The official last posting date for Christmas using Royal Mail’s Tracked 48 service is 1 PM on Friday, 19th December. To avoid disappointment, we recommend placing your orders as soon as possible.
If timing is critical, we offer Fedex next day at cost based on weight. Dismiss
July 2025 news from Train Trax UK - we have moved!
It’s been an intense couple of weeks—but we’re pleased to report that our move is complete and we’re now up and running in our new HQ. Every last box of track, every loco, every scenic detail has been safely relocated… and yes, we even know where most of it is.
Our systems are now back online, orders are being processed, and many of the products that were running low are now restocked. There are still a few loose ends to tie up, so thanks for bearing with us—we really appreciate your patience.
Our new address appears below. Please let us know in advance if you wish to visit us - over the summer period there probably won't be someone on-site every day.
🚆 Latest Arrivals
This week we’ve received several large (and yes, rather expensive!) deliveries from Japan and KATO's UK distributor. Highlights include:
Some of these had been unavailable for a while due to manufacturing delays, so it’s good to see them return. If you used the “email me when available” feature on our website, you’ll have already had first dibs!
Japanese Train Sets In Stock Now:
Hankyu Railway 2300 Series sets
JR D51 Steam Locomotive Starter Sets
Fun Aoimori Railway Sets
701 Series 1000 Morioka Colour (2-car sets)
ED79 Electric Locos (with single-arm pantographs)
E233 Series 6000 Yokohama Line (8-car sets)
D51 Standard Steam Locos
E3 Series 2000 "Tsubasa" Yamagata Shinkansen (7-car sets)
Plus a selection of HO scale JR wagons
Visit the site to see what’s in stock while it lasts.
📦 New Pre-orders from KATO Japan
We’ve also begun to catch up on our admin backlog, which means the latest KATO Japan announcements pictured above are now open for pre-order. Most are due to arrive in Q4 2025.
Notable highlights include:
Pocket Line re-runs – always excellent value and great fun
C62 Steam Locomotives – two beautiful versions
Odakyu "Romancecar" and 787 Series “36+3” luxury EMUs
Regional commuter units from across Japan
A new batch of buildings, vehicles, and figures.
As always, these are made in limited runs with no guarantees of re-issues—so if something catches your eye, it’s worth getting your pre-order in.
Thanks again for your continued support through the move. We’re excited about the next chapter and can’t wait to show you what’s coming next.
Best wishes, Ian & the Train Trax Team www.traintrax.co.uk www.model-railway-magic.co.uk www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk
More June 2025 news from Train Trax UK - latest 🚆announcements from KatoUSA and Kato in Japan
Get yourself a brew - it's a long email this time. New product announcements from Japan and the US.
I’ve always had a soft spot for trams, so I was pleased to see this month’s announcements from KATO Japan include three light rail items, plus a new starter set.
There are also new buildings, OUIGO España trains, E233 EMUs, trucks, containers, hopper wagons, locos, and more. Take a look at the posters above and the individual listings towards the bottom of the email. All except the OuiGo España trains are arriving towards the end of this year.
For those who 'favor' the North American railways, we've also listed some brand-new arrivals to Kato USA's ES44 GEVO line up! Look out for these, all arriving early next year:
CP #8757 in bright orange – the “Every Child Matters” tribute unit.
CP #8781 – the first to wear Hapag-Lloyd branding.
Fresh CSX designs inspired by the Seaboard System and Western Maryland Scenic.
UP #5395 – stars, stripes, and serious presence.
You can find these too by scrolling down to the pictures at the bottom of the email once you've read all the rest! In other news: Rolling Sale We've tweaked what's in our rolling sale. Some are overstock, some are end-of-line, and some are just because we like to keep things moving. The sale is constantly changing, so it’s worth checking back regularly — once something’s gone, it’s gone. Take a look: https://traintrax.co.uk/sale
Modular Monday We've restocked with our Hex-TRAK module kits! https://traintrax.co.uk/hex-trak-module-kits
Latest Arrivals in stock
We've had more deliveries from the USA and Japan. Locos, trains and more this time…
KatoUSA EMD SD80MAC Locos in Conrail and NS liveries
Kato Europe ICE4 in the special 'Federal Republic of Germany' livery ( and add-on sets)
Japanese Containers, for the 'Kangaroo Liner' Container train , pulled by the EF66 27 Freight loco.
Figure sets of various kinds For our little Japanese passengers there's
683 Series "Shirasagi" 6-Car Set,
JR Shikoku 8000 Series Limited Express "Shiokaze/Ishizuchi" 8 Car Set and the
E655 Series Nagomi (Japanese) 5-Car Set - with the special Imperial add-on car.
also the KatoUSA dash-nine's have arrived.
Price changes I'm sorry to announce that there's some KATO UK RRP prices changes happening. Most items are staying very similar, but a few of the pricier items are increasing.
We'll hold our current (discounted) pricing until we restock items, or the end of the month, whichever comes around fastest.
And finally… For those following the endless saga of our forthcoming new lease, we've still not moved, but we are getting closer. Stay tuned for more news.
Enjoy your weekend - we find the best way to stay cool is to shut the curtains and play trains.
Best wishes,
Ian & the Train Trax Team www.traintrax.co.uk www.model-railway-magic.co.uk www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk
June news from Train Trax UK - we're still here; new arrivals.
We woke up this morning to head over to the Kato Japanese site for some exciting Friday announcements. There's plenty there so we'll be translating, digesting and deciding over the next couple of weeks and then open UK pre-orders once we've confirmed pricing.
In the meantime...
🚧 Moving Soon: Order Now to Avoid Disruption
We’ve been planning a HQ move for a while, but some last-minute delays with the lease mean we’re still in our current location—for now. We don’t have a confirmed moving date yet, but it’s coming. In the meantime, we’re keeping stock levels ticking over, though you might notice a few gaps here and there.
If you’re after something specific, just ask—we can often get items in quickly, even if they’re not on the shelves right now.
Once the move begins, there may be some disruption to dispatch times. So if you’ve got projects in progress or plans in place, now’s a good time to stock up and stay on track. Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates.
We’ve had some incoming deliveries lately:
Unitram track is back in full force: track, points, road plates, and more. Plus the TV1 starter sets are ready to go.
New Japanese sets: 313 Series starter packs, the cherry pink 227-500 series, and the latest 323 Series from Osaka’s Loop Line.
From KatoUSA: Volvo trucks with containers and chassis, plus new EMD SD70M variations—including the 4015 excursion and ‘Spirit of Tampa’ specials in UP and CSX liveries.
At Train Trax, we’re proud to run a business that puts fairness, transparency, and customer wellbeing at the heart of what we do. That’s why we’re re-accrediting with the Good Business Charter—recognising our commitment to responsible business practices in everything from pricing to prompt service.
More May news from Train Trax UK - Lots of updates inside
We’ve got plenty of news to share this week:
🚆 New Arrivals: We’ve unpacked some fantastic new items this week.
UniTram 'E-Series' Track pieces: Expand your city layouts with these versatile additions - it's been a while since Unitram has been available and this new type of unprinted track and road sections is particularly versatile.
Heavy haul limestone train from the Tosan Main Line: Hopper wagons are available as a set of nice or twin packs. It's possible to make up the whole 18 car formation! Buy the locos separately or as a twin pack.
Dogs and Cats Figures: Bring life to your layout with these characterful animals in N gauge.
Seibu Railway Sets: Stylish and unique, these sets add a Japanese touch.
🌳 Last Chance: Spring Sale at The Model Tree Shop Over at our sister site, the Spring Sale wraps up this weekend! Don’t miss out on 10% off model trees and scenery items. Perfect for railway modellers, dioramas, architectural models, and more.
🚧 Moving Soon: Order Now to Avoid Disruption We’re preparing for a premises move around the beginning of June. There might be some disruption to dispatch times and stock levels, so place your orders now to keep your modelling plans on track.
🔄 Pre-Order Now: RhB Krok and More Pre-orders are now open for the latest announcements, including the iconic RhB Krok. Check out the green button links towards the end of the email - reserve yours today and stay ahead of the crowd!
🧠 Mental Health Awareness Week Taking time for hobbies like model railways can be a great way to unwind and find a bit of calm. We’re here to support our customers and encourage everyone to make time for themselves.
Stay tuned for more updates, and happy modelling!
Best,
Ian & the Train Trax Team
May already—how did that happen? With the bank holiday weekend coming up for many of us in the UK, it's a great chance to spend a little more time at the workbench or running trains. However you spend it, we hope it includes something railway-related!
In my last emails I drew your attention to KATO Japan's regular announcements. There's updated versions of:
the beautiful, green and gold TWILIGHT EXPRESS,
HB-E300 'Resort Shirakami' with an amazing print
the fascinating M250 Series Super Rail Cargo multiple unit (which can be extended to a looong train)
the all new E8 Series Yamagata Shinkansen "Tsubasa" which will be available either as a 7 car special edition, or 3 car basic + 4 car add-on.
All of these are expected to be released in Japan in August, and will be with us a few weeks later. We've now confirmed our pricing for those items and you can pre-order them here.
Also announced in the meantime is a brand new tooling for the SD70ACU from KatoUSA, due at the end of the year.
In many ways the SD70ACU is a modified SD90MAC. The SD90MAC struggled to find a place on US and Canadian Railroads in the 90s. While Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific purchased many of these engines - smaller railroads felt alienated from the gigantic primer movers which limited the SD90MAC’s operational use. In 2016 Norfolk Southern decided to convert several SD90MACs to SD70ACUs, the Siemens tech was swapped with Mitsubishi components and the cab was replaced with the SD70ACe’s cab.
Canadian Pacific decided to rebuild their collection of SD90MACs as well. However instead of going to Norfolk Southern to rebuild these engines, they reached out to Progress Rail instead. 60 ACUs were delivered in 2019 and this order contained several heritage units. These special heritage units were used to commemorate different branches of the US and Canadian Army.
Announcements are coming thick and fast from Japan. There are some MORE items still for us to list, including a new TGV, a H5 Shinkansen in HO scale, those RhB sets I mentioned in my last email and more. Watch this space...
Best regards, Ian & the Train Trax team www.traintrax.co.uk www.model-railway-magic.co.uk www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk
PS. Keep an eye on your inboxes and social media for another special message from me shortly about Golden week.
Heading to the York Show
Spring has spring, and Easter weekend is nearly upon us. We’re nearly ready for the York Model Railway Show. I wonder what the weather will do for us? Whatever happens you’ll find us in the same spot at the racecourse as previous years, though we’re hoping to fit in even more stock this time. We’ll also be bringing along some things from themodeltreeshop.co.uk for those who want to add a bit of scenery to their layouts. We always look forward to meeting customers old and new face-to-face.
New announcements
Many folk will have seen videos online of a Swiss Ge6/6 I RhB 'Krokodil' that Kato Europe demonstrated at the Dortmund Intermodellbau show in Germany. It looks fantastic but it's still in development as we understand it. Tentative availability is in the Autumn, and we don't have pricing just yet. Interestingly it looks like there will be DC and DCC Sound versions. It will also be available in a set with some appropriate coaching stock. We'll open pre-orders when we have a better idea of pricing - stay tuned to these emails over the coming months!
Earlier in the month KATO Japan made their regular announcements. There's an updated versions of the TWILIGHT EXPRESS, HB-E300 'Resort Shirakami' and the fascinating M250 Series Super Rail Cargo multiple unit. All new is the E8 Series Yamagata Shinkansen "Tsubasa" which will be available either as a 7 car special edition, or 3 car basic + 4 car add-on. All of these are expected to be released in Japan in August, and will be with us a few weeks later. All really interesting trains with lovely details - the livery on the Resort Shirakami is astonishing. Again, we need to confirm UK pricing on these items but will open pre-orders very soon.
Remember a few months ago when we brought you news of the European 1:160 Class 66/77 locos? The prices on these DC locos have now been reduced substantially and DCC Sound versions of these locos have been confirmed. These are available for pre-order right now but you'll need to act quickly to secure one. Links below.
Whether you're building, running, or just shunting for fun, enjoy the season and keep things on track.
Until next time—mind the gap (and the pollen).
Best regards, Ian & the Train Trax team www.traintrax.co.uk www.model-railway-magic.co.uk www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk
April news from Train Trax UK - GWR Class 800/3 and Amtrak Surfliner now in stock
Exciting Arrivals
We've had some great new arrivals recently, so be sure to check out the links above. The GWR 9-car sets are fantastic runners, just as we’ve come to expect from Kato’s Class 800 series. By the time you read this, we’ll have the DC/Analog, DCC Fitted, and DCC Sound versions in stock.
Our KatoUSA Surfliner 8-car sets (Analogue and DCC Fitted) have already sold out, but the 4-car basic sets and add-ons are still available seperately. These are really interesting sets, and we know some of you have even traveled on this route while on 'vacation'. The DCC Sound versions are on their way, so keep an eye out.
Heading to the York Show
Easter weekend is coming up, which means we’re getting ready for the York Show. You’ll find us in the same spot at the racecourse as previous years, though we’re hoping to fit in even more stock this time. We’ll also be bringing along some things from themodeltreeshop.co.uk for those who want to add a bit of scenery to their layouts.
If there’s something specific you’d like us to bring, just let us know. We’ll do our best to fit it in. You can also pre-order online for collection at the show, which is a great way to save on postage.
A Quick Word About Ordering
We've had some long rambling phone calls from people recently, and it's not sustainable, but we're too polite to hang up. What should we do?
We’ve had a few people mention that they don’t use PayPal or prefer not to buy online. Apart from a handful of shows each year, we run as an online-only business. That’s how we keep overheads down and pass the savings on to you.
We do our best to answer calls when we can, but we don’t have the capacity to take orders over the phone. Instead, we’ve put a lot of time and effort into making our website as simple and secure as possible, with a choice of safe payment methods.
We’re always happy to help, and we've proud of our customer service reputation. However, if you need assistance, email is the best way to reach us. That way, we can look into things properly and share photos or diagrams if needed.
A Busy Few Weeks Ahead
Between getting ready for the York show and the school holidays, things will be a little busier than usual over the next few weeks. If orders or emails take a bit longer, we really appreciate your patience.
Thanks as always for your support, and we’re looking forward to seeing some of you in York.
Best regards, Ian & the Train Trax team www.traintrax.co.uk www.model-railway-magic.co.uk www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk
PS. Latest news will be on our Facebook page if you want hear about what's happening day to day.
In my last email, I promised to let you know when preorders for KATO Japan’s latest announcements were open—well, the wait is over! There are some fantastic new releases, including: LOCAL-SEN and SHINKANSEN-0 – Ideal if you're just getting started with Japanese trains. Cassiopeia Cruise train – A stunning set that’s sure to be popular.
You’ll find these at the top of our pre-order category. While you’re there, why not browse back a few pages? You might spot something from a previous announcement that you missed—like the Imperial Train re-run!
New Arrivals & Restocks We've had some big deliveries this week, including: ✅ Track restocks – More points, switches, and essential pieces now available. ✅ The 2025 KATO Japan Catalogue – A must-have for collectors! Featuring the full N and HO range, including Unitrack. The text is in Japanese, but a smartphone translation works wonders!
Coming Soon Keep an eye out for even more arrivals in the next few days: 🚆 The Amtrak Surfliner – A treat for KatoUSA fans. 🚄 9-car GWR Class 800 – Perfect for modern UK modellers.
Limited-Time Offers – Don’t Miss Out! 🏆 Award-Winning Kato/Peco Small & Large Englands – To celebrate their recent win, we're taking 5% off until the end of the month! We currently have six varieties in stock—grab yours while they last.🚨
Rolling Sale: KatoUSA DCC Clearance – We need to make space, so we’ve slashed prices on select KatoUSA DCC stock. These discounts won’t be repeated!
Thanks, as always, for your support—we appreciate every order. Look out for more updates soon!
Best regards, Ian & the Train Trax team www.traintrax.co.uk www.model-railway-magic.co.uk www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk
PS - We're looking forward to the York model railway show.It's in just under one month time (19-21st April) over Easter weekend at York racecourse and always has a great mix of layouts and traders.We will be there with a selection of KATO track and trains, plus a few trees too. If there's something you want to look at then let us know and we'll bring it along - no obligation to buy. You can also place orders for collection.York is a lovely place to visit at this time of year - why not make a weekend of it?
March news from Train Trax UK - New Arrivals, Kato Announcements, and More!
We had an amazing time at Model Rail Scotland a few weeks ago, and it was fantastic to connect with so many of you in person. It’s always a pleasure to meet our customers face-to-face! We also had a great opportunity to catch up with the teams at Kato Europe and Kato Japan—no spoilers just yet, but exciting things are in the works!
Since then, we’ve been busy catching up on restocks and preparing for all the new arrivals. We’re thrilled to share that our revamped The Model Tree Shop website has been a hit with our customers, making it easier than ever to find the perfect trees for your layout. Plus, we’ve been brewing up some exciting ideas for the future—stay tuned!
Kato Announcements: This morning, Kato Japan released their latest monthly announcements, and there are some incredible items to look forward to. Notably, we’re excited to see the return of the iconic 0 series Shinkansen and more gems from their extensive back catalogue. We’ll be opening pre-orders for everything featured in the release as soon as UK pricing is confirmed, so be sure to keep an eye on your inbox.
As always, thank you for your continued support. More updates next time!
I'm on the hunt for new premises for Train Trax and The Model Tree Shop. The Raylor Centre has served me well so far, but I now need more space that isn't available here. Folks local to York, can you help? I need 900-1500sq ft of space. It can be warehouse, retail, light industrial or even low cost office space. I have a fair bit of flexibility in how it would work. I'd like it to be on the ground floor. I would prefer within York Ring road, southern or eastern sides of the city for ease of access.
More February news from Train Trax UK - KatoUSA GE ES44AC new liveries!
I think this will be a shorter email than last time. The main thing is to communicate to you is that we're going to be at Model Rail Scotland this weekend, so any orders placed on our websites over the next few days won't be despatched until Monday/Tuesday. Thanks for your patience!
Hopefully we'll see some of you in Glasgow. We only do 3-4 shows each year and it's great to meet people. Our only request is that if you want a chat try and aim for when it's not too busy - perhaps later in the day!
New to the KatoUSA range, we’re happy to announce the CPKC ES44AC for the first time in N-Scale!
The Evolution Series by GE was built to meet new emissions standards in 2005. These engines were equipped with AC motors and a more efficient 12 cylinder engine. CPKC Engine #9375 was the first to receive this brand-new livery after the company conducted an internal survey. This model will feature an updated version of the Canadian Pacific beaver logo and the back trim/gold stripes of Kansas City Southern.
In addition to this, KATOUSA will be running a couple of new road numbers for BNSF, and a starter set that includes a CPKC loco. The release dates are expected to be sometime in Autumn 2025 (perhaps we should say 'Fall'). Pre-order in the normal place.
In terms of what's in stock now, we're waiting for a substantial delivery of common items which should go into stock early next week. We have however had a large delivery of lovely new buildings - suitable for layouts set around the world. We've also received W7 SERIES SHINKANSEN, E6 Series Shinkansen "Komachi" and H5 Series Hokkaido Shinkansen "Hayabusa" sets recently. Check out our Just arrived page.
