Japanese kei trucks have become unlikely stars of American car culture, with enthusiasts turning the tiny workhorses into lifted off-roaders, tracked snow machines, and all kinds of unconventional builds. YouTuber Preston, better known through the PrestonGoes channel, took the trend in an entirely different direction by transforming a 1995 Honda Acty into a homemade rail-running truck.
The goal was ambitious: travel along abandoned railroad tracks in Idaho and eventually drive across the historic Half Moon Trestle Bridge. Reaching the towering wooden structure would require a vehicle capable of switching between ordinary roads, rough terrain, and steel rails.
Preston’s solution was inspired by a high-rail truck, a type of vehicle equipped with specialized wheels that allow it to travel on railroad tracks while retaining its normal road-going capability. Professional rail-wheel equipment was far outside the project’s budget, however, with Preston saying one commercial setup would have cost around $28,000.
Instead, he decided to fabricate his own system despite openly admitting that he had little experience with a project of this scale. What followed was a lengthy cycle of welding, testing, derailments, redesigns, and expensive lessons before the little Honda was ready for its biggest challenge.
Turning A Honda Acty Into A Rail Truck
Preston purchased a lifted, four-wheel-drive 1995 Honda Acty after confirming that its narrow dimensions could work with standard railroad tracks. The truck’s compact size and existing off-road modifications made it a promising starting point, although converting it for rail travel required extensive custom fabrication.
After studying footage of another homemade rail vehicle, Preston created a front assembly using conical rail wheels mounted to an axle, fabricated supports, and a manually operated boat winch. Cranking the system lifted the Acty’s front tires above the rails, leaving the specialized wheels to guide the truck while its driven rear tires supplied forward motion.
Early testing revealed another problem when the rear wheels repeatedly slipped from the rails during turns. Preston eventually added another set of conical rail wheels at the rear and later installed two-inch wheel spacers, changes that finally allowed the Acty to negotiate curves without immediately derailing.
The build reportedly consumed thousands of dollars and weeks of work, with Preston putting the project’s cost above $7,000 before the Idaho expedition was underway. Once the homemade system survived repeated local tests, he hauled the truck roughly 1,000 miles for the journey it had been built to tackle.
The Kei Truck Took A Beating In Idaho
The destination was Idaho’s Half Moon Trestle Bridge, described in the video as a massive abandoned wooden structure dating to the early 20th century. Preston and his friend Mo planned to follow forgotten railroad routes through remote terrain before eventually reaching the bridge.
The Acty quickly demonstrated just how demanding that route would be. Uneven rails, rocks, railroad switches, and damaged track caused multiple derailments, including impacts severe enough to bend part of the custom rail-wheel assembly.
Remarkably, the homemade setup continued functioning after the crashes, allowing the pair to keep moving through the Idaho landscape. At various points, they crossed old bridges, traveled alongside a river, cleared obstacles from the tracks, and camped overnight before continuing the following morning.
Their original route eventually became blocked by a long line of stored rail cars, forcing them to backtrack and search for another approach. The Acty’s ability to return to ordinary roads proved crucial, allowing the pair to drive around the obstruction and find another potential route toward the trestle.
The Journey Didn’t End As Planned
Progress through the canyon initially looked promising, with the modified Honda successfully navigating sections of abandoned railroad and crossing several aging wooden trestles. Another major obstacle appeared when Preston discovered that a bridge along the intended route had reportedly been destroyed by wildfire years earlier, forcing yet another change of plans.
The pair eventually found an alternative approach that led through old tunnels and sections where the railroad itself had disappeared. Their route deteriorated into rough terrain, culminating in a steep washout that the tiny Acty could not overcome despite repeated attempts using its four-wheel-drive system and a winch.
Preston and Mo ultimately continued toward the Half Moon Trestle on foot, where they discovered additional landslides and washouts farther along the route. Those obstacles suggested that even if the Acty had cleared the first blockage, reaching the bridge by vehicle would likely have remained impossible.
An Unusual Test Of A Tiny JDM Workhorse
The Honda never completed the planned drive across the Half Moon Trestle Bridge, yet the project still demonstrated the surprising versatility of Japan’s kei-truck formula. A vehicle originally designed as a compact commercial workhorse had been transformed into a crude but functional dual-purpose machine capable of tackling roads, rough trails, and abandoned rails.
Preston’s creation was hardly a conventional high-rail vehicle, and the repeated failures showed the limitations of improvising specialized equipment for unpredictable terrain. Still, watching a 1995 Honda Acty survive derailments, remote trails, old trestles, and countless mechanical challenges makes this one of the stranger demonstrations of just how adaptable a kei truck can be.