In September 2025, Sunset Models Inc., along with its subsidiary 3rd Rail Division and Golden Gate Depot, found a new home in the form of Third & Townsend Models. From this recently-established partnership will be the distributor overseeing the companies’ continual and expanding productions of high-end, O and HO scale models in brass, plastic, and aluminum. Trains.com Staff Writer Lucas Iverson had the opportunity to chat with Third & Townsend President Jay Escamilla to learn more.
Q: What led to the recent partnership between Third & Townsend, Sunset Models, Sunset Models 3rd Rail, and Golden Gate Depot?
A: Third & Townsend Models started about 10 years ago. I first grew up in the Bay Area, and was just a kid who walked into Sunset Models off the street looking for some models. Next thing I know, CEO Scott Mann introduced me to the warehouse of overstock models going back to 1975 when the company began. He gave me a start there, buying and selling collections. That morphed into being a dealer as Third & Townsend for different companies, working with wholesalers.
In the background, I was working with Scott on projects: consulting, and doing social media and marketing. About two years ago, we had a serious talk about what he wanted to do next. He thought I was gearing up and getting ready for what became “the transition.” That’s where we’re at now, as the transition is final. Everything, production-wise, is still the same factory and design, but now under Third & Townsend. Scott is still in the background to make sure everything goes smoothly for the next year.
Q: What products does each company prioritize in, and what sets them apart from others?
A: Sunset Models obviously is the flagship and a legacy company. They’ve stuck to the name that started 50 years ago. They started out producing HO scale brass steam locomotives, so we’ve always kept that name for our products. We just announced a Southern Pacific AC9 2-8-8-4 rerun for a third time, because it appeared really popular. We’re also pairing it with the Denver & Rio Grande Western L-131 and L-132 2-8-8-2s.
Sunset Models 3rd Rail was created in the 1990s to introduce the company into the O-scale, 3-rail market. Anything brass, plastic and hybrid in O scale, we do and that’ll stay under the name.
Golden Gate Depot is strictly passenger cars, rolling stock, and structures across all scales.
Q: For new and returning customers, plus our readers in both Classic Toy Trains and Model Railroader, what will your commitment to these O-scale (2 and 3 rail) product lines look like moving forward?
A: Our commitment is to produce the most prototypically accurate, 2- and 3-rail model we possibly can. We go off of builders designs and go through multiple rounds of computer-aided (CAD) designs. We have dozens of matrices for certain projects we do. We just want to do it right and don’t sacrifice quality for quantity.
Q: Any possible changes to the business model, including strategy for communicating updates on existing customer reservations and managing production backlogs inherited during the acquisition?
A: With the transition right now, a lot of my time has been importing orders into our system for the past couple of weeks. I’m active on social media and go on Jokers Trains’ podcast, plus other YouTube live streams to be as transparent with the community as I can be.
If you’re signed up for the newsletter on our website, you’re also going to get bi-monthly emails with updates on what’s going on, reservation timelines for certain projects, and when they’re closing. I plan to continue to be transparent in everything I say so I can get the word out there about us.
Q: What other challenges are you currently facing?
A: One of the biggest learning curves so far has been the actual data collection and design process. In the past, I consulted on a couple of projects, but I never made it to actually doing painting and lettering, and actually reviewing the CAD designs. So I’ve been doing that for about a year now, and it’s been an interesting process learning that and seeing all the guys that are behind us. Like I said, it’s a learning curve. It’s been a lot of fun, but I didn’t realize the amount of time it takes to get these models designed alone.
Q: Any re-releases and new products coming?
A: For current re-runs that are coming out, we have the EMD E8s and E9s that we just announced, some with Amtrak paint schemes. Reservations are going to be closing in about 45 days with a spring delivery around March. The 1948 Broadway Limited and the 1937 Super Chief sets are expected in January.
With the HO scale side, reservations for the 80-foot Harriman passenger cars are closing up imminently. Tooling is done, and samples are about to be sent over to me for approval. Those will be in for January as well.
The new catalog was great when it came out in July. We re-announced the Norfolk & Western 4-8-0 Mollies in O and HO scales. Those have been a big hit.
We’re planning to keep it all going, but bringing out more project announcements. With the upcoming winter catalog, we’re looking at probably another dozen-or-so combinations of re-runs and new releases.
Q: You’ve expressed a mission to bring “new ideas, technologies, and approaches” to the legacy brands. When it comes to the technology aspect, what can customers expect?
A: We are exploring other technologies in both the 3- and 2-rail worlds regarding both sound and control systems. The ERR is going to stay as our baseline because we know a lot of guys who still run the TMCC systems. But there may be other options in the future that we’re actively exploring right now while introducing new ideas and new libraries of sound to the O-scale world.
Q: The high-end brass market, regardless of scale, has historically faced challenges related to factory production consistency and communication. What steps is Third & Townsend taking with overseas builders to maintain high quality, improve manufacturing oversight, and uphold “transparency” with customers regarding project status?
A: I can think back to the 1980s and 90s when the problems were just factory consistency. We’ve heard the stories of a lot of factories that fell and got absorbed, and that seemed to be one of the biggest issues plaguing the brass world because there was no consistency amongst the majority of importers. Some had it figured out and are phenomenal in what they do. But the smaller factories were faltering for most importers.
The nice thing with us is we’ve used the same factories for over a decade now. We still branch it out where one factory focuses on passenger cars and the other on locomotives. But they have workers and the managers which have been with the brass, model train manufacturing world in Korea and China for decades. We’re confident in our factories and see what they’re producing. The new O scale Chargers knocked all of us back when we saw them in person.
One big key in all this is just being over there, present with them, and letting them know we appreciate the work they do. That’s what I plan to do more moving forward by visiting the factory about three times a year. Not that I have to, but I just want to. Scott and I went there about a month ago, and it was an incredible experience.
Q: What excites you about the future of Third & Townsend, Sunset Models 3rd Rail, and Golden Gate Depot?
A: I’m looking forward to branching out into other things that we’ve once done and would like to do again. We’re seeing the big push back into HO scale with the Harriman cars and we’re doing HOn3 projects again. Overall, I’m just excited for the future growing Sunset Models 3rd Rail and Golden Gate Depot more into what it can be. That’ll be done by utilizing the help of the community of the modelers by listening to them, appreciating them, and giving them the best models possible.
