"We all think it's a complete overreaction from what's happened and it seems a great shame," he said. "I drive past it everyday and there are kids hanging their legs out of the carriage, kicking them in the air and having the time of their life." Mr Woolnough said he still remembered dangling his legs off the side of the train when he was an eight-year-old boy. "I'm 58 years old now and I remember it like it was yesterday," he said. "People love it as a kid so they bring their kids, then they bring their grandchildren. Generations of families have done it for years. It would just be so sad to see that tradition disappear forever." His colleague Tess said the move threatened to destroy the historic identity of the Dandenong Ranges.

"It's in our backyard and we're devastated to see something special be taken away like that," she said. "It's called the nanny state ... let's just jump on anything." Upwey resident Anika Gallagher said she went to Puffing Billy for her 21st birthday and has taken her daughter several times over the years. “I am really disappointed," she said. "The charm of Puffing Billy is that it’s an old-world train and you can take your kids there and do what you did as a child. Half the fun is dangling your legs out and feeling the wind in your hair as you join along in this beautiful exotic landscape." Hundreds of people have taken to the Puffing Billy Facebook page to vent their frustration. "As a local whose house this icon passes by everyday, this decision, even it's said to be temporary is wrong," Brett Wairudo wrote.

"Kids LOVE the carefree fun that sitting in the side gives and now ... everyone else suffers. It's about time those who caused the issue yesterday are held responsible, not others." Kobester Diamond said: "Yep knew this was coming ... let's not have any nostalgic fun anymore, let's be politically correct ... one of the reasons why I hate Australia and its authority." Claire Glanville wrote: "Cotton wool strikes again." "Absolute bloody joke," Michelle Howell wrote. Others feared the decision would spell the end for the historic tourist train.

"No one will go on Puffing Billy anymore," wrote Faye Lougheed. "One incident and absolute diaster for this otherwise brilliant attraction in our hills." Michael Barnes with his son in law Marshall Bown and daughters Kylie and Alinta, his wife Trisha and their three grandchildren, Asher 5, Aruna 8, Yani 11, on the Puffing Billy train in January 2015. Credit:Eddie Jim In a statement on the Facebook page the company said it understood the "great disappointment" caused by the decision. "We understand the decision to temporarily suspend the dangling of legs in carriages may cause great disappointment in the community as this is an age-old tradition for our beloved Puffing Billy," it said.

"But until the investigation has concluded the suspension will remain in place." Police have launched an investigation into Tuesday's crash which left one man injured after the Puffing Billy steam train and a tour bus collided in the Dandenong Ranges. General manager Nadine Hutchins said organisation needed to "take every step we can to protect our passengers" who would not be allowed to dangle their legs out of the side of the carriages until further notice. A sign was put up warning passengers not to put their legs outside the carriage. Credit:Mex Cooper "We need to make sure we consider everything during this investigation period," Ms Hutchins said.

"This is the first time an incident like this has happened." Ms Hutchins said it was unclear how long the investigation would take. Police said the minibus was heading east on School Road, in Menzies Creek, when it collided with the steam train just before midday. Nobody on the train was injured, but one of the 16 passengers on the minibus was taken to hospital. A sign was put up at the railway station warning passengers not to put their legs outside the carriage on Wednesday afternoon.

The tour bus after the collision. Credit:Laurie Harris Photos taken by a bystander indicate that the tour bus clipped the side of the train and ended up on its side. Loading Puffing Billy chief executive John Robinson said he was grateful there had been no serious injuries sustained in the crash. "Safety is of the utmost importance at our heritage steam railway and we have procedures in place to mitigate further danger and to ensure the continued safety of all passengers on the railway," he said.

A passenger on the train, Laurie Harris, said he was in the carriage behind the one that was struck by the minibus and saw the crash unfold. "We saw a white van with a trailer come hurtling down the the hill and it collided with the train," Mr Harris said. "The carriage shook really badly, then the van veered left and was pulled about 50 metres along the tracks, derailing one of the carriages."