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.
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Throttling Up
Ever wonder why railroads chose certain locomotives to pull freight trains? Railroads have practiced multiple-unit train control since the 1890s when Frank J. Sprague developed a system to combine motive power in electric train operation. When assigning power and consisting locomotives today, railroads generally match the horsepower per ton and tractive effort ratings to specific locomotives designed to meet specific network needs. But other factors are involved, and it's not uncommon for railroads to mix makes and models of locomotives when consisting for trains.
State of Model Railroading
Response to the Cowcatcher’s 2025 State of Model Railroading survey was positive and many say the hobby is rolling along fine, maybe a bit complicated for some. The 31-question survey sent to readers across the U.S. in November earned a 42 percent response rate. Questions ranged from personal preferences and skill levels and layouts to how modelers buy and spend.
Joint Agency
Whether shuttling power, moving cars through interline carrier agreements or running on joint lines, North America’s largest rail providers interact. One of the more obscure examples is the Milwaukee Road’s Joint Agency Yard in Kansas City, MO, where the Milwaukee Road and Kansas City Southern coexisted for 40 years. On the N-scale Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, joint yard agreements in Kansas City and Dallas make sense, allowing KCS traffic to move in and out of both ends of the layout to service grain customers without the need for another yard.
Plus
BNSF posts record agricultural volumes on the heels of a good harvest. A Milwaukee Road stock car with a storied past is now on display at the Galveston Railroad Museum. And a United Kingdom retailer and manufacturer introduces its camera car, the Eye-Choo, to the U.S. And more!
