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.
February news from Train Trax UK - pre-order here for new KATO Japan trains
Well, it's been one of those weeks at Train Trax HQ – you know, the kind where everything looks smooth and graceful on the surface, but underneath, we’re paddling like crazy to keep everything moving! Just like a swan (or maybe more like a frantic duck). From exciting new arrivals to upcoming exhibitions, there’s loads happening, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Get a cup of tea. It's a long email...
Good Business Fortnight – Doing Our Best (Mostly)
You know we like to run Train Trax the right way – fair pricing, good service, and not being evil (we’ve resisted all temptations to become a villainous railway baron… so far). That’s why we’re delighted to be part of Good Business Fortnight, celebrating businesses that put their customers and ethics first. We may not always get everything perfect (we’re looking at you, parcel that mysteriously disappeared into nowhere last week), but we’re always working hard to do things properly.
The Model Tree Shop Grows a New Website!
If you’ve ever felt like your layout scenery looks a bit too much like a post-apocalyptic wasteland, then you’ll be pleased to hear The Model Tree Shop has launched a brand-new website! Now it’s even easier to find the perfect trees for your layout – from tiny hedgerows to grand, stately oaks that make your 1:148-scale villagers proud. Go check it out at themodeltreeshop.co.ukand bring a bit of greenery to your railway world!
New Arrivals – Fresh stock
We’re as excited as a kid with a new train set about our latest arrivals! A few highlights:
🔧 T-TRAK Module Kits – Back in stock! For those who love modular layouts (or just need something to tinker with when they should be doing something else). Perfect for expanding your railway empire, one small section at a time.
🚋 Narrow gauge starter sets - with the exclusive grey controller and OO9 track - have finally arrived.
🚉Assorted Japanese locos and rolling stock – Because let’s face it, none of us really have enough locos.
Pre-Orders – Because the Best Things Are Worth the Wait
As if we didn’t already have enough temptation in our lives, some fantastic new pre-order February announcements have just been added. Pre-order to guarantee yours.
We particularly like: New pocket line track and controller set
20-800 Mini Layout Track Operation Set £64.60 Pre-order now 24-850BK Power Supply Switch £18.00 Pre-order now
14419-9 Special Edition Hankyu Railway 2350 Series £34.00 Pre-order now 22-243-6 Sound Card £41.40 Pre-order now 10-2033 Special Edition Hankyu Railway 2300 Series Kyoto Line 8 Car Set £262.40 Pre-order now 10-2032 Hankyu Railway 2300 Series Kyoto Line Add-on Set (4 Cars) £116.20 Pre-order now 10-2031 Hankyu Railway 2300 Series Kyoto Line Basic Set (4 Cars) £146.20 Pre-order now
The imperial train (sure to be sought after)
10-1991 E655 Series Nagomi (Japanese) 5-Car Set £163.40 Pre-order now 4935-1 Special Vehicles £37.60 Pre-order now
A variety of colourful Japanese EMUs.
10-1994 E233 Series 6000 Yokohama Line 8-Car Set £232.20 Pre-order now 10-1556S 701 Series 1000 Morioka Color 2 Car Set £99.00 Pre-order now 10-1561S Aoimori Railway Aoimori 701 Series 2-Car Set £99.00 Pre-order now 10-1562 Aoimori Railway Aoimori 701 Series (new wrapping) 2-car set £99.00 Pre-order now 10-1876 special edition E657 series 10-car set £309.60 Pre-order now
A new steam starter set (SL available on it's own too)
2016-9 D51 Standard type £107.60 Pre-order now 10-032 JR D51 Steam Locomotive Starter Set £226.20 Pre-order now
Return of Dr Yellow to coincide with it's last runs.
10-896S Type 923 Series 3000 "Doctor Yellow" Basic Set (3 Cars) £120.40 Pre-order now 10-897 JR Shinkansen Bullet Train Type 923-3000 'Doctor Yellow' Add-on £111.80 Pre-order now
Hamanasu Sleeper set and ED79 loco
Extra special KatoUSA EMD NW2 liveries
Kato USA, Inc.'s January announcements were mainly around some very special EMD NW2 liveries.
There are 7 custom paint schemes: Atlantic Coast Line #605, Canadian National #7959, Frisco #253, Grand Trunk Western #7906, KCS #4200, Seaboard Airline #1410, and Western Pacific #608.
Due in the UK Late Spring 2025.
For these items we're applying a strict pre-order deadline of 12 noon (GMT) Wednesday 26th February 2025. If you don't pre-order before then you won't get them from us.
Each is available in DC or DCC Sound, but all are limited quantities. Find them here.
Model Rail Scotland – We’re Off to Glasgow!
We’ve begun packing our boxes (and probably forgetting at least one crucial item) for Model Rail Scotland at the SEC in Glasgow, from February 21st-23rd. If you’re heading there, come and say hello! We promise we’ll be mostly awake and happy to chat all things N gauge (or just share the pain of an ever-growing project list).
That’s it for now – we’d better get back to paddling away behind the scenes! Thanks as always for being part of the Train Trax community.
Until next time, The Train Trax Team
P.S. If your layout has progressed due to our recent Track Tuesday promo then send us a photo – we’d love to see it!
January news from Train Trax UK - pre-order here for new KATO trains
I wanted to send you an email about the items that KATO announced earlier this year. I wanted it to be really clear and totally focused on that so you wouldn't get distracted from placing your pre-orders.However, there's a few other things I really need to mention first:
1. For a trial period we've switched to a new payment provider on our Train Trax website - Super. It’s free for businesses to accept payments with Super and in-return we’ll give you a 1% back in Cash Rewards every time you purchase with Super. These rewards act like instant discounts on future buys from us. The more you shop, the more you save. The system is still safe and secure, accepting all the same cards and more. Do drop us an email to let us know how you get on!
2. Well done for surviving the cull! We've cleaned up our email list, so if the system doesn't think you've read the previous emails or ordered for a while, you won't be reading this.
3. We have had lots of new arrivals, including some we've not yet unpacked. I'll say more about them in my next email but if you're interested you can always check the Just Arrived page.
So finally, to those exciting January announcements. Kato announced new items for their range of Japanese locomotives and rolling stock, as well as new Glacier Express sets and locos.
Included in the announcements are JR 50 series passenger cars, 381 Series "Shinano", 40ft K-LINE containers, E6 Series Shinkansen "Komachi", E3 Series 2000 Yamagata Shinkansen "Tsubasa", 683 Series "Shirasagi", the last remaining EF66 among the 0 series, Koki 102+103 "Kangaroo Liner SS60" (+ more containers) and multiple versions of the JR Shikoku 8000 Series Limited Express "Shiokaze/Ishizuchi".
We're most excited about new Glacier Express items. There's a set including an updated Ge4/4III loco (#647) and two coaches, one of which is the 'excellence class' coach. There's an add on set which has conventional first and second class passenger cars with updated interiors and seat colors, allowing you to enjoy the current Glacier Express. The Alpine locomotive Ge4/4-III 643 is also available, as is a starter set with a compact oval of track and controller.
Pre-order now! Browse our pre-order page or follow links below.
Best wishes, Ian Miller
PS we've had some lovely reviews recently. Thanks very much for letting us know that we're getting things right!
Happy New Year from Train Trax UK - new 2025 liveries from KatoUSA and more 🚄
Thank you so much for your support throughout 2024. We truly appreciate your interest in our little business. From all of us at Model Railway Magic, Train Trax UK, and The Model Tree Shop, we wish you all the best for 2025.
We're going to try a slightly different format for this email, so let us know if you like it. Don't forget to read all the way to the bottom for the latest news!
In stock now:
Already this year we've had some deliveries of brand new items, from Japan and KatoUSA. See below for the latest version of the N700S Shinkansen and the EMD NW2 switching locos in three exciting liveries. We've noticed a lot of interest in DCC Sound recently, and there's five new versions of KatoUSA'S EMD SD70MAC which are ready to go with factory fitted ESU LokSound decoders. There's limited UK availability on these so when they're gone they're gone.
To come later in the year: At the end of 2024 KatoUSA announced new versions of the GE P42 "Genesis". Two liveries, each with two road numbers. Amtrak Phase VII #82 and #174 and the distinctive VIA Rail #901 and #917. These will each be available in the normal DC/Analogue, DCC fitted and fully DCC Sound fitted options. Due to arrive late summer or early autumn. Pre-order links are at 'Pre-Orders? Reserve them here' for all the variations!
Kato in Japan also made some announcements over our festive break - there's some great items included but we're still waiting for UK and Europe pricing before we can open pre-orders. We'll send details in our next email, or make sure you follow our Facebook pageTo tease you all here's KATO's posters - we're expecting those Glacier Express sets to be popular.
What else for 2025? No doubt things will work out differently, but I've been doing some planning over the last couple of days. We're thinking about the next outing for our sales stand - the AMRSS show at Glasgow SEC in February. After that we'll be getting to grips properly with The Model Tree Shop and then perhaps some more excitement around the York show at Easter. We've also got some great ideas for T-TRAK and Hex-TRAK modules we want to build! If you've read as far as this then you must be taking things seriously. What are you planning for 2025? Best wishes, Ian Miller
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