Victorian Goldfields Railway in Maldon, Victoria | Travel and transport

Victorian Goldfields Railway

Locality: Maldon, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 5470 6658

Address: 10 Reef Street 3455 Maldon, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.vgr.com.au

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• Railway company

23.01.2022 True History of the Kelly Gang came out on Stan on Australia Day 2020. The very first day of production was spent filming at our railway. Here are a few behind the scenes images of that day back in mid-2018.

23.01.2022 The Railway is supported by a number of businesses and we'd like to give a shout-out to Clark Rubber Bendigo for their recent generous donation. If you're in Bendigo, say Hi to the team there and thank them for their support.

23.01.2022 Our Young Volunteers are running the railway tomorrow. Get your tickets online to ensure you have a seat!

23.01.2022 STEAM'S BACK! This Sunday, steam returns to the Victorian Goldfields Railway. Over the summer period, our Workshop team have been busy carrying out regular scheduled maintenance on our oil-burning locomotive, J549. The first steam-hauled trains of the year are always popular, so we suggest booking your tickets in advance at http://www.vgr.com.au/timetable_blue.php. We can't wait to see you on-board soon!

22.01.2022 Like the rest of the nation, we're in awe of the efforts of the volunteer firefighters of the CFA and to make a small contribution to their work, we're donating $1 from every ticket sold in January and February 2020 to our local brigades. Plus, everyone booking tickets online for travel during January and February 2020 can enjoy 25% off normal fares using the promo code SUMMER25. Enjoy a day out in country Victoria, support country businesses and the CFA too. Tickets can be booked online at http://www.vgr.com.au/bookonline.php

22.01.2022 We really enjoyed having Santa and friends join us last weekend to meet and greet everyone on board our trains. Santa will be back this Sunday, December 22 and will have a gift for each child travelling with us. To ensure your place on the train, book your tickets in advance at http://www.vgr.com.au/santa.php

20.01.2022 This coming Wednesday, December 18, we'll be operating our heritage diesel on our regular services rather than our steam engine, due to the forecast heat in our region. You'll still enjoy a great ride and we'd love you to join us. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.vgr.com.au/bookonline.php

20.01.2022 Victorian Goldfields Railway presents Santa Trains 2019! It will be Christmas fun for everyone so why not join Santa and his helpers when they take a ride on our Heritage train on Sunday 15th & Sunday 22nd December 2019 Return Steam train rides depart Maldon station at 10.30am and 2.45pm or Castlemaine station at 12.00 Midday. Our heritage carriages feature family friendly compartments and we have a wheelchair accessible saloon carriage on all our trains.... Take advantage of the savings available with our special family tickets to ride with Santa & his helpers (in excursion class only). And to make sure you get into the Christmas spirit every Child travelling on the train receives a free toy from Santa and his helpers! Pack a picnic to enjoy on board, at one of Maldon's parks, at the station or simply wander down to one of the many cafes in town and let them do the cooking for you. Although tickets are normally available at stations on the day of travel, bookings are preferable to guarantee a seat and are easily booked online at vgr.com.au

17.01.2022 It's the school holidays and we're excited to be welcoming so many visitors on board our trains. This Wednesday, our 12:00pm departure from Castlemaine is almost full, but we do have seats on the 10:30am departure from Maldon, returning at 4:00pm. If you're looking to join us on Wednesday, you can book online and guarantee a place on the train at http://www.vgr.com.au/bookonline.php

14.01.2022 The Victorian Goldfields Railway is a community organisation, and we consider the health, wellbeing and safety of the not only our volunteers but also the community to be our utmost priority. In line with Government guidance, we suspended all train operations after the running of the last train on Sunday 22nd March. We will keep our social media channels and website updated, however we obviously cannot give any guidance as to when we can reopen.... While these uncertain times are hitting the tourism and heritage sectors hard, we acknowledge the hurt and pain suffered by everyone around us. Young and old. You can continue to support the Victorian Goldfields Railway, by making a tax-deductible donation or by purchasing an open-ended gift certificate so we can continue to make plans for post-COVID-19 We encourage everyone to regularly consult the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines and recommendations health.gov.au or call the Australian Government Department of Health Coronavirus Information Line on 1800 020 080. And please be aware of online scammers. Thank you for your support and understanding during this difficult time. All of us at the VGR wish you and your families good health given the circumstances, and we look forward to welcoming you on Central Victoria’s must-do activity.soon.

13.01.2022 Railfans across Australia will be converging on Newport Workshops this weekend to experience railway history come to life. Our partners at Steamrail Victoria will be hosting the biennial Newport Workshops Open Days, with A2 986, D3 639, K153, K190, R711, R761 and 130 year-old Y112 in steam. PLUS - Heritage Diesels & Electric locomotives, - The preserved electric ‘Red Rattler’ Tait Set,... - Railmotor RM58 from DERMPAV - 100+ year old Victorian & South Australian carriages open for public inspection OTHER DISPLAYS - Guided Tours of the 132 year old railway workshops - See how the only remaining operational Steam Locomotive Weighbridge in Australia works - An operational Bren Gun Carrier - identical to those built in the workshops for WWII - Displays showcasing the workshops’ rich railway & wartime history - Enjoy a game of ‘Trugo’ under the clocktower - the 1920s sport invented at the workshops - Vintage Cars & Machinery, Railway Models & Historic Displays - Displays from local history groups - Seaworks Maritime Museum, HMAS Castlemaine & Williamstown Historical Society - 1940s Club Car ‘Moorabool’ serving light snacks & refreshments NEWPORT RAILWAY MUSEUM Included with your ticket is free entry to the Newport Railway Museum. Visit the 140 year-old F176 or Victoria's largest locomotive, the famous Heavy Harry. Also open for viewing will be the heritage North Williamstown Signal Box, O-Gauge model railway and various suburban rail carriages dating from the 1888 'Swing Door' to the 1980 'Hitachi' and 1983 'Grey Ghost' carriages. Tickets and details are available at https://www.trybooking.com/book/event

13.01.2022 K160 Overhaul Update - 9-5-20 Over the past week several things have been happening down at Newport Workshops on K160 by our dedicated team. The wheels, which were pressure washed clean, have had all remaining scale and paint removed using a needle gun. The wheels are almost ready for priming and painting. ... The boiler has been lifted slightly to remove ‘studs’ so that new ones can be fitted. These studs help to hold the Ash Pan (where the fire falls into) in place. The Ash Pan itself (which needs to be completely rebuilt) is currently under construction in Maldon and we are placing an order shortly for more metal to complete it. The air tanks (Main Reservoir tanks as they are known) that store air for the locomotive brakes, have been placed back in between the frames. Finally, many rivets have been removed at the rear of the locomotive in order to remove and replace sheet metal that is worn and can no longer be used. Restoration of a steam locomotive is a long process however little by little it’s all getting done. Our dedicated volunteers are working away as much as they can to bring the locomotive back to steam by 2022; which will help to celebrate 100 years of the K class locomotives. If you would like to help us achieve this goal, please consider donating to the K160 Project via our website. www.vgr.com.au

12.01.2022 There are still tickets available to travel on our train to the very popular Maldon Twilight Dinner and a handful of seats available at the dinner. This is an amazing event and sells out each year. See full details at: https://facebook.com/events/931956450477964/?ti=icl

11.01.2022 A Christmas Gift For Everybody! This festive season why not buy a VGR Gift Certificate and.provide a memorable experience for a friend or loved one with a nostalgic ride on the wonderful Victorian Goldfields Railway? Our Gift Certificates cater for a wide range of tastes and styles from our Premium First Class Gift Package to an excursion class trip back in time.... -For the Craft Beer lover we have Ales on Rails Gift Certificates -Fun for the whole family with an Excursion Class family ticket -A great idea for work colleagues, to reward an employee or simply to say thank you to someone special. -The perfect gift for the person who is hard to buy for, for Rail Enthusiasts or those who prefer an experience over material gifts. There is no expiry date on any of our gift certificates! For more information and to purchase online, click the link below: http://www.vgr.com.au/shop.php Order now for postal delivery before Christmas. Allow 7 days for processing and post.

11.01.2022 Restoration work on our resident workhorse K160 has been picking up over the last few weeks. K160 was built at Newport in December 1940 and has returned there in 2014 for a major overhaul. Over the past few weeks our team has been busy, at Steamrail Victoria, completing the following: -Frames and boiler needle-gunned clean... -Frames painted -Boiler coated in high-temperature paint -Main reservoir air tanks cleaned and painted -Driving wheels and pony truck assembly heavily de-greased -Driving and pony wheels pressure washed -Ash pan studs heated and removed -Boiler fittings on top of the firebox removed to check and/or replace studs -Front tube plate works -Cab removed and cleaned with a needle gun. This will allow the interior to be painted so ICE radio wiring and lighting can be fitted -Polishing parts of the motion gear There is a lot of work to do in the coming months and we need your help to fund the remaining work to return the locomotive to steam for 2022: 100 years of the K class. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made at http://www.vgr.com.au/k160appeal.php

10.01.2022 Like a lot of other organisations, we've been unable to operate our much-loved heritage trains between Castlemaine and Maldon due to the COVID-19 restrictions. However, our volunteers have been using this break to undertake some really exciting work. We're always keen to raise funds to support their efforts, so if you can spare a dollar or two, you'll be helping to keep your railway going. Donations are tax deductible and can be made at http://www.vgr.com.au/donations.php We haven't got a definite date as to when we will resume running between Castlemaine and Maldon. As soon as government restrictions allow, we'll let everyone know via our website and via Facebook.

09.01.2022 While we can't run any passenger trains at the moment, we have been very busy lately, installing sleepers generously supplied by the Level Crossing Removal Project. These donated items make a huge difference to our railway and we're very pleased that we can make use of these second-hand materials.

05.01.2022 There are some tours that only happen once in a generation and this trip, being run by Cruise Express includes a trip from Castlemaine to Maldon with the Victorian Goldfields Railway, along with a number of days with our good friends at Steamrail Victoria. Make sure you check out the details via the link below. This is a tour that will be truly memorable.

02.01.2022 While COVID-19 restrictions don't allow us to operate public services, we have been busy improving the railway for our passengers over the past few months. Our Melbourne-based volunteers haven't been able to visit the railway recently but our volunteers who live in regional Victoria have been very busy. As soon as restrictions allow, we'll be looking forward to welcoming passengers back under our COVID-Safe plan to visit Maldon and Castlemaine.