About this position

With early starts from approx. 6.30 am, you will prepare, clean and polish Puffing Billy Railway’s locomotives to ensure they always look their best for our visitors. This role suits someone interested in the preservation of locomotives and mechanical equipment, has an eye for detail and isn’t afraid of getting their hands dirty!

Engine cleaning is a great way to understand how the railway works and is the first step on the training pathway towards becoming a Guard / Signalman, Fireman, Steam Locomotive Driver, and more!

With early morning light pouring in through the windows, the crew of 8A propel it forward with a burst of steam towards the doors at the front of the running shed on the day of the railway's 119th birthday.
Photo by Michael Greenhill

No prior qualifications required. Training provided. 

This role is based at our historic Belgrave workshops. Time commitment preferred: 1 shift every two weeks.

View the full Engine Cleaner role description (PDF)

Pathways to other roles

Volunteering application process

The first step to becoming a Puffing Billy Railway volunteer is to submit an Expression of Interest.

Puffing Billy Railway is committed to providing positive experiences for children in an environment that’s caring, nurturing and safe.  We are proudly a Child Safe organisation and employ a range of screening practices as part of the selection process. All applicants are required to have started the process of gaining a volunteer Working with Children check HERE, we will also be running a National Criminal History Check as part of our onboarding process.

Puffing Billy Railway volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.

Ready to Join Our Story? Apply today!

Apply today or simply find out more about what to expect.

What's Next?

Phone Interview

Once you have submitted an Expression of Interest, a member of our People & Culture team will be in touch to conduct a short telephone interview and get to know you a little more.

Info Session

From the telephone interview, we hope to invite you to attend an online information session where you can learn more about our railway and hear from present volunteers and staff, lots of opportunities to ask questions! These sessions are held once per month, please email volunteering@pbr.org.au for a link to the next session

Pathways Program

Suitable candidates will then progress to our Pathways Program, this will provide you with an introduction to the Railway and our training pathways. This half day program includes a behind the scenes tour of our railway where you get to see, smell, and get a real feel for the railway in all its glory!

E-Learning

During this stage of the application process, candidates will complete their mandatory compliance training modules via their individual log ins. These are a series of online tasks undertaken as eLearning and can be completed in the comfort of your own home. 

Crimcheck & Working With Children Check

Puffing Billy Railway is proudly a Child Safe Organisation and our selection process includes a range of screening processes, this includes a National Criminal History Check and Working With Children Check, which is completed by the People & Culture team.

Health Assessment

Volunteers will undertake a Category 3 Rail Safety Worker Health Assessment. You can read more about health and fitness requirements in the volunteer FAQs (below).

Once you have completed the above we will introduce you to your team where you will be paired up with a skilled volunteer to begin with some buddy shifts!  The People & Culture team will be there to support you every step of the way and can be reached via email at volunteering@pbr.org.au. We encourage you to ask as many questions as you need!

Contact Our People & Culture Team

If you are looking for more information or have any questions about volunteering with Puffing Billy Railway, please contact our People & Culture Team.

Phone: (03) 9757 0715

Email: volunteering@pbr.org.au

Mail: People & Culture Team, PO Box 451, Belgrave, 3160

The Puffing Billy Railway Board (the PBRB), the operator of the Puffing Billy Railway, is committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals’ Personal Information, Sensitive Information and Health Information that it may collect and hold. View our full privacy policy.