Day Out With Thomas^TM

Yes, everyone who enters the event site needs a ticket.

Yes, please print or have your confirmation letter available to view on your mobile phone. 

• Confirmation letters/ tickets will be checked upon entry, and you will be advised of your carriage allocation upon arrival. 

Not at this stage. Kindly contact us on (03) 9757 0700 during business hours and quote your voucher number and which date you would like to book for, as Puffing Billy Railway gift vouchers purchased online cannot be redeemed online.

Please arrive 30 - 45 minutes prior to your train's departure, to allow time to check-in, collect your train tickets, and receive your carriage allocation. 

On days of TOTAL FIRE BAN in the Central Zone, or the whole state of Victoria, Day out With Thomas^TM events will be cancelled.  Should this occur, we will endeavour to contact ticket holders as early as possible.

The train will travel 50 minutes from Lakeside station to Cockatoo and return. There is a short stopover at Cockatoo Station.

Passengers must remain in their allocated carriage during the short stopover at Cockatoo Station. Don't forget to collect your Day Out With Thomas Activity Passport from the Lakeside Visitor Centre booking office window before your journey! It contains crosswords, colouring-in sheets, and dot-to-dot activities to complete during the stopover time!

There will be a carriage allocation system and you will be notified on arrival of your allocation. Kindly ensure that you sit in the carriage you have been assigned.

If you are travelling with someone else and they have booked their tickets separately, please indicate this in the “Notes” field in your online booking. We will do our best to seat you together.

Yes, the time booked upon ticket purchase is your allocated departure time. Passengers must prepare to board 30 - 45 minutes prior to departure. 

Address: Emerald Lake Road, Emerald VIC 3782
Directions: View Google Map
Melway Map: 127 K4
Parking: There are two carpark options in the Emerald Lake Park precinct, which include:

1. Lakeside Visitor Centre carpark (200+ spots) - to access, turn left at the fork on Emerald Lake Road, cross over Lake Treganowan and over the railway level crossing. Follow this road all the way around and past the bus drop-off and accessible parking zone. General parking is to your right.
2. Lakeside (lower) carpark (114 spots) – to access, continue past the fork on Emerald Lake Road where you will find a cul de sac or car park spaces. It is a short five-minute walk from the carpark to Lakeside Station. See map here.

Council-operated ticketed machines – $8 flat fee/day.

Accessible parking is available onsite - refer to the Accessibility section further up on this page for more information. 

Our Day out With Thomas^TM events are assessed on a case by cases basis. In cases of extreme weather, the event may be cancelled at any time at the discretion of management.

In the case of a cancellation, we will endeavor to contact tickets holders as early as possible.

Please see the Terms and Conditions for further information.

Yes, a variety of food is available for purchase onsite at the Lakeside Visitor Centre's Railway Cafe.. You can also pre-purchase a variety of meal deals as part of the booking process.

No prams can be carried onboard the train ride with James and Diesel. A pram bay is available adjacent to the station platform.

Yes, the site is wheelchair accessible, and our friendly staff and volunteers can provide special attention to visitors with reduced mobility. We recommend passengers advise our Customer Service Centre about their requirements via (03) 9757 0700 or info@pbr.org.au at the time of booking and/or at least 24-hours before your travel. A Puffing Billy Railway team member will assist with access and ensure easy entry into and exit from this location.

No pets are allowed at Day out With Thomas^TM.

Guide dogs are the only dogs permitted on the train or onsite.

Photos next to Thomas and Sir Topham Hatt are permitted, however, the following guidelines must be adhered to:

• Photos with Thomas are to be taken at the photo opportunity only.
• Please stand in the designated space allocated.
• No touching of Thomas as he gets very hot.
• No photos inside the cab of the locomotive.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Yes, passengers aged 4 years and over can take part in an iconic experience that cannot be found anywhere else in the world – sitting on the sill of our traditional open-side carriages with your legs hanging out! Find out more about sitting on sills here.