 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2007) |
| Puffing Billy Railway | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| Overview | |
| Locale | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Termini | |
| Connecting lines | Belgrave line |
| Former connections | Upper Ferntree Gully line |
| Stations | 11 |
| Website | puffingbilly.com.au |
| Service | |
| Type | Heritage Railway |
| System | Puffing Billy Railway |
| Services | 3 to 6 services daily (except Christmas Day) |
| Rolling stock | Victorian Railways narrow gauge |
| History | |
| Commenced | 1899 |
| Opened | 1900 |
| Completed | 1900 |
| Closed | 1954 |
| Reopened | from 1962 in stages |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 25.1 km (15.6 mi) |
| Number of tracks | Single track |
| Track gauge | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) |
| Operating speed | 24 km/h (15 mph) |
The Puffing Billy Railway is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway in the southern foothills of the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne, Australia. The railway was one of the five narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways which opened around the beginning of the 20th century. It is close to the city of Melbourne and is one of the most popular steam heritage railways in the world,[1] attracting tourists from Australia and overseas. The railway aims to preserve and restore the line and its operation as closely as possible to the way it was in the first three decades of its existence, but with particular emphasis on the early 1920s.
The starting point of the railway is Belgrave station which houses the railway's operations and administration centre. The line runs through Lakeside Station where a visitor information centre provides catering and an indoor interpretive space,[2] and terminates at Gembrook railway station.
In 2022, passengers were allowed to resume the popular practice of sitting on the window ledges of carriages with their legs dangling outside,[3] which had become a core part of the charm of the railway.
- ^ "Friends of the Trestle Bridge, Puffing Billy, Sherbrooke". Esoteric-inkworks.tripod.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "Lakeside Visitor Centre - Puffing Billy". puffingbilly.com.au. 5 October 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "Sitting on our Carriage Sills! - Puffing Billy". puffingbilly.com.au. 29 July 2021. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.