Thursday Crew

Derek: The camaraderie of the Thursday Group is special – working with this group is such fun. I have also volunteered in the workshop restoring NGG16, which is now in service, as well as the museum at Menzies Creek. The opportunity to do a variety of things interests me; you meet such a variety of people. 

Sylvia: The Thursday crew are a great group of caring people who help me to stay sane. I’m also motivated by the joy of passengers, particularly children when they see and hear Puffing Billy for the first time, and it is wonderful to watch them on the open carriages.

Graeme: I love the whole experience learning about the history of the railway, and meeting and talking to a wide range of people about their roles – in particular, the group I work with on Thursdays.

Peter: I’m looking forward to getting back on the Railway soon and reuniting with all the people involved.

Reg: I enjoy my role on Puffing Billy working with my crew, meeting passengers, hearing where they come from and answering their questions.                                

Akbar: I am mostly motivated by the friendship and being with like-minded people who share similar values.    

Stan: I enjoy the comradeship of the team and meeting people from all over the world. 

Sue: I have formed a lot of friendships over the years and still keep in contact with some people who have left the Railway.

Derek: I am a fully qualified Boilermaker/Welder spending the majority of my working life (32 years) at Kenworth Trucks in Bayswater building Prime Movers. I retired in 2013. Aside from Puffing Billy, I have a lifetime of volunteering experience with the Scouts, SES, CFA (since 1977) and Men's Shed (since 2013).  

Sue: I still work as a cleaner and also at Wildlife Victoria.

Sylvia: Mother, grandmother, dental nurse, bank manager, organiser of groups and Barnados Mother of the Year in Victoria 2003!

Graeme: After completing my apprenticeship, I became an A grade electrician, worked in general contracting and also did five years night schooling in industrial electronics and microprocessor control. I spent 12 years with Glaxo pharmaceutical manufacturing company where I got involved in industrial automation systems. I then joined Faulding Pharmaceuticals (now known as Pfizer Pharmaceuticals) where I continued until my retirement in 2014.

Peter: More than forty years with the National Bank of Australasia (now NAB), starting in 1956 and retiring in 1997. Following that I worked as a Financial Consultant for several companies for approximately 10 years.  

Reg: I served my Fitter & Turner Apprenticeship at Victorian Railways at Newport, working on rolling stock (steam and diesel). I worked at FIBRE Makers, starting as a Fitter and working my way up to being Projects Foreman. I then joined the X-Ray department at Maroondah Hospital.

Akbar: I was born and raised in Afghanistan and lived there until mid-1970s when I left the country to pursue higher education in North America, in the field of mechanical engineering. I came to Australia in 1983 and have lived in Melbourne since 1987. Most of my career has been teaching at several universities with occasional involvement with the industry. I specialise in power generation and hence my interest in Puffing Billy stream trains.

Stan: I started my career with the ES&A Bank (now part of ANZ). Working in retail banking for most of my career, I experienced several armed robberies, the first when I was 17 and had been employed for less than 2 weeks! I fell in love with computers and programming while working in the bank's Australian headquarters. I was part of a team supporting the implementation of personal computers – we were called Business and Technical support, so in a way, I'm the original Batman. In 1990, I purchased a retail camping store in Lilydale which I managed for the next 22 years. As for hobbies, I have competed in club level motorsport for many years, enjoying hill climbs, sprints and motorkhanas. One day, I will finish restoring my Austin Healey Sprite sportscar. I also have a very large model working railway in my garage.

Stan: While Conducting one day, I started chatting to a young lad from Hong Kong who was a passenger in my carriage. It was an overcast day, with grey clouds covering the sky. On the way back from Menzies Creek, suddenly the clouds parted and a patch of blue sky appeared. The boy was astounded: "The sky – it's SO blue!". He was about 12 years old and had never seen blue sky before. 

Graeme: When we had an end of year function for our crew and spouses, we took a trip on the train from Belgrave to Clematis station. We had permission for the train to stop so we could get off and walk up to the Paradise Valley Hotel for lunch, before travelling back to Belgrave station. We all had a wonderful time.

Reg: One day while nearing the Packing Shed a swarm of wasps entered the carriage! I stopped the train to get all the passengers out and we were thankfully able to continue on once the wasps had flown out again.

Sylvia: Being there is special! I was thrilled to be asked to be on the station for a film shoot or two. But mostly the smiles on the children’s faces are what drives me. Before the pandemic when international tourism was at its peak, the train was often booked out and buzzing with passengers; at times, it was trickier to have longer conversations with visitors. When we were back for a short time between lockdowns, we had many locals return – some of them for the first time since childhood. Their joy was infectious.  

Sue: I particularly enjoyed the 40th anniversary celebration for Emerald Railway Tourist Board (the operator of Puffing Billy) in 2017. There were a lot of events on the day, including people having portraits of themselves done by a professional caricaturist.

Derek: A highlight for me was working the day the Melbourne Cup travelled on Puffing Billy from Emerald to Lakeside. I had never seen the Melbourne Cup other than on television. 

Sylvia: When I thought of applying, I was told to ask a lady Conductor why she volunteered. She answered “It is my day for smiling! You just smile because everyone is happy working or travelling on Puffing Billy”. She was right, most of the time, I smile! All crews are fun to be with and volunteering is the best way to meet new people.

Sue: I would say try it, as you can form long lasting friendships and also pick up some new skills.

Derek: My advice is to get fully involved – the more you put into things the more you get out.

Stan:

1. Become a volunteer! 
2. Join the Thursday crew.
3. Be nice to the roster clerk.

Peter:  Do it ASAP! If you are already a volunteer and know a friend who is interested, bring them to have a look and introduce them to Volunteer Services.

Reg: Come and learn about the Railway – and enjoy yourself! It is a great experience learning and mixing with passengers.                                                                                                                     

Akbar: Go for it; you have nothing to lose and much to gain. 

Graeme: The people are very friendly and approachable, there are many different opportunities and roles to choose from, and there is always the steam engines – once you ride them, you never forget the experience.