Through the Forest on Puffing Billy
There is something about the sound of a steam train that makes a journey feel different before it has even begun.
At Puffing Billy Railway, just outside Melbourne, the whistle, the steam and the old wooden carriages immediately set the mood.
This is not a miniature or novelty train, but a historic railway that has been running through the Dandenong Ranges since 1900. More than a century later, the old steam engines still carry passengers through the forest much as they once did.
Within minutes of leaving the station, we were surrounded by the tall trees and green fern gullies of the Dandenong Ranges.
For the children, the train itself was the adventure.
For me, it was the forest.
Leaving Melbourne Behind
As the train began to move, houses slowly disappeared and the scenery became greener.
The railway winds through the Dandenong Ranges at an unhurried pace, giving you time to notice the landscape instead of simply passing through it.
Tall eucalyptus trees rise above the tracks, ferns grow along the slopes, and every so often the steam drifts past the carriage windows before disappearing into the forest.
The children were fascinated by the whistle and the sound of the engine, especially whenever the train rounded a bend and we could catch a glimpse of the locomotive ahead.
There was something wonderfully old-fashioned about it all — and knowing that trains had been travelling through these same forests for more than a hundred years made the journey feel even more special.
The Best Seat Is by the Window
One of the things that makes Puffing Billy so memorable is how close you feel to the landscape.
With the open-sided carriages, the forest does not seem separated from you by a large glass window. The cool air comes through, tree branches pass nearby and the rhythm of the train becomes part of the experience.
The children wanted to look at everything.
A bridge.
Another train.
A particularly tall tree.
The clouds of steam disappearing between the branches.
And somewhere along the way, I realised I had stopped looking at my phone and was simply watching the forest pass by too.
A Different Side of Melbourne
When people think of Melbourne, they often picture laneways, cafés, galleries and busy city streets.
The Dandenong Ranges feel like another world.
Less than an hour from the city, the landscape becomes quiet and deeply green, with small towns and forest stretching around the railway.
Puffing Billy fits naturally into that setting.
It is not simply a train ride for children, although they will probably love it.
There is something nostalgic about travelling this way as an adult too — sitting in an old carriage, listening to the engine and watching a landscape pass at a pace slow enough to actually enjoy it.
A Journey Worth Remembering
By the time we reached the end of our journey, the children were still talking about the steam train.
I found myself thinking more about the forest.
The whistle echoing between the trees, the cool air through the carriage and those moments when the train seemed almost completely surrounded by green.
Some places stay with you because of what you see when you arrive.
Puffing Billy was memorable because of everything we saw along the way.
Puffing Billy Railway
1 Old Monbulk Road
Belgrave VIC 3160
Victoria, Australi
Website: puffingbilly.com.au
Phone: +61 3 9757 0700
