THE heritage brickwork on the turntable at Puffing Billy’s Emerald Town Station is now complete, thanks to the efforts of Holmesglen TAFE bricklaying students.



A group of five second-year apprentices and two teachers spent three days last week voluntarily repairing the brickwork on the turntable.



The mechanism is used to turn the famous steam train around so it faces the opposite direction, and allows the locomotive to switch on to different tracks.

Teacher Duncan Todd said working on curved brickwork on the turntable was a challenge for the students, but they had loved the chance to learn new skills and leave their mark on the famous railway.



“Puffing Billy is such an icon so it is great to be involved in this project,” Mr Todd said.



He said the apprentices had put down their tools and waved at the crowds every time the steam train went past, and one of the apprentices had brought his young children out to visit the train and look at the work he had been doing.



The project at Puffing Billy was part of Holmesglen’s on-going partnership with industry and heritage professionals, to raise awareness of heritage materials and the need to preserve historical buildings and streetscapes.


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