and treated them with evident leniency.

The double standards in the way staff treated Chinese visitors versus white visitors were painfully obvious. The rudeness I and other Chinese tourists experienced, as well as the preferential treatment shown to non-Chinese visitors, strongly suggest discrimination...