ScaleTrains announced last week that it acquired ExactRail, a manufacturer of HO- and N-scale freight cars and bridges. The addition nearly doubles ScaleTrains’ freight car offerings, the company said in a statement.
ScaleTrains was to announce the first N-scale freight car later in June at the National N Scale Convention in Reno, NV, and follow with an HO car by the end of the month. Both models are already in production and will be available later this summer. Several more ExactRail models are in production, with additional deliveries arriving in early 2024, the company said.
ExactRail has been manufacturing HO- and N-scale model railroad cars, like this Denver & Rio Grande Western Bethlehem 3483 Hopper, for 15 years. ScaleTrains, which purchased ExactRail, says it will release the first cars as the new owner this summer. – ScaleTrains
To help with the transition and ensure ExactRail models are released regularly, longtime employee Chris Brimley joined ScaleTrains. Brimley has been in the hobby for decades − his fictional New York Central Hudson Terminal shelf layout has been featured in Model Railroad Craftsman.
He has 15 years of industry experience.
ExactRail was founded 15 years ago, and cofounder John Pestana believed it was time to make a change.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since I entered the model railroading community with ExactRail,” he said in a statement. “Over the years we brought new products, new online resources, and had a great time doing it with amazing friends. Now the time has come to pass the baton to our friends at ScaleTrains who share the same passion for the hobby that I do.”
ExactRail models to be available in brick-and-mortar stores
ExactRail models will be available to brick-and-mortar dealers for the first time in several years through ScaleTrains’ dealer network.
“We’re thankful for the opportunity to continue the legacy John and the team at ExactRail have created by continuing to offer their outstanding line of models,” ScaleTrains president Shane Wilson said. “We’re excited about the future of our favorite hobby.
“ExactRail continues our mission to provide high-quality model trains for every skill level and budget.”
ExactRail is the third company to sell molds to ScaleTrains. The company purchased HO and N lines from M.T.H. Electric Trains and Fox Valley Models in the past two years.
Current Issue: March/April 2026
$6.95 (U.S. Orders Only)
FW&D Aura
Keith Brewer’s HO Wichita Falls Division, Fort Worth & Denver Rwy. is not just the culmination of years of research of his hometown railroad but the backstory after he took up model railroading. It wasn’t until several years after leaving Bowie, TX, that he understood the importance of the FW&D beyond its everyday whistles. Today Brewer's point-to-point 14x20 layout, a scaled down version of a much larger pike in another home, pays homage to the freight business. Short main line trains haul cattle, grain, gravel and agricultural products along the route from Fort Worth, Decatur, Bowie, Henrietta and Wichita Falls, TX. The action is heavy but eases when the crew breaks midway through an operating session. A tasty cobbler, cake or banana pudding is just the right recipe for fun.
Modular N Growing
With a variety of options, N-scale modular model railroading is enjoying growth.This summer in Chattanooga, TN, NRail, which embraces all forms of N scale, will head the hobby’s quest to build the world’s largest modular layout at the NMRA National Convention. It’s all but assured that the previous record will fall to a connected layout that will occupy 10,000 square feet of the city’s convention center.
Packing the Aisles
A fierce winter storm brought out model railroad and rail enthusiasts by the thousands for the opening day of January's annual Railroad Hobby Show in Springfield, MA. A single-day record of 18,432 filled the aisles at the Eastern States Exposition before some 18 inches of snow blanketed New England. U-series General Electric locomotives topped new product announcements.
Plus
Coordinated run-throughs that connect two or more Class I railroads is a proven solution for moving freight from coast to coast; one of Micro-Trains last N-scale releases, the Greenville Railgon is worth its weight in hauling heavy loads; the elegance and food of the dining car experience spoiled hungry riders during the heyday of passenger rail transportation; Union Pacific inks a record deal to upgrade its locomotives. And more!
