Join aboard The Vintage Train as they travel via the Golden Plains to Ballarat, returning ‘up the straight’ with an R class steam locomotive. Explore the historic goldrush city on your visit to Ballarat.

Departing Southern Cross Station, our R class steam locomotive will work hard with the seven carriage train to climb the hills of the Golden Plains, travelling along the original mainline between Ballarat and Geelong from 1862.

The train will arrive into the historic gold mining town of Ballarat. Here there will be ample time to grab lunch and explore the city, only a few minutes walk from the Railway Station. While you are experiencing what the City of Ballarat has to offer, their volunteers will be busy turning and servicing the locomotive at their Steamrail Ballarat East depot, ready for the journey back to Melbourne in the afternoon.

The train will depart Ballarat returning to Melbourne via ‘the straight’. After passing through Ballan, the train will descend off the famous 1-in-48 Ingliston Bank, providing spectacular views back towards Melbourne and across the Werribee Gorge State Park, before passing over the iconic 357-metre Melton Viaduct, built in 1885 to traverse the Werribee River. You will arrive back at Southern Cross Station.