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Train of Lights

Puffing Billy Railway run their “Train of Lights” specials throughout the winter school holidays. The locomotives and carriages are adorned with a custom LED lighting rig which projects colours into the forest canopy and patterns across the valley floors.

This is a great opportunity to develop my off-camera flash skills, using radio-controlled speedlites to provide fill lighting or highlight parts of the scene.

About half way up the climb from Cockatoo to Gembrook, 12A and 7A split the silent air as they charge east through Fielder. Adorned with a basic lighting rig, the two NAs were substituting for the NGG: offering a rare opportunity to photograph double-headed NAs to Gembrook.

Double Delight

About half way up the climb from Cockatoo to Gembrook, 12A and 7A split the silent air as they charge east through Fielder. Adorned with a basic lighting rig, the two NAs were substituting for the NGG: offering a rare opportunity to photograph double-headed NAs to Gembrook.
It's been a wet week: over 80mm of rain has landed on the Dandenong Ranges since July 13. This rain has caused its fair share of problems - washouts, storm damage, and flooding - but none of it has stopped Puffing Billy from running their "Train of Lights" specials from Lakeside to Gembrook. Just before the railway reaches the quiet township of Cockatoo, it must cross Cockatoo Creek - at one of its flattest and swampiest spots - marking the lowest point of elevation on the entire Belgrave-Gembrook line. Lit by three radio-controlled flashes and a Milwaukee battery floodlight, NG/G16 129 eases over the timber trestle bridge before storming uphill towards Gembrook with the penultimate Train of Lights train for 2024.

Swampy

It's been a wet week: over 80mm of rain has landed on the Dandenong Ranges since July 13. This rain has caused its fair share of problems - washouts, storm damage, and flooding - but none of it has stopped Puffing Billy from running their "Train of Lights" specials from Lakeside to Gembrook. Just before the railway reaches the quiet township of Cockatoo, it must cross Cockatoo Creek - at one of its flattest and swampiest spots - marking the lowest point of elevation on the entire Belgrave-Gembrook line. Lit by three radio-controlled flashes and a Milwaukee battery floodlight, NG/G16 129 eases over the timber trestle bridge before storming uphill towards Gembrook with the penultimate Train of Lights train for 2024.
The final "Train of Lights" trip for 2023 climbs uphill past Fielder station en route to Gembrook.

Trailing shot

The final "Train of Lights" trip for 2023 climbs uphill past Fielder station en route to Gembrook.
LED lights paint the valley floor as NG/G16 129 crosses the Wright trestle bridge with one of the Train of Lights specials.

Big drop

LED lights paint the valley floor as NG/G16 129 crosses the Wright trestle bridge with one of the Train of Lights specials.
Puffing Billy's "Train of Lights" special makes a colourful exit from Fielder station as it climbs onwards to Gembrook.The Train of Lights specials, now in their second year of operation, run during the winter school holidays between Lakeside and Gembrook. The train is equipped with custom-made LED lights and projectors that cycle through a programme of colour sequences, with lights and patterns projected upwards into the forest canopy. Hauled by an ex. South African Railways garratt-type steam locomotive, the train both looks and sounds spectacular and draws crowds at every roadside location.

Big smoke, bright lights

Puffing Billy's "Train of Lights" special makes a colourful exit from Fielder station as it climbs onwards to Gembrook.The Train of Lights specials, now in their second year of operation, run during the winter school holidays between Lakeside and Gembrook. The train is equipped with custom-made LED lights and projectors that cycle through a programme of colour sequences, with lights and patterns projected upwards into the forest canopy. Hauled by an ex. South African Railways garratt-type steam locomotive, the train both looks and sounds spectacular and draws crowds at every roadside location.
Somewhere in the depths of the forest around Fielder, ex. South African Railways NG/G16 no. 129 roars uphill towards Gembrook, with the surrounding canopy bathed in the multicoloured projections from Puffing Billy's "Train of Lights".

Pole 228

Somewhere in the depths of the forest around Fielder, ex. South African Railways NG/G16 no. 129 roars uphill towards Gembrook, with the surrounding canopy bathed in the multicoloured projections from Puffing Billy's "Train of Lights".
After struggling up the long climb from Cockatoo on wet rails, Puffing Billy's "Train of Lights" train crests the grade at Orchard Road on the outskirts of Gembrook.

Green and Purple

After struggling up the long climb from Cockatoo on wet rails, Puffing Billy's "Train of Lights" train crests the grade at Orchard Road on the outskirts of Gembrook.
The lighting pattern on Puffing Billy Railway's "Train of Lights" cycles through its most impressive sequence at Fielder as NG/G16 no. 129 powers uphill towards Gembrook.

Lighting up the forest

The lighting pattern on Puffing Billy Railway's "Train of Lights" cycles through its most impressive sequence at Fielder as NG/G16 no. 129 powers uphill towards Gembrook.
NG/G16 129 erupts through Fielder station with the first "Train of Lights" train for the 2023 season.

Train of Lights 2023

NG/G16 129 erupts through Fielder station with the first "Train of Lights" train for the 2023 season.
Captured about half-way up the long drag from Cockatoo to Gembrook, NG/G16 129's exhaust erupts towards the tree canopy as it hauls a "Train of Lights" special from Lakeside.

Framed at Fielder

Captured about half-way up the long drag from Cockatoo to Gembrook, NG/G16 129's exhaust erupts towards the tree canopy as it hauls a "Train of Lights" special from Lakeside.
Cracking on with the winter school holidays, Puffing Billy Railway finally launched their "Train of Lights" service from Lakeside through to Gembrook. NG/G16 no. 129 shows off the specially-adapted lighting rigs attached to both the locomotive and the carriages as it roars uphill through Fielder, with a pop of off-camera flash fill to lighten the scene.

Lighting the landscape

Cracking on with the winter school holidays, Puffing Billy Railway finally launched their "Train of Lights" service from Lakeside through to Gembrook. NG/G16 no. 129 shows off the specially-adapted lighting rigs attached to both the locomotive and the carriages as it roars uphill through Fielder, with a pop of off-camera flash fill to lighten the scene.