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 note, your Day Out With Thomas will begin at Emerald Station. Please arrive 30 minutes prior to your train's departure, to allow time to check-in 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 45 minutes from Emerald to Cockatoo, before arriving at Lakeside and the Lakeside Visitor Centre for a 3-hour stopover. On the return journey from Lakeside back to Emerald, the train ride is 10 minutes in duration.

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 minutes prior to departure. 

Puffing Billy Railway have designated parking available at the Emerald Avenue Reserve located via Memorial Avenue, Emerald. There will be a 2-minute drop off zone at the event site entrance.

Disabled parking is accessible via Memorial Avenue, Emerald.

Parking fee: $5 per vehicle - please bring change.

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. You can pre-purchase an adult or kids picnic pack to enjoy in the Emerald Lake Park precinct or dine-in at the Centre's Railway Cafe.

Yes, prams are permitted onsite and can be carried on board the trains. Due to the heritage nature of our carriages, prams that are wider and larger in size can be placed in a separate carriage during your journey. We recommend prams with larger wheels to cater for rail crossings.

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 at the time of booking and/or before your travel.

Please note:

• Parking for disabled parking permit holders is available onsite via Memorial Avenue, Emerald.
• The platform from which you board the train is not the same height as the carriage doors.  A ramp (75cm in width) is available to provide wheelchair access to the carriages. Please see one of our friendly volunteers on the platform for assistance before your train ride.
• Wheelchair accessible toilets are located at Emerald Station.

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.
• Maintain 1.5m distance between other people, when queuing to get your photo taken.
• Photos with Sir Topham Hatt are permitted, however, you must remain 1.5m apart.
• No touching of Thomas, as he gets very hot after he has been working.
• No photos inside the cab of the locomotive.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Passengers are not permitted to sit on the carriage sill with legs out for Day Out With Thomas.