Phoenix locos are UK based international distributors of high quality, affordable battery electric model locos,
rolling stock and loco bogies in 5 inch and 7.25 inch gauge that are ideal as club locos or in garden railways.

Voltswagen Frequently Asked Questions

Why?

The Voltswagen was a personal whim, having seen various road vehicles adapted for railway use, I found a YouTube video of a Type 2 Volkswagen microbus which was ex Deutches Bundesbann. You can see it here. (External Youtube link). Research shows that 31 were eventually produced and became Class DB KLv20. Various scales were considered a true 4 wheel version would be quite limited in size as even in 7.25in gauge it would only be 20ins long 8.75ins wide and just under 10ins tall. Too small to be of any practical use. As a sit version was developed it was decided we needed to make the model 40% of full size. That gave us room inside for a comfortable seat with decent leg room and plenty of room for batteries and such.

Why is it on bogies?

Because of the length and width of the body it was impractical to make it a four wheeler. We used the same bogies we use in the Titan 7 loco which gave us a well proven design with plenty of power for passenger hauling and the ability to negotiate tight curves.

Will it haul passengers?

Yes, you can haul passengers just the same as you would with any other 2Hp loco in fact having the additional weight of the driver in the loco gives you an advantage in adhesion.

Does it come as a kit?

Yes, we supply the components for the kit with the bogies ready-made with a two piece body-shell in light grey gel coat. All other components are supplied along with an illustrated build manual.

How do I get the body-shell painted?

You can do it yourself or have a local spray shop paint it. The Phoenix Voltswagen was painted locally by Rick Mercer at Carrisma auto body repair in Southport. We cut out the door and bonded the roof panel in place. Then gave it to Rick to spray the body in Candy Apple Red with White trim and silver bumpers. He also sprayed the interior in black. Most car repair shops can handle fibreglass and would be able to paint the body shell in your choice of livery. We cover the process in more detail in the build manual.

I like the graphics, how were they done?

The graphics were done by a vinyl sign shop, as they are the experts we asked them to put them on the Voltswagen as well. most vinyl shops will either print and supply or apply them for you.

What size batteries are used?

We have used a pair of 110Ah AGM batteries which will give us all day running with a short overnight charge for the next day. If you are planning to run light engine for a few hours then a pair of 45Ah batteries will easily suffice.

Does it have brakes?

Yes, there is a degree of dynamic braking which is fine for light engine running. There is also car style ratchet hand-brake which operates a disc brake on one of the bogies. This brake allows you stop safely on an incline.

What kind of seat does it have?

We use a commercial all weather tractor/digger seat with its own spring suspension and fore and aft adjustment. The seat gives good back and lumbar support and provides comfy driving position.

How long would it take to build a kit?

The kit is delivered with the chassis/frame, buffer beams and bogies powder coated so the basic drive train could be run within hours of collection or delivery. The body-shell will take 2-3 days to prepare for painting. Painting should take a working week. We delivered ours to the body shop on Tuesday and collected it fully finished on Friday. Depending on the livery and the level of finish you require completion time will be anything from 3 weeks onward.

How did you do the windows?

They were done by vinyl signs shop in dark grey vinyl. They could also be painted if you wish.

How do I order a Voltswagen?

Give us a call or drop us an email. Generally the Voltswagen will be about 8 weeks from order for delivery.