National Railway Equipment HO Scale Models

National Railway Equipment Company, operating under the reporting mark NREX, is an American firm headquartered in Mount Vernon, Illinois, that occupies a distinctive niche in the North American railroad industry as a builder, rebuilder, and lessor of diesel locomotives and related rolling stock. The company developed its business around the premise that many railroads, particularly short lines and regional carriers, have ongoing needs for serviceable motive power that the major locomotive manufacturers have largely stopped addressing. By focusing on this underserved segment of the market, National Railway Equipment carved out a durable commercial role for itself in an industry dominated by large original equipment manufacturers. The company's most recognized product line is the N-ViroMotive series, a family of newly constructed genset locomotives designed for light duty road switching and yard service. Rather than relying on a single large prime mover, these units employ multiple diesel generator sets, each powered by a Cummins diesel engine rated at approximately 700 horsepower, that can be cycled on or off by onboard computer controls in response to actual tractive demands. This arrangement reduces fuel consumption and exhaust emissions during low-load periods such as extended idling, making the locomotives particularly attractive for operations in environmentally sensitive urban areas. The design also simplifies maintenance, as individual genset modules can be swapped out for overhaul without taking the entire locomotive out of service for an extended period. The N-ViroMotive filled a gap in the market that had opened as General Electric and Electro-Motive Diesel phased out their lighter-duty switcher and road switcher models over the preceding decades, leaving smaller railroads and industrial operators without a ready source of new low-horsepower motive power from the major builders. National Railway Equipment's willingness to build and supply such units attracted a diverse customer base, including short line railroads, Class I carriers seeking specialized yard power, and government entities. Among the more notable early orders was a contract with Union Pacific Railroad to supply sixty units intended for use in the Los Angeles basin, where air quality regulations impose strict limits on locomotive emissions. By approximately 2009 the company had delivered upward of 210 N-ViroMotive units to various customers. Through its combination of new construction, rebuilding services, and leasing arrangements, National Railway Equipment has established itself as a meaningful secondary supplier in an industry that has historically concentrated production among a very small number of large manufacturers.