What is Puffing Billy? Puffing Billy is a genuine relic of times past.. a historic steam train still running regularly in the mountain district it was built to serve at the turn of the century. Puffing Billy Timetable July 1996 - June 1997 Table 1 (Three trips) Sep to Jun to May Aug Belgrave dep. 10.30 12.00* 2.30 2.30% Menzies Creek dep. 11.00 1.05x 3.03x 2.51 Emerald dep. 11.15 1.23 3.20 .. Lakeside arr. 11.35 1.40 3.40 .. Lakeside dep. 12.30 2.25 4.10 .. Emerald dep. 12.45 2.40 4.23 .. Menzies Creek dep. 1.03x 3.03x 4.40 3.45 Belgrave arr. 1.30 3.30 5.10 4.05 * = Luncheon Special (Gourmet on-train luncheon available in 1st class carriages - must be pre-booked) % = Afternoon tea Special: to Menzies Creek only during Winter Monday - Friday (except school holidays) Table 2 (Three trips) Belgrave dep. 10.30 12.30 2.30 Menzies Creek dep. 11.00 1.00x 3.00x Emerald dep. 11.15 1.15 3.15 Lakeside arr. 11.25 1.30 3.30 Lakeside dep. 12.30 2.30 4.00 Emerald dep. 12.45 2.45 4.15 Menzies Creek dep. 12.58x 2.58x 4.28 Belgrave arr. 1.23 3.23 4.48 Table 3 (Four trips) Belgrave dep. 10.30 12.00 1.45 3.15 Menzies Creek dep. 11.00 12.30x 2.15x 3.45x Emerald dep. 11.15 12.45 2.30 4.00 Lakeside arr. 11.25 1.00 2.45 4.15 Lakeside dep. 12.00 1.45 3.15 4.45 Emerald dep. 12.15 2.00 3.30 5.00 Menzies Creek dep. 12.28x 2.13x 3.43x 5.13 Belgrave arr. 12.53 2.38 4.08 5.33 Table 4 (Six trips) Belgrave dep. 10.00 10.40 11.15 12.45 2.10 3.35 Menzies Creek dep. 10.27 11.10 11.45x 1.15x 2.40x 4.05x Emerald dep. 10.42 11.32x 12.00 1.30 2.55 4.32x Lakeside arr. 10.52 11.47 12.15 1.45 3.10 4.47 Lakeside dep. 11.15 12.45 2.10 3.35 4.15 5.10 Emerald dep. 11.31x 1.00 2.25 3.50 4.31x 5.25 Menzies Creek dep. 11.44x 1.13x 2.38x 4.03x 4.44 5.38 Belgrave arr. 12.09 1.38 3.03 4.28 5.04 5.58 Trains run every day except Christmas Day, 25 December x = against times means that trains cross here. While the timetable doesn't suggest it, you can simply transfer from one train to another if you haven't got time to ride the whole line. The staff are super friendly and will help you if you have kids, pushers etc. Trains run according to one of the timetables above: follow some basic trends in the timetable as below Monday - Friday: Table 1 with the following exceptions * 25 Dec 95 - no service * Summer holidays (26 Dec - 17 Jan): Table 4 * Summer Holidays (20 - 25 Jan): Table 3 * Winter (1 - 12 Jul): Table 2 * School holidays (14-25 Apr): Table 3 * School holidays (23-4 Oct): Table 3 * Easter holidays (28,31 Mar): Table 4 Saturday: Table 2 with the following exceptions * 21/28 Sep, 5 Oct, 28 Dec, 4/11/18 Jan, 29 Mar: Table 4 * 25 Jan, 12/19/26 Apr: Table 3 Sunday: Table 3 with the following exceptions * 29 Dec, 5/12/19/26 Jan, 9/30 Mar: Table 4 Special Events: 27 April 1996: "The Great Train Race" - fun run with runners pitted against Puffing Billy from Belgrave to Lakeside. Commissioners' Specials: 7 Sep, 12 Oct, 4 Nov 96 1 Mar, 5 Apr, 3 May 97 Re-live the style of the Victorian Commissioners from the early 1900's. A full day tour includes tour of loco depot/workshops, Steam Museum and Carriage Workshops. Double heading nA class+Climax from Belgrave - Menzies Creek, nA thereafter. Includes morning and afternoon teas on board, lunch in the "Packing Shed" at Nobelius siding. May include visit to as yet un-opened line still under construction. Books out *months* in advance. How to get to Puffing Billy: located at Belgrave, 40 km east of Melbourne in the Dandenong Ranges. Electric suburban trains run frequently from Flinders Street (central Melbourne) to direct to Belgrave in 70 minutes. PB station is short walk (2 mins) from the suburban rail station. By car from city along South Eastern Freeway to Toorak Road, then out along Burwood Highway to Belgrave. Turn right at roundabout in the middle of the shopping centre, go over rail bridge, then turn right into car park. Then follow walkway under bridge to station. Further Enquiries: Business Office: 9-5 Aus EST: Phone (03) 9754-6800 domestic +61 3 9754-6800 international Fax (03) 9754-2513 domestic +61 3 9754-2513 international PB on the Net: http://www.com.au/pbr A superb video "Puffing Billy - Legend in Steam" a 55 minute showcase of Puffing Billy at work is available on VHS in either PAL (Australia/Europe) or NTSC (US/Japan). Cost about AU$25, not including postage. Send or fax order (PB accept Visa, Mastercard) to Puffing Billy Railway PO Box 451 BELGRAVE VIC 3160 AUSTRALIA +=================================+ | PUFFING BILLY - A BACKGROUND | +=================================+ "Puffing Billy" is the generic term given to the last remaining survivors of a group of seventeen 2-6-2T locos constructed for the Victorian Railways in the late 1890's and early 1900's. Known as the NA class, locos 1A & 2A were constructed by Baldwin USA, and the remaining 15 locos by Victorian Railways Workshops, Newport, Melbourne, Victoria. These locos were built for four 2'6" gauge lines being constructed to provide cheap and ready transport for primary industry goods to the nearest broad gauge railhead. Road numbers were 1A - 17A. None of the lines had triangles or turntables. Tank locomotives were specified for two reasons, one that most of the locos's weight would be over the drivers, and two, so that they could run in either direction at equivalent speeds (usually 20mph or less). Puffing Billy also had a bigger "brother", the "G" class Garratts (road numbers G40-G42). Built in 1925 by Beyer Peacock & Co Pty Ltd, England, they spent most of their lives on the Moe-Walhalla and the Colac-Beech Forest lines. One garratt, G42, survived and is being restored for operation, to be finished by the turn of the century, availability of funds and craftsmen being the limiting factors. Today the roster of locomotives available is: Road Number Colour Status ----------- ------ ------ 3A Black Out of service, awaiting overhaul 6A Black Currently being overhauled 7A Green In service 8A Black In service 12A Black In service 14A Canadian Red (actually light reddish brown) In service In addition, a Climax loco is turned out for special occasions, althogh this was an import from a forestry line. A Beyer Garratt 2-6-0+-6-2, G42, Puffing Billy's big brother is currently nearing completion and is expected in steam in time for the opening of the line to Gembrook. In addition, an ex-SAR ex-Alfred County Railway NGG16 garratt has been purchased and is being readied for use; its availability is expected from late 1996. To many Victorian and Australian children, the term "Puffing Billy" evokes fabulous memories of tiny steam locos steam battling curves and grades, and rumbling over high wooden trestles in the Dandenong Ranges 40km (25miles) to the east of Melbourne, Victoria. Puffing Billy is the real thing, not re-created history. The railway is the sole survivor of four narrow gauge lines used to develop rural areas of Victoria in the early 1900's. The four lines were 1. Wangaratta - Whitfield in the northern part of the state; this line was built to bring rural produce to the broad gauge line at Wangaratta for transfer on to Melbourne. 2. Moe - Walhalla in the Eastern Highlands of Victoria: this line clambered up into the mountains to serve the gold mining town of Walhalla. 3. Colac - Beech Forest in the southern western part of the state: this line was built to haul out the timber chopped down in the magnificent Otway Ranges (one of the world's greatest stands of mountain ash was totally destroyed, sorry, utilised, in only 30-40 years). 4. Upper Ferntree Gully - Gembrook. The Gembrook railway, on which the Puffing Billy operates is the sole survivor, the other lines having been closed and torn up in the 50's. The Gembrook lined opened in Dec 1900. As with many railways, both then and now, the line reportedly made no money, but had an enormous value in human terms. A landslide in April 1954 closed the line, giving the Railways the excuse it needed to cease operations. A petition of 14,000 signatures was presented to Parliament, and the battle to save Puffing Billy was joined. In Dec 1954, two farewell trips for the line ignited a huge public repsonse and the first Australian preservation society was formed in early 1955. The line staggered on as a tourist line up to the landslide, enthusiasts paying the Railways out of their own pockets to keep the revenue guarantee intact. In 1957, electrification plans were announced and the Victorian Railways closed the line in 1958 and carted off all the rolling stock and gear to Newport for scrapping. The line was converted to Broad Gauge and electrified as far as Belgrave, still the terminus of the suburban line. Meanwhile lobbying convinced the government to permit the re-opening of the line. Army Engineers and volunteers bypassed the landslide; a new station, coal stage and loco shed were built at Belgrave. The line was rehabilitated and rebuilt, reaching its current terminus at Lakeside in 1985. The line is currently being re-built to its original destination at Gembrook, despite opposition from local residents suffering from NIMBY Syndrome and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 1997. This magnificent Railway now employs 30 full-time staff and 500 volunteers. Last year they carried over 200,000 visitors, and is one of Australia' most popular tourist attractions. A Heritage Standards Manual has been written, and an "Era of Significance" from 1900 to 1930 has been defined, encompassing policies on appearance, function, restoration and atmosphere. Structures that do not fit (expedient solutions for loco storage, provision of inappropriate public facilities built in the 60's and 70's) have no place in the future of the Railway. These structures will be removed or renovated in order to reflect the correct period. Puffing Billy must be experienced to be understood, a journey to an era of romance and adventure ..... this line is a "must do" for any visitor to the southern part of Australia. Trains run every day of the year, including Christmas & Easter; several trains a day run on weekends and holidays. The only event that stops PB is a day of "Total Fire Ban", when fire danger is at its most extreme: Victoria, along with California, and the south of France is the world's most dangerous place for forest fires (we call them bushfires). +================================================+ | Climax Geared Locomotive, Class B, No. 1694 | +================================================+ +--------------+ | Introduction | +--------------+ Climax locomotive 1694, one of 20 built in the USA for use in Australia & New Zealand, spent its working life (1928-1949) with the Forests Commission of Victoria on its Tyers River line near Erica. After many years of disuse, it was donated in 1962 to the Puffing Billy Steam Musuem. It has now been restored to operating condition at a cost of $30,000 and through over 8,000 man-hours of voluntary workshops effort. +-----------------------+ | The Locomotive Design | +-----------------------+ The Climax tramway locomotive with its geared drive, short, rigid wheelbase and comprehensive springing was very suitable for the roughly laid track found on most timber tramways. Three basic "types" were offered: A Class: a basic loco, simple in design and lightweight; B Class: ranging in size from 17 to 62 tons of which # 1694 is presumed the last built; and C Class: being 3-truck locomotives of 70, 80 and 90 tons mostly for standard gauge railways. The company commenced in 1866 as the Corry Machine Company, Pennsylvania, USA, becoming the Climax Mower & Reaper Company in 1870 and eventually the Climax Manufacturing Company in 1884. Its products included steam engines (as distinct from locomotives), stills, tanks and drilling rigs. Locomotives were built from 1887 to 1928. +------------+ | Statistics | +------------+ Builder: Climax Manufacturing Company, Corry, PA, USA Type: Type B, 25 ton type, 2ft6in gauge Built: 18 June 1928, Serial # 1694 Boiler: Union Iron Works, Erie, no. 1680-3, 28 May 1928 Operating pressure 200 psi (tested to 300psi) Length 19ft, diameter 41in, tapering to 35 3/16 in. Dimensions: Overall Length: 28ft 6 in. Width: 8ft 3in. Height: 11ft 3in Weight: 25 tons Two 9" x 12" cylinders operated by Stephenson's link motion and driving through tailshafts to two 4-wheel (28" diameter) bogies with a rigid wheelbase of 3ft 9in. Total wheelbase: 21ft 1-3/8in. Tractive effort 11,000lbs. Fuel Capacity: 600 gal. water, one cord of wood or 2,000lbs coal Smokestack: Radley & Hunter +---------+ | History | +---------+ Built to an order placed by G Trowbridge & Company as agents for the Forests Commission. Arrived in Melbourne on the "City of Dalhart" on 14-Aug-1928 and erected at the Victorian Railways Newport Workshops. Delivered to Moe by VR transporter wagon, and transferred by VR narrow gauge from Moe to Tyers Junction on 6-Sep-1928. It entered traffic on the Tyers Valley timber tramway on 7-Sep-1928 when it took six trucks to Collins siding. During 1933, the Climax on several occasions broke axles which were repaired by the State Electricity Commission (SEC) at Yallourn. During 1934, it again broke an axle and overturned. After this incident, the load was reduced from 77 to 61.5 tons (10 trucks) and the boiler pressure was lowered to 160psi. This was to prevent breakages and protect the crews but necessitated the running of two trips daily. Later that year the bogies were fitted with higher tensile steel axles, and the load increased to 12 trucks (73.5 tons). The line closed in 1949 at which time the Climax remained at Tyres Junction. On 28-Nov-1950, it steamed up the tramway to Collins Siding and thence onto the VR line to the State Sawmill at Erica. It was placed on permanent loan with the Puffing Billy Steam Museum in 1962. Restoration work commenced at Belgrave in 1982 and by mid 1988 this locomotive, reported to be the last Class B manufactured, became operational once again. +--------------------+ | Other Climax Locos | +--------------------+ From a total of around 1050 locomotives that were built by this Company, it is claimed that only 28 survive, including three in Australia and New Zealand. Most are unrestored and # 1694 is only the fourth operational in the world today. A 3'6" gauge Type B was acquired in derelict condition by the Tasmanian Transport Museum Society (at Glenorchy, near Hobart). +--------------------+ | Current Operations | +--------------------+ The Climax is steamed and operated every 6-8 weeks to head up what are known as "Commissioners' Inspection Trains" (The Commissioners of the Victorian Railways were wont to organise trains to oversee their railway empire, usually specifiying unusual or special locomotives & consists). No Commissioners now exist in the corporatised Public Transport Corporation, so the term is a quaint reminder of an earlier era. Tickets on this special Saturday operated train are available to members of the public. The day trip starts with an inspection of the Locomotive Service Section and Workshops, including NA class tank locos and the G class garratt in the process of restoration. These areas are normally off-limits to casual visitors to the railway. Departing Belgrave about 10.00am, the Climax leads an NA class 2-6-2 tank locomotive as far as Menzies Creek (3.5mi). The NA then continues with the train unaccompanied for a lunch stop, then onwards to Lakeside, the current terminus, and beyond, along track currently being restored to operation and closed to normal traffic. These special trains are extremely popular and are usually booked out 3-5 months in advance.