Founded in 1946 some 20 miles north-west of Milan, by Armando Ravasini. The first products were 0 gauge models of the Ansaldo 2-B-B-2 heavy electric FS E428 and the Pacific steam locomotive FS691. Elettren trains were sold in a few shops in Italy and in Switzerland in the model shop of Franz Carl Weber in Zürich, for which Elettren supplied its Italian passenger cars and an Ansaldo locomotive in the green livery of the SBB.

Elettren also collaborated with the Fulgurex company of Count Antonio Giansanti Coluzzi, for which the Italian company produced finely detailed Wagon Lits and Mitropa passenger cars.

Based on the FS691 steam locomotive Elettren also made a model of the Italian 2-8-2 FS746 locomotive, but in much smaller numbers than the FS691.

Elettren has made bogie passenger cars in three main categories: originally tinplate style cars, made for three-rail running, then from 1970 on, they produced a large range of Wagon Lits and PLM passenger cars to a scale of 43.5:1 for Fulgurex, which then were considered fine-scale. Fulgurex was the main reseller of Elettren products until 1990. From the mid-1990s on, Elettren concentrated on truly fine-scale models made of brass. In this category are also models of Italian steam locomotives as a 2-6-0 tank locomotive, an 0-4-2 steam rail car and a re-issue, but now fine-scale, of the 4-6-2 FS691.

Tinplate freight cars were made from 1948-1968, with eight, ten or twelve wheels. They comprised flat cars with stakes, tank cars, open cars and a special transformer car as used in Italy as a mobile electrical railway substation.

Over the years Elettren has been based in Castellanza and Legnano; at present the factory is located in Marnate.