With early morning light pouring in through the windows, the crew of 8A propel it forward with a burst of steam towards the doors at the front of the running shed on the day of the railway's 119th birthday.
On the morning of its official relaunch into service, NG/G16 129 bakes in the morning summer sun at Belgrave outside the running shed.
On its second test run from Belgrave, NG/G16 129 erupts over the Monbulk Creek trestle bridge early one November morning, bound for Gembrook. Unfortunately, the test run was cancelled at Menzies Creek with a fault in the ashpan.The workshops team have a blog full of posts detailing the rebuild of this iconic South African steam locomotive that's well worth a read - https://puffingbilly.com.au/news/workshop-blog/
14A struggles to regain adhesion on the greasy rails behind Selby primary school as it heads towards Lakeside station with the first train of the day.
Struggling to maintain adhesion on the wet rails around Fielder, the NGG sends a column of black smoke skywards as it recovers from a wheelslip during its ascent from Cockatoo to Gembrook.
Surrounded by the warm tones of Autumn, 12A navigates the curves around Landslide with a very full train from Belgrave to Lakeside.
With the last gasp of daylight sparking across the mountain gray gums above Monbulk Creek, 8A makes light work of its small mixed goods train bound for Gembrook.
As the fire is dropped on 14A steam and smoke gather in the still night air, shrouding the youngest surviving NA class locomotive. 14A had just returned from Nobelius Siding with one of Puffing Billy Railway's regular dinner trains.
Leaving the confines of Sherbrooke Forest, sunlight pierces the cloudy sky at just the right moment to capture 8A and 12A storming out of Belgrave. Sherbrooke Forest is home to some of Victoria's most iconic flora and fauna, including the elusive lyrebird, towering tree ferns, and mountain ash: the tallest flowering plant in the world. The two NA-class steam engines are well over 100 years old and see daily use on Puffing Billy Railway. The bridge is equally historic, with timbers dating back to the early 1900s per the dates carved into them. Credit where credit is due! Thanks to Dave for finding this angle.
12A storms up Fielder bank with a wood collection train to Gembrook.
With the sun still hiding below the horizon, 12A prepares for its day ahead with a wood collection special to Gembrook.
12A leads 8A across the Monbulk Creek trestle bridge on a cool winters morning in 2021 with the first train of the day for Lakeside.
12A leads 8A through the towering gum trees around Lakeside with a shuttle train to Emerald for the Variety children's charity. Regular viewers will note that 12A and 8A are facing different directions: taking advantage of the special event, the crew of 12A opted to turn the locomotive at Emerald station: the loco continued like this through the day, with 8A on one end of the train and 12A on the other, operating in push-pull fashion. On the last departure from Lakeside the two locos were marshalled bunker-to-bunker, possibly for the first time in 20 years.
Typically, all locos on Puffing Billy Railway are facing away from Belgrave: it's a rare occasion that something gets turned around. On 17th August 2023, while the Variety children's charity had the entire railway booked out, the loco crews of 12A opted to spin the locomotive on the turntable at Emerald. For the day, 12A and 8A (out of frame) ran push-pull shuttles between Emerald and Lakeside: one set of carriages with a steam loco on either end.
Charging uphill towards Menzies Creek, 8A leads 7A over the Monbulk Creek trestle bridge and into the suburb of Selby with the first train of the day for Lakeside.
Steam returns to the Dandenong Ranges in November 2020 in triumphant style, as G42 crosses the Monbulk Creek trestle bridge with a shakedown train from Belgrave to Emerald. After 250 days of forced closure due to Coronavirus, the iconic steam railway is set to reopen to the public in late November.
Smoke and steam from 14A catches the tips of sunlight peeking above the towering gums as the youngest surviving NA-class locomotive crosses the Monbulk Creek trestle bridge with a Gembrook train from Belgrave.
Melbourne's first taste of summer - a 40-degree day in the Dandenong Ranges - also heralded the relaunch of NG/G16 129 into revenue service. With fellow Garratt-type locomotive G42 in tow, the duo makes a roaring arrival into Menzies Creek with the 12:30 luncheon train from Belgrave. After arrival the "NGG" cut off from the front of the train and meandered up into the museum compound for its official relaunch ceremony.
Nearing the end of the temporary speed restriction at Landslide, the crews open the regulators and send smoke flying into the canopy as they navigate a forest floor carpeted with the last gasp of autumn colour.
