Polar Bear & Sea Lion

Model history

Phoenix Polar Bear and Sea Lion were inspired by the Wingrove & Rogers battery locomotives associated with the Groudle Glen Railway on the Isle of Man.

Keith McDonald traced his interest in the pair to a childhood visit to Groudle Glen. That memory later became a pair of miniature battery locomotives, distinct from the railway’s steam engines of the same names.

The original 7¼ inch gauge designs used two 750 W, 24 V motors, with deep scarlet and cream bodywork. These are historical specifications for the models shown in the archive.