Wheels of Time

What Wheels of Time does

Wheels of Time, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, is a privately held small-batch manufacturer of historically accurate model railroad rolling stock, locomotives, and accessories. The company produces primarily N scale (1:160) models with a more limited HO scale (1:87) offering, covering a wide range of North American railroad prototypes including heavyweight baggage-express cars, Fairbanks-Morse H12-44 diesel locomotives, Pacific Car & Foundry insulated boxcars, welded fish belly flatcars, Sea-Land intermodal containers, and Harriman-style passenger coaches. Products are developed from original drawings, photographs, diagrams, standard drawings, and physical measurements of prototype equipment, then produced using 3D printing combined with SolidWorks digital CAD modeling, complemented by laser-cut window components, etched metal details, and resin casting.

The product line targets adult model railroad hobbyists and collectors seeking historically accurate replicas of specific — often niche — prototypes that mass-market manufacturers do not address. The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce site (wheelsotime.com) with PayPal as the primary payment processor, alongside distribution through a U.S. network of hobby dealers and specialty stores, and exclusive special-run partnerships with retailers such as PWRS (Pacific Western Railway Systems) for BC Rail models and RailSmith Models for Build-a-Train series baggage cars. Pricing is unit-based, with most N scale rolling stock sold between $25 and $65 per single unit and special-run or custom edition kits reaching up to $130 per 2-pack; a $40-$45 custom decal application service generates incremental service revenue on top of kit sales.

The company operates under a trademark license from Union Pacific Railroad Company covering products bearing Missouri Pacific, Chicago & North Western, Denver Rio Grande & Western, Union Pacific, Southern Pacific, and Western Pacific marks. Production is explicitly described as limited-run and small-batch, with Custom Edition products sold only directly through the company and bypassing distributors. No funding rounds, institutional investors, or parent company affiliations are disclosed, and the company shows no evidence of AI/ML capabilities, software platforms, or technology partnerships beyond its core CAD and additive manufacturing workflow.

Name

Wheels of Time

Legal name

Wheels of Time

Website

https://wheelsotime.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Wheels of Time manufactures historically accurate N scale and HO scale model railroad rolling stock, locomotives, and accessories using 3D printing and SolidWorks CAD. Founded in 1995 in Mountain View, California, the privately held firm sells limited-run, research-based kits to adult hobbyists through its own website, U.S. dealers, and specialty retail partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Model Railroad Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (33699)

SIC

Railroad Equipment (3743)

akta.pro primary industry

Model Railroading Kits & Scenery (CRALAKAE)

Keywords

• Model railroad trains
• N scale models
• HO scale models
• Resin model kits
• Freight car replicas

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountain View

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Wheels of Time sells model railroad kits and finished models primarily through its own website. Products are available as single units, 2-packs, 3-packs, and 6-packs. Customers pay via PayPal with immediate debit. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Dealer/Hobby Store Distribution: Products are also distributed through U.S. dealers and hobby stores, indicating a channel partner revenue stream alongside direct sales.
3. Custom Decaling and Finishing Services: Wheels of Time offers decal application services for an additional $40-45 per car depending on complexity, on top of product sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wheels of Time manufactures and sells historically accurate N scale (1:160) and HO scale (1:87) model railroad rolling stock, locomotives, and accessories. The products are produced in small batches using 3D printing, digital CAD modeling, laser cutting, and resin casting to replicate specific railroad prototypes.

Product overview

Wheels of Time manufactures historically accurate N scale (1:160) and HO scale (1:87) model trains, vehicles, and railroad accessories with a focus on detailed replica railroad equipment. The product portfolio centers on N scale offerings including 70-foot heavyweight baggage-express cars (RailSmith Special Editions, Canadian cars, Pullman-Standard Lounge Car), freight equipment (PC&F insulated boxcars, welded fish belly flatcars, Sea-Land containers), passenger cars (Harriman coaches, Daylight Chair Cars, 60-ft and 80-ft baggage variants), and Fairbanks-Morse locomotive DIY kits. HO scale products are limited to Sea-Land containers and flatcar/lumber load accessories. Products are designed using 3D CAD/SolidWorks technology and produced as limited-run resin kits or fully assembled decorated models, with availability directly through the company's website and from dealers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RailSmith Models: Collaboration with RailSmith Models for special edition N-scale heavyweight baggage-express cars

Products and services

• N scale (1:160) rolling stock and locomotives

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RailSmith Models (Lowell Smith)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWOT was commissioned by RailSmith Models to produce heavyweight Head End cars for their Build-a-Train series. These N-scale special run baggage-express cars feature extra fine details, crisp paint and printing, and are produced exclusively for RailSmith's Build-a-Train program. Roads include Great Northern, Louisville & Nashville, Frisco, New York Central, Chicago Burlington & Quincy, Rock Island, Illinois Central, and Atlantic Coast Line. Car numbers are unique and do not overlap with prior WOT or Lowell Smith productions.
• Don Figol (Canadian Model Railroading Community)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDon Figol from the Canadian model railroading community provided research assistance and helped ensure accuracy of Canadian railroad models (CP Rail, Canadian National), including the 1954 'Maple Leaf' livery and 1961 'Wet Noodle' scheme.
• Princeton University Press (for 'The Box' by Marc Levinson)minorOthersWheels of Time references 'The Box' by Marc Levinson, published by Princeton University Press, as a recommended resource for understanding the history of containerization — which provides educational context for their Sea-Land container models.
• Golden Gate Railroad MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Golden Gate Railroad Museum provided access to an ex-US Army early FM H12-44 locomotive for measurement and documentation, enabling Wheels of Time to accurately model the FM H12-44 Phase 1 locomotive in their DIY kit.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fox Valley Models: Niche N and HO scale manufacturer of highly detailed, prototype-specific passenger and freight cars — directly comparable in scale, product type, and accuracy-driven positioning to Wheels of Time.
• Rapido Trains Inc. Canadian manufacturer of HO and N scale model railroad equipment with a focus on highly detailed, historically accurate prototypes — the closest direct peer in niche, accuracy-driven model manufacturing and Canadian market overlap.
• Bowser Manufacturing Company: Long-running specialty manufacturer of HO scale locomotives and rolling stock focused on prototype-specific models — comparable niche, accuracy-first approach in the model railroading hobby market.
• InterMountain Railway Company: Manufacturer of N, HO, and S scale model railroad rolling stock with a focus on prototype accuracy and limited production runs — directly comparable limited-run specialty strategy.
• Exact Rail (a division of Exact)): Specialty manufacturer of N and HO scale freight cars and boxcars targeting prototype-accurate, limited-edition buyers — overlaps Wheels of Time on insulated boxcars, PC&F designs, and hobbyist customer profile.
• Tangent Scale Models: U.S. specialty manufacturer of highly detailed, prototype-accurate N and HO scale freight cars — competes head-to-head with Wheels of Time for the historically accurate, limited-run hobbyist buyer.

Broad incumbents

• Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. Largest U.S. distributor and exclusive manufacturer of several model railroad brands, with a deep dealer network overlapping Wheels of Time's hobby-shop channel. Comparable as the distribution backbone of the hobby retail channel.
• Bachmann Industries: Large-scale mass-market manufacturer of model trains across all major scales. Represents the high-volume end of the market that Wheels of Time deliberately does not compete with on price, but shares the same hobbyist end customer.
• Atlas Model Railroad Company: Broad-line model railroad manufacturer and hobby distributor offering N, HO, O, and S scale products. Atlas sells the switcher mechanisms used in Wheels of Time's FM H12-44 DIY kits and is a much larger, more diversified incumbent.
• Athearn (Horizon Hobby): Mass-market manufacturer of HO and N scale locomotives and rolling stock owned by Horizon Hobby. Represents the broad-incumbent counterpart to Wheels of Time's specialty strategy, serving the same hobbyist customer at lower price points.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wheels of Time