Enjoy a fun day out at the Healesville Railway Heritage Festival.
By Mara Pattison-Sowden
STEAM engines of a bygone era will be part of the Healesville Railway Heritage Festival.
The third annual festival will be held on 24 and 25 September with fantastic attractions for all ages.
The crowds role up to celebrate the bygone era of rail and road transport, heritage crafts and more.
While the festival is railway heaven for dedicated rail buffs, it has broad appeal with lots of displays and activities for families.
The Yarra Valley Tourist Railway Society’s (YVTRS) fleet of engines and carriages, in various stages of restoration, will be open for inspection; there will be horse and buggy rides around the town and the ex-Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways Board bus will run a shuttle service between the station and the town-ship over the weekend.
The pride and joy of the YVTRS, the fully restored railmotor will take passengers from the station, through the historic, and reputedly haunted tunnel to Tunnel Hill.
The hope is to eventually run a service between Yarra Glen and Healesville, but the next project will see trolley trips between Yarra Glen and the Train Trak winery by late 2012.
All proceeds from the day go towards the restoration of the railway, at $5 per head and children under 12 free.
There will be demonstrations by woodturners, woodcarvers and blacksmiths, vintage cars and trucks will be on show and the Yarra Valley Machinery Preservation Society will be there with their eclectic display of steam engines.
The café at the railway station will be in full throttle with great food and drink. The festival will run from 10am to 4pm each day.
Visit www.yarravalleyrailway .org.au for further information.
