Dangling Legs on Puffing Billy: A Fun and Scenic Ride on Australia’s Heritage Steam Train

Puffing Billy Railway is a heritage railway in Melbourne, Australia that runs on a narrow-gauge track. It is one of the most popular steam railways in the world and attracts tourists from all over the globe. It travels through lush forests, scenic hills and quaint towns.
The railway was built in 1900 to serve the local farming and timber community in the Dandenong Ranges. It was one of the five narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways that opened around the beginning of the 20th century.
The railway got its name from the steam locomotives that puffed and wheezed along the tracks, often struggling to climb the steep hills. The locals nicknamed the trains "Puffing Billy" after a famous London horse-drawn fire engine.
The railway was closed in 1954 after a landslide blocked the line between Selby and Menzies Creek. A group of enthusiasts formed the Puffing Billy Preservation Society in 1955 to save the railway and restore it to its original condition.
The railway is famous for its tradition of passengers sitting on the carriage sills and dangling their legs over the side. This practice was temporarily suspended in 2020 due to safety concerns but was reinstated in 2022 after public demand.