This is Puffing Billy, a steam engine train that travels through the Dandenongs. It's one of those things to cross off your Melbourne area "to-do's," and since I had a 25% off coupon, we gave it a whirl. It was kind of cool, at least for a little while.
The fun part was that they let you sit on the edge with your legs and arms hanging out of the train while it's moving. I can't imagine them ever letting you do that in the United States; there would be lawsuit possibilities galore! The steam was also neat; it looked especially cool when we went through areas full of trees. And everywhere we went, people were outside, parked below, or stopped at the intersection waving at us. Everyone loves Puffing Billy!
The trip was a bit long though. It got old (and cold) after awhile. We did the trip from Belgrave to Lakeside, which is about an hour each way, but there is an even longer one that goes two hours each way. I would think that would get pretty boring. On the way back, we sat in the closed-in cart with glass windows to stay warm. It was an interesting thing to do once, but I wouldn't pay full price, and I don't think I'd do it again. But hey, it was fun for an afternoon, and we can say we've been on the Puffing Billy steam engine train!
In a totally unrelated note, don't try to come visit Melbourne today! Lots of flights are cancelled around Australia because of the ash cloud from the volcano in Chile. Several people are stuck in Tasmania or New Zealand from the long holiday weekend. Yikes!
