0945 AUSTRALIA (Victoria) - Puffing Billy Railway

The Puffing Billy Railway is a narrow gauge railway (762 mm) located near Melbourne,  which runs through the southern foothills of the Dandenong Ranges to Gembrook. It was originally one of five narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways opened in 1900, closed in 1954, reopened in 1955, closed again in 1958, and reopened from 1962, in stages, now being kept in operation through the efforts of volunteers. Being close to Melbourne, the line is one of the most popular steam heritage railways in the world. Operations are centred on Belgrave, which houses the main offices of the railway.

The railway owns every remaining narrow-gauge locomotive of the former Victorian Railways, and has restored to operating condition all except one. This fleet comprises five restored and one unrestored 2-6-2T NA class locomotives, and one G class Garratt (G 42) locomotive. In the picture is the locomotive 6A, built in 1901 by Newport Railway Workshops and restored as near as practicable to "as new" condition (1901-1906) of two-tone green with white lining, low-height bunker, extended side tanks, etc.

About the stamp
The stamp is part of a series of two, designed by Andrew Hopgood and issued by Australia Post on behalf of Christmas Island to celebrate the Christmas Time 2012:
• Santa Claus decorating Christmas tree with many assistant Red Crabs which are endemic crab of Christmas Islands (1.60 AUD) - It's on the postcard 0945
• The statue of Santa Claus (0.55 AUD)

References
Puffing Billy Railway - Wikipedia

Sender: Heather Daws (direct swap)
Sent from Poowong (Victoria / Australia), on 31.01.2013
Photo: Jorg Heumuller