Puffing Billy Railway

Worse trip ever!! The conductor "Woody" was rude!! He was shouted at people and I thought job can be done without being rude or condescending. Especially a family's event! A petty man using his little bit of power to lord it over people

Puffing Billy is the iconic tourist attraction of the Dandenong ranges. The attraction is the sound and smell of the steam engine (especially in the colder months when the steam hangs around longer) and the simple childish pleasure of hanging your legs over the side. The most impressive part of the track is in the first kilometre where it passes over a large wooden trestle bridge. It is expensive by most standards but remember most of the workers are volunteers and the upkeep is very costly. When I have visitors I usually drop them at the start and then drive along and video them from the car at various crossing points. Then I pick them up at the end of a one-way trip so it is cheaper. I recommend the pub at Gembrook for lunch. Other tourist railways around Melbourne are the Mornington Peninsula railway, the Bellarine railway, and the Yarra Valley railway.

We took some tourist friends of ours to Puffing Billy for something a little different to do, and we were surprised how enjoyable it actually was.

We went in Autumn when the leaves were at their most colourful, it was cool and misty, yet with glorious sun. All of these factors combined with this beautiful old steam train made for a wonderful atmosphere. Its a lovely ride from Belgrave to Lake Emerald and back, and by the end of the day we had some lovely photos to show for it.
If you havent been on Puffing Billy since you were a little kid dangling your feet out of the windows, I recommend you give it another try on a nice autumns day and enjoy reliving your childhood days!