R Class Productions

After 250 days of no public trains due to the COVID 19 Pandemic, the Puffing Billy Railway saw the return of steam-hauled passenger trains today (28/11/2020) following a number of setbacks in part with the Virus which kept pushing back the resumption of services. A grand day for Puffing Billy and the state of Victoria!

The Puffing Billy Railway is a 15-mile long 2'6" railway in Melbourne's east, running on the old "Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook railway, built in 1899. The line is one of four Narrow Gauge routes built by the Victorian Railways to catter to the remote communities in the mountain ranges of the state where the more common 5'3" Broad Gauge system should not reach. It was closed in 1953 when a landslide blocked the line between Selby and Menzies Creek, but the section between Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave remained open as the line and its little NA class 2-6-2 locomotives had become well-loved. This section remained open until 1958 when the Victorian Government contracted plans to regauge and electrify the remaining section, meaning that "Puffing Billy" would come to an end, or so they thought. The Puffing Billy Preservation Society was formed in 1955 with their aim to restore the the rest of the line for future generations to enjoy. The line was reopened in stages between 1962 and 1998, forming the 15 mile line as seen today, operated in true Victorian Railways fashion with most of the locomotives and rollingstock being maintained in their original conditions.

For more information please visit http://puffingbilly.com.au/en/