Restoring Coal Creek’s historic train carriage

14/07/2026

We’ve helped to protect Coal Creek Community Park and Museum’s historic train exhibit for future generations, through a $50,000 grant from our Tiny Towns Fund.

Side-on view of the brown heritage train carriage, with windows and ‘35 AW’ visible. The carriage is stationary on a section of track, also bearing the ‘35 AW’ stamp.

Coal Creek is an open-air heritage village offering visitors an authentic experience of life in a coal mining town from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. It’s a popular and important part of the local tourism economy.

Prior to receiving the grant, the steam train had been forced to close due to the severe deterioration of its roof – which was no longer weatherproof and safe for visitors.

Thanks to the Tiny Towns Fund, a team of volunteers has been able to use traditional restoration methods to fix and seal the wooden roof. This has brought the train back up to safety standards and secured its value as a heritage item and regional attraction.

Birds-eye-view of the restored train carriage roof, which is now covered in finished brown and red wooden panelling.

With the train ready to welcome the public once more, Coal Creek can again offer a complete experience for visitors to the park – transporting them back in time to see Gippsland through the eyes of early settlers.

Our $20 million Tiny Towns Fund is delivering more than 500 projects across 419 towns that are home to fewer than 5,000 people.

Most projects are being delivered by local workers and businesses, backing regional supply chains and economic growth.

With more than 100 projects already complete across the state, the fund is helping to make regional Victoria an even better place to live, work, stay and play.