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.
History of Puffin Billy Steam small train
Puffen Billy Steam small 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 in Dandenongrange, 35 kilometers from the center of the city, running through the forest, fern-covered ditches and farmland.
On December 18, 1900, it 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 associations and volunteers. Puffing Billy Railway is a non-profit organization run by the Emerald Railway Committee since 1977.
John Robinson, chief executive of Puffing Billy Rail, said that 487237 passenger trips took place last year, of which 60 percent came from overseas.
Chinese New Year is one of the busiest times for small trains in Asia, he said. The cultural background of the volunteers is also diverse and information brochures are printed in multiple languages. According to the 2017 annual report, Instagram,Twitter, social app and Weibo also played a key role in attracting tourists.
"the secret of our success lies in the simplicity of the narrow-track old steam railway, which is a living authoritative history, running routes and beautiful mountain village scenery," he said. But with Puffing Billy carrying nearly full capacity, there is now a capacity expansion plan.
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: Victoria Railway Corporation starts operating the line between Upper Ferntree Gully 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
- 2020: the Discovery Center will be completed
Puffin Billy Steam small train play introduction
- Address: 1 Old Monbulk Road, Belgrave VIC 3160, Australia, is about 48 kilometers from downtown Melbourne; from downtown Melbourne, take Belgrave Line (Belgrave Line) train, to get off at the terminal, walk along the sign for 5 minutes, it is easy to find the platform of Puffin Billy Steam Little train;
- Opening hours: 9:00-17:00 (7 days a week, Christmas is not open to the public), due to the different seasons, the train timetable will be constantly updated, the specific departure time of each train needs to be queried on the official website;
- The number and time of trains running in Pfein Billy vary from day to day. Generally speaking, four train trains leave from Belgrave (Belgrave) at 10: 30, 11: 10, 12: 30, and 14:30, while train is added to the holidays, and the train leaves at 10: 30, 11: 10, 12: 30, and 14:30, respectively, at 10: 30, 11: 10, 12: 30, and 14:30, respectively.
- The average tourist will stop at the lakeside station (Lakeside) for a period of time and return from here. The returned train is usually leaving at 12: 30, 14 / 25, 15 / 40, 16: 30;
- The best position is at the back of the right side of the train, where the whole car can be photographed when you turn, and when you drive for about 5 minutes, you will turn through a wooden trestle more than 10 meters high, which is beautiful and exciting.
Puffin Billy Steam small train fare
- 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; $39.5 for children (4 years of age 16 years of age, free of charge under 4 years of age); A $157 for family package tickets (up to 2 big and 4 small);
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