Puffing Billy Railway: with your legs hanging out of the steam train

One of the nicest day trips from Melbourne? For us, without a doubt, Puffing Billy Railway. This historic steam train has been running through the forests of the Dandenong Ranges for more than a century and is now one of Victoria’s best-known attractions.

What makes this train special is that you sit in open carriages and – as tradition goes here – are allowed to dangle your legs outside the train. That may sound a bit odd, but that is exactly what makes the experience so unique. It is not super comfortable and you will end up with soot particles on your legs, but it is fun!

On a warm day in March (35 degrees!), we boarded in Belgrave and took a ride through the forest toward Emerald Lake Park. It turned into a ride full of steam, whistle sounds, beautiful bridges, and an unexpected shower of black coal particles.

What is Puffing Billy Railway?

Puffing Billy is a historic narrow-gauge steam train that runs through the forests of Dandenong Ranges National Park, about an hour’s drive east of Melbourne.

The railway opened in 1900 and had a very different purpose back then than it does now. The train was used to:

• transport timber from the mountains
• bring agricultural products to Melbourne
• connect small towns in the region with each other

As better roads were built, the train was eventually used less and was even closed in the 1950s. Fortunately, local volunteers wanted to save the railway line. Thanks to their efforts, Puffing Billy reopened in the 1960s as a tourist attraction through reopening as a tourist attraction.

And successfully so: today it is one of the best-preserved historic railway lines in the world.

The name “Puffing Billy” comes from the sound of the steam locomotive. While the train is moving, you constantly hear the familiar “puff… puff… puff…” of the steam engine.

The Puffing Billy route

The full railway line runs from Belgrave to Gembrook and is about 24 kilometers long. Along the way, the train passes through dense eucalyptus forests, along ravines, also past plenty of residential homes, and over old wooden bridges.

Most visitors choose one of these routes.

Belgrave → Lakeside (the most popular route)

This is by far the most popular option.

• travel time: about 1 hour one way
• departure point: Belgrave Station
• final stop: Emerald Lake Park

At Emerald Lake Park, you can get off for a while and:

• walk around the lake
• have a picnic
• have a coffee
• visit the visitor centre

After that, you board the train back to Belgrave.

The full experience usually takes around 3 to 4 hours. We chose this route ourselves as well, so our experience is based on this route. We had lunch by the lake here and picked up something tasty at the restaurant. To be honest, it is not the most spectacular place in Australia, but it is nice to see anyway, especially because of the train experience.

Belgrave → Gembrook (longest route)

If you want to experience the full railway line, you can continue all the way to Gembrook.

This ride takes:

• about 1 hour and 50 minutes one way

Gembrook is a small village with a few cafés, shops, and a park near the station. The full experience can easily take 5 to 6 hours.

Our experience with Puffing Billy

We visited Puffing Billy during our road trip through Australia. It was a hot day: the thermometer hit 35 degrees. When temperatures rise above 40 degrees, the train ride does not run, so we were still lucky.

We boarded in Belgrave, the main station of Puffing Billy. As soon as you arrive there, you already notice that this is not an ordinary train ride. The station feels a bit like stepping into an open-air museum: old station buildings, historic locomotives, and the smell of steam and coal everywhere. When the train arrived, we immediately saw what everyone comes for: the open carriages. In high season, it is naturally quite busy here.

The benches are placed sideways to the direction of travel and there is no window – only an opening. That means you can literally sit on the edge of the carriage with your legs hanging outside the train. It does not really matter whether you sit facing the right or wrong way. If you are sitting on the less ideal side, you simply take the good side on the return journey.

With your legs hanging out of the train

On the way there, we sat all the way at the back of the train. That gave a nice overview of all the carriages in front of us while the train slowly puffed its way through the forest. It also made quite a difference in terms of sound. Because on the return journey we sat at the front… and that was a lot noisier!

You constantly hear the steam sound of the locomotive, the train whistle, and the creaking of the tracks. It feels a bit like taking a time trip back by one hundred years.

The famous bridge

One of the highlights of the ride is the Monbulk Creek Trestle Bridge. This is a large wooden bridge that the train slowly crosses.

From the carriages, you have a perfect view of the valley below. This is also the spot where almost everyone grabs their camera.

Coal particles everywhere

There was just one small detail we were not fully prepared for. Because the locomotive runs on coal, tiny coal particles fly through the air during the ride. And yes… they ended up on us too. Halfway through the trip, we noticed that we were slowly getting covered in black coal particles.

At one point my wife made an improvised face mask to keep the worst of it out. Looking back, we mainly laughed about it, but it is good to know if you are planning to do this train ride. Do not wear white trousers, but it is not that bad either.

At the front on the return trip

On the way back, we sat right at the very front of the train. This is because the train is turned around at the stop, while your carriage stays in the same position.

That gave us a completely different perspective. Now we could see the locomotive in front of us and clearly watch how the steam clouds rose from the train while we rode through the forest.

How long does the Puffing Billy experience take?

This mainly depends on the route you choose. On average, you can expect:

Belgrave → Lakeside
about 3 to 4 hours total

Belgrave → Gembrook
about 5 to 6 hours

It is wise to set aside half a day for it. But it is also nice to combine it with a wine tasting in Yarra Valley. We ended the afternoon at Napoleone Cider & Orchard Bar for the famous apple ciders from this area!

Tickets for Puffing Billy

You should almost always book tickets online in advance. Especially on weekends and during school holidays, the trains sell out quickly. So make sure you book weeks ahead as well, especially for the most convenient times.

Check the current prices and availability for Puffing Billy

Average prices:

• adults: about $55 – $80 AUD
• children: cheaper
• family tickets available

Practical tips for Puffing Billy

After our ride on Puffing Billy, we quickly realized that a few small things can make your experience just a bit nicer. It is not a complicated activity, but with these tips you will be better prepared:

Choose the Belgrave → Lakeside route
This is, in our opinion, the best option. You get a beautiful ride, can get off for a while at Emerald Lake, and are not immediately e

Book your tickets well in advance
Puffing Billy is popular, and you really notice that on weekends and during school holidays. Trains are often fully booked days (sometimes even weeks) in advance. Booking at the last minute is therefore quite risky.

Check the current prices and availability for Puffing Billy

Preferably go early in the day
The first trains are usually the quietest. Later in the day it gets much busier and you are more likely to end up in a less ideal seat in the carriage.

Bring sunglasses (and maybe a cap)
You sit in open carriages without windows, so you get plenty of sun. Especially on hot days – like ours at 35 degrees – that is not an unnecessary luxury.

Keep in mind the flying coal particles
The train still runs on coal, and you can notice that. During the ride, small black particles fly through the air. By the end of the trip, we were literally covered in black specks. Not a problem, but good to know.

Leave your best white outfit at home
Sounds logical after the tip above. Your less precious clothes are simply the better choice here, or at least bare legs.

Combine Puffing Billy with Yarra Valley

Many people combine Puffing Billy with a visit to Yarra Valley. We did that too. Yarra Valley is about an hour’s drive from Melbourne and is known as one of Australia’s oldest wine regions.

The landscape here consists of:

• rolling hills
• vineyards
• small farms
• quiet country roads

Besides wine, you will also find many cider producers here. We stopped at Napoleone Cider for a cider tasting. That was a nice change after the train ride. Especially on a warm day, a cold cider is very welcome.

Overnight stay in Yarra Valley

We ended that day in a special place: a camping spot on the property of an Australian couple with a huge piece of land. From our camper spot, we looked out over the vineyards.

It was a bit exciting, because we had no electrical hook-up, so the air conditioning did not work and it was still 34 degrees. Our camper is self-contained, but without power you have to rely on open windows and doors. Fortunately, it cooled down a little at night and there was a nice breeze. In the end, we slept surprisingly well.

Waking up in the morning with a beautiful view over the vineyards, which we had also already enjoyed the evening before!

Where to stay in the Dandenong Ranges

Looking for a hotel or accommodation near Puffing Billy? Then the best places to look are:

• Belgrave
• Olinda
• Sassafras
• Yarra Valley

Here you can easily find accommodation from the Puffing Billy departure station:

Combine Puffing Billy with Phillip Island

After our Puffing Billy day, we drove on to Phillip Island. This island is about 2 hours’ drive from the Dandenong Ranges and is known for the famous penguin parade, beautiful beaches, and its wildlife.

I wrote a separate blog about Phillip Island with the highlights!

Is Puffing Billy worth it?

For us: absolutely.

It is simply one of those experiences that feels just a little different. You are not sitting on a standard train, but in an open carriage where you – as is customary here – hang your legs outside. Meanwhile, the train is still running on steam, you constantly hear the puffing sound of the locomotive, and you slowly travel through the forests of the Dandenong Ranges.

That combination is exactly what makes it special. The surroundings are beautiful, but it is especially the way you travel through them that makes it fun.

Yes, it is touristy. You can definitely notice that. But at the same time, it still feels surprisingly authentic. It is not a fake experience; this is simply a train that has been running here for more than 100 years, with everything that comes with that.

And honestly: how often do you still get the chance, as an adult traveler, to dangle your legs out of a train again? That is exactly what makes Puffing Billy so much fun.

Check the current prices and availability for Puffing Billy