It is too pleasant to sit on the retro steam train, put your feet out of the car, and cross the beautiful Dantonnon range,! As Australia`s favorite steam train, Puffin Billy Steam Little train (Puffing Billy Railway) has carried millions of passengers through the beautiful Dantonnon range.
Puffin Billy Steam train (Puffing Billy Steam Train), was one of four low-cost 762mm narrow rail lines built in Victoria to develop remote areas at the beginning of the last century. It is located 35 kilometers from the city center of Dandenong range (Dandenong Ranges), running through the forest, ferns full of trenches and farmland.
On December 18, 1900, steam train was officially opened to traffic. At that time, it was designed to transport goods and passengers, but now it is the heart of generations of Vivians and thousands of tourists at home and abroad. But what many people do not know is that, Puffing Billy was once seen as a financial burden and was shut down for years.
In 1953, due to a landslide between Selby and Menzies Creek, Puffing Billy was forced to suspend operations for safety reasons, coupled with operating losses, and carried the last passengers thought at the time in 1953. Local people have expressed helplessness to the move, and strongly demand that the operation of small train be restored as soon as possible.
Later, some enthusiastic members of the public were obliged to form the Puffin Billy Protection Association (Puffing Billy Preservation Society), and, with the support of the state government and the assistance of the citizen military service team, bypassed the collapse and rebuilt the railway in 1962 to Menzies Creek, in 1965 to Emerald, in 1975 to Lakeside, in 1975 and to the terminal Gembrook. in October 1988.
Now, the goods and livestock on train no longer exist, but the number of passengers is more than ever. Today`s Puffing Billy train has become Australia`s most popular steam train and one of the best preserved steam railways in the world. With the hard work of more than 900 volunteers, the railway runs every day except Christmas.
We can still feel the charm of Little train today, thanks to the efforts of the community and volunteers. Puffing Billy Railways is a non-profit organization operated by the Emerald sightseeing Railway Commission since 1977.
John Robinson, the chief executive of the Puffing Billy Railway, said there were 487,237 people in small trade last year, of which 6 were from overseas. "This is the top rate for all the world`s all-volunteer, non-profit, narrow-track steam train." Robinson said.
He said the Chinese New year is one of the busiest times for small train, as the promotion of especially from Asian countries to the Chinese market has led to the growth of overseas tourists in recent years. The cultural background of the volunteers is also diverse, and information pamphlets are printed in multiple languages. According to the 2017 annual report, Instagram,Twitter, social app and Weibo also play a key role in attracting tourists.
"The mystery of our success lies in the ancient nature of the narrow-track old steam railway, which is a living and authoritative history, running routes and beautiful mountain scenery," he said.
The company is planning to invest A $15.7 million in a discovery centre at Lakeside Station, where people can learn about the history of steam train and the local place indoors without hindrance. It is reported that the center will be completed by the end of 2020. This is the first phase of Puffing Billy`s 2017 grand plan, (Puffing Billy Master Plan 2017, which includes investing A $78 million to upgrade it over the next 10 years.
Puffing Billy will move on. Let this little train, the oldest in Australia, take you through the Danton rainforest, across the trestle, across the valley, into the fairy tale world.
Timeline:
1900: Weizhou Railway began operating the line between Upper Ferntree Gulf and Gembrook.
1930 s: considered a financial burden
1954: line shut down
195: farewell trip; Puffing Billy Protection Association established
1962: line reopening between Belgrave and Menzies Creek
1965: line extends to Emerald
1975: line extends to Lakeside
197: set up a separate unit to which government belongs to operate
1998: line extension to Gembrook
2015: the book Salvation Puffing Billy, published in August of that year, tells how a group of volunteers protected and retained Puffing Billy in the decades that began in 1955.
2017: construction of Discovery Center at Lakeside Station starts
Fare (2019)
- Round trip from Belgrave to Emerald (or Lakeside): $61 for adults; $31.5 for children (4 years of age 16, free of charge under 4 years of age); A $31.5 for families (2 big and 4 small);
- Round trip from Belgrave to Gembrook: $78.5 for adults; A $39.5 for children (4 + 16 years old, free under 4 years of age); and A $157 for family package tickets (up to 2 big and 4 small).
- Online ticket purchase online without the pain of waiting in line, the ticket price is as low as at least 10% discount!
2020: the Discovery Center will be completed
