Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, is a great place
to visit if you are interested in trains or trams.
Make the most of your time here by letting a local
enthusiast guide you along the most interesting routes or to
the best observation locations.
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Diesel-Electric Rail-motor RM58 near Yarrawonga in Northern Victoria. |
WHAT ATTRACTIONS ARE THERE FOR RAILFANS?
For the railway enthusiast, the beautiful
state of Victoria and its graceful capital city, Melbourne, can
offer:
- 5 different railway gauges, including some mixed gauges
- an extensive electric suburban network
- steam-hauled trains on regular mainline tours, regular passenger services, as well as tourist railways
- diesel-electric loco-hauled and railcar inter-urban and inter-city trains
- diesel-electric loco-hauled and XPT interstate passenger trains
- diesel-electric loco-hauled intra-state and interstate freight trains
- an underground City Loop
- government, private, and tourist railways
- railway museums
- live-steam miniature railways, and model railway shops and exhibitions
For the tramway enthusiast:
- Melbourne has one of the most extensive electric tramway systems in the world, being the biggest outside Europe with 236 kilometres of track and over 40 routes operated by nearly 600 trams.
- There are tourist tramways in two elegant provincial cities, Ballarat and Bendigo.
- A tramway museum exists at Bylands, about one hour's drive from the city centre, and another has been established in Melbourne.
- Tramcars in regular service in Melbourne include vintage 4-wheel and bogie types as well as modern bogie and articulated vehicles.
- Trackwork interest includes street running, segregated track, light-rail, and a rare "grand union" junction.
- You can dine while you travel on one of the three Restaurant Trams.
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WHAT SERVICES ARE OFFERED BY RAILFAN GUIDED
TOURS?
If you have specific interests and
wishes, we will prepare an itinerary that suits you and then
guide you on the trips or to the places concerned.
Alternatively, you can choose ideas from the
suggestions below They can be adapted and combined in many ways
to meet your preferences. For example, you can:
- Ride the most interesting routes.
- Visit terminals, busy junctions, or depots to see a range of rolling-stock.
- Photograph or observe passing trains or trams from unusual vantage points.
- Visit railway or tramway museums.
- Ride vintage trams in regular service or on special tours, or on one of the tourist tramways described below.
- Ride vintage trains on mainline special tours or on one of the tourist railways described below.
There are nearly twenty tourist railways and
tramways and museums operating in Victoria, each with its own
special character. Some of these are described below. (Approximate times for travel by car are given
in brackets, based on a return trip from central Melbourne at
a comfortable speed with sightseeing and refreshment breaks.
For a similar itinerary, public transport travel may take longer.)
Bendigo, an elegant gold-rush
era city, has talking trams. These vintage tramcars travel for 4 kilometres
along one of the old routes while a recorded commentary tells of the history
of the area. There are 31 trams in the fleet, including 5 Birney cars,
housed in the oldest tram-shed still in use in Australia. Services operate
every day. (6 hours)
Ballarat, another
grand gold-rush era city, has preserved a section of track at
Lake Wendouree, near the Botanical Gardens. Eleven single-truck
and bogie trams and a horse-drawn tram form an operating museum
and run along 1.3 kilometres of original track. Trams run at
weekends and on holidays. (5 hours)
The Victorian Goldfields Railway operates
from Maldon, an old gold-mining town largely preserved in its
original form. Steam and diesel-electric locos and a vintage
diesel-electric rail-motor operate services, which run on Sundays
and holidays. (5 hours)
"Puffing Billy" is a popular 762 mm (2' 6") gauge railway which
winds its way through the beautiful Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne.
The line was opened in 1900, closed by a landslide in 1954, and
re-opened as a tourist railway in 1962. Tiny 2-6-2 tank locomotives
and a Climax operate steam-hauled services and there are two
diesel locos as well. There is also a railway museum along the
line, at Menzies Creek, open at weekends and on public holidays.
Trains operate every day. (4 hours)
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The South Gippsland Railway winds through the lush rolling hills of South Gippsland between Nyora and Leongatha. Services are provided by steam or diesel-electric loco-hauled trains, a vintage diesel-electric railmotor, or ex-South Australian railcars. (5 hours)
The Yarra Valley Railway, based at Healesville, is still being developed but possesses a number of locomotives and other rolling-stock and operates trolley rides on some weekends. (4 hours)
The Alexandra Timber Tramway and Museum features logging and sawmill tramway history. There is a growing collection of rolling stock and timber industry equipment, and a 610 mm (2 ft.) railway operates around the site on some Sundays and holidays. (5 hours)
The Daylesford Spa Country Railway is based at the spa town of Daylesford and specialises in restoring and operating vintage rail-motors and railcars. Trains run every Sunday. (5 hours)
The Mornington Tourist Railway operates steam and diesel-electric loco-hauled trains along a restored section of the Baxter to Mornington branch line. Trains run on the first Sunday of every month and on public holidays. (4 hours)
The Walhalla Goldfields Railway operates on a restored section of the former Moe to Walhalla 762 mm (2' 6") gauge railway. Currently diesel-operated, WGR has a steam loco under restoration. (5 hours)
For Railfans looking for other Rail related Internet sites. Take a look at ourRailfan Links page.
Prices can be found in the Prices and Conditions section.
- To book, use the Booking Form, or:
- Phone or fax us on (+61 3 / 03) 9848 8599
- Send an E-mail message to gtours@dd.com.au
- Write to 23 Baird St., Doncaster, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3108.
Railfan Guided Tours, a division of Timesaver
Guided Tours, is an accredited member of the Victorian Tourism
Operators Association.
Agents enquiries welcome.
