Christmas on the Rails — Canberra Miniature Railway

The Canberra Miniature Railway is run by the Canberra Society of Model and Experimental Engineers, a non-profit community association staffed entirely by volunteers. It gives the public train rides on advertised running days and nights, behind miniature copies of real locomotives. Entry is free on regular running days, but the operator sells tickets, with entry and unlimited rides included, on special events such as its night runs and Christmas on the Rails.

For Christmas on the Rails the operator describes a "Christmas extravaganza" in the evening: visitors ride the trains on two different tracks and enjoy light shows. Because the lights are part of the entertainment, every person entering the site needs a ticket on these night sessions, and a ticket includes entry and unlimited rides.

The canteen is open for hot food, cold drinks and ice creams, with a covered eating area. The railway has two common miniature gauges, 7 1/4 inch and 5 inch, and a raised track.

An evening session at the miniature railway. A single ticket covers entry and unlimited rides for the whole session, so there is no need to arrive at the start. Trains run on two different tracks and the site is lit with light shows. The canteen sells hot food, cold drinks and ice creams. Enclosed footwear is required to ride.

Canberra Miniature Railway, southern end of Jerrabomberra Avenue, Symonston, ACT 2609 (the operator's directions: head south from the Jerrabomberra Avenue and Hindmarsh Drive traffic lights, through the big gates). Parking is free, and toilets and disabled facilities are provided. The venue is cashless: card or device only. Enclosed footwear is required to ride, with no open-toe shoes, thongs or flip-flops. Every person entering needs a ticket on night sessions, except children under 3 who enter and ride free but must be accompanied on the trains by a fare-paying responsible person; for safety children under 3 cannot ride the 5 inch ground-level little trains, only the big trains and the steam locomotives on the elevated track. Children shorter than about 1.4 metres cannot ride alone. Tickets are cheaper online than at the ticket box, and online tickets must be exchanged for wristbands at the ticket box. Dogs are not permitted.