choo-choo! volkswagen uncovers converted 1955 bulli bus that runs on rails like train

volkswagen’s 1955 bulli bus without wheels named ‘klv-20’

Volkswagen’s 1955 Bulli rail bus has made a comeback after the vehicle manufacturer rediscovered it. Famed for its no-wheel setup, the converted bus still runs on rails like a train or tram. It’s the experts from the Classic Vehicles department of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWNO) who found the Bulli, which is also known as the Klv-20. Its design is a mix of a train and a Volkswagen bus, and the manufacturer inaugurated its return during the Bulli & Coffee event in Hanover on June 2nd, 2024, held to mark International VW Bus Day.

The Volkswagen 1955 Bulli rail bus, which the team found following the Bulli-converted Half-Track Fox, started its service at a rail depot in Plattling, Bavaria. It’s also here where it played a role in signal maintenance. Years later, the Klv-20 ran out of time and retired from service in the 1970s. It was then moved to the Palatinate region in southwest Germany, and in 1988, a railway enthusiast in Hesse bought the rail bus. Now, the Klv-20 is part of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles’ collection of classic vehicles in Hanover.

all images courtesy of Volkswagen

turning mechanism allow a person to lift the bus and rotate it

Let’s go back to 1954. It’s the year the Deutsche Bundesbahn (German Federal Railway) wanted to procure new compact service vehicles for its railways. The then-design team turned to the versatile Volkswagen Transporter with a rail chassis. They tapped two companies – Martin Beilhack from Rosenheim and Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH Donauwörth – to convert Volkswagen’s 1955 Bulli into 15 units of rail bus within a year, each equipped with an internal combustion engine called the Klv-20. The engine now shares the name of this converted rail bus, and there are only a few Klv-20 vehicles left that are still operational and in good condition.

The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles collection’s Klv-20 is one of these well-preserved and operational units. The converted rail bus used the body of an old Volkswagen van called T1 Kombi van, which had a 21 kW/28 PS Volkswagen industrial engine. The chassis included a hydraulic lifting and turning mechanism. The latter allows a single person to lift the vehicle, turn it around, and place it back on the rails so that the vehicle doesn’t have to drive in reverse to return to its starting point. To meet railway vehicle regulations, the original lights at the front and rear of the van were removed and two white lamps at the front and one red lamp at the rear were installed instead.

Volkswagen’s 1955 Bulli rail bus has made a comeback after the vehicle manufacturer rediscovered it

volkswagen’s 1955 bulli bus ‘klv-20’ with wheels made of steel

Aside from Volkswagen’s 1955 Bulli rail bus, the experts from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles also found the original sales brochure of the Klv-20, which details the specifications of the converted vehicle. It states that the wheels are made of steel, 550 mm in diameter. They have rubber elements between the wheel rim and core, which reduces noise using a system called ‘Bochumer Verein’ (but regular wheels can also be used if needed). The axles, which connect the wheels to the vehicle’s body, are fitted with roller bearings for smooth operation, and each wheel has internal shoe brakes activated by a brake pedal using an oil-hydraulic system.

There’s also a mechanical handbrake for one pair of wheels, which can be locked for added security. The vehicle has three well-padded seat benches: one in the driver’s compartment with two seats, and two in the passenger compartment, each with three seats. The two benches in the passenger compartment can be removed to create space for transporting goods. The driver’s compartment has two doors, and the passenger/load compartment has a wide wing door for easy access. The engine is located at the rear and can be accessed from the outside through a separate door. The ‘Bulli on rails’ is now part of the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles classic collection in Hanover.

famed for its no-wheel setup, the converted bus still runs on rails like a train or tram