Rob Dawson
Since 1962, Puffing Billy has carried over 11 million passengers, generating $30-$40m each year in tourism dollars to Victoria. It is the third most popular tourist attraction in Victoria after the Great Ocean Road and the Penguins. It carries 410,000 passengers a year. Aside from the return trip, other PB activities include Murder on the Puffing Billy Express, jazz nights, wedding trains, divorce trains, sending off ashes in the firebox, Thomas the Tank weekends.
Puffing Billy has between 60 and 100 paid employees and the largest group of volunteers after the CFA/SES.
Rob also gave us a history of various narrow gauge lines in Victoria and of the Puffing Billy Belgrave to Emerald line in particular.