RailTune was founded by three enthusiasts who turned their love of model trains and model railways from a hobby into a second profession. “We work in various professional fields such as architecture, applied arts and fine mechanics,” says Spas Smilenov of RailTune. “We use our knowledge and skills to bring bits of the real world into the fabulous universe of model railways, bringing mass-produced model railways, which sometimes look like toys, closer to reality.”
RailTune is definitely not a traditional company, but an idea that unites many disparate activities into one project and the result are beautiful scale models of railway stock. The engine behind RailTune is the architect Spas Smilenov, the artist Ivaylo Klimentov and Vasil Mihailov, an expert in mechanics and electronics. For eight years, the creative team has built models of over 60 Bulgarian locomotives, more than 20 varieties of Bulgarian passenger and freight cars.
RailTune works mainly for customers from Germany and Bulgaria, but there are also requests from manufacturers and collectors from other European countries. In the development of the first models of locomotives and freight cars, the team worked with ACME Treni Italy. Currently, RailTune is a partner of the Czech company TechImage in the development of another Bulgarian model: a locomotive of the Bulgarian State Railways – Series 42, developed by Skoda in 1965.
Especially for the Bulgarian manufacturer of shunting locomotives EXPRESS SERVICE RailTune are developing models of their ES1000 and ES3000 locomotives, which can be seen at the international railway exhibition INNOTRANS 2022 in Berlin. “Our short-term plans for new developments are aimed at several electric locomotives, freight and passenger cars characteristic for the Bulgarian State Railways and the rolling stock of the Rhodope narrow-gauge line, which is beloved by many locals and international tourists,” Spas Smilenov from RailTune told our rail.bg news team.