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
December 2024 Last posting dates for Train Trax UK - also - new 🚊stuff from KATO!
I had a fantastic Saturday with the Yorkshire Area Group of the N Gauge Society, where we set up a T-TRAK layout equivalent to over 100 single modules, complete with four independent running loops. A lot of mince pies were enjoyed too!
But now, back to business. Here are a few quick updates from us:
Holiday Postage Deadlines
We’re starting to see some seasonal delays with UK Royal Mail deliveries. The official last posting date for Christmas using Royal Mail’s Tracked 48 service is 1 PM on Friday, 20th December. To avoid disappointment, we recommend placing your orders as soon as possible.
If timing is critical, we offer Special Delivery at cost based on weight. Prefer another courier? Just email us, and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
Holiday HQ Schedule
Our website will remain open for orders throughout the festive season, but our HQ will be closed from 20th December (end of day) until 30th December. During this time, we won’t be answering emails or phone calls, and no parcels will be sent out.
Please note there will be no dispatch on 1st January (bank holiday), but we’ll be back to normal after that.
A Note About Pre-Orders
Last week, a technical glitch caused all pending pre-orders to be mistakenly ‘released.’ Some of you may have received an email incorrectly stating your items were ready. We deeply apologize for the confusion and disappointment this caused and hope it hasn’t affected your confidence in pre-ordering with us.
Exciting KATO Announcements
KATO has unveiled its latest releases, and it’s a bumper crop! Here’s a quick rundown of what’s coming:
Unitram Track: Back this spring in all its glory, with new options for plain ‘E’ versions or pre-printed road markings.
Buildings: A mix of residential and office blocks in fresh colours (due Feb/March).
Rolling Stock:
German BR175 6-car set and VT18.16 4-car set (HO scale in May; N gauge in July).
Japanese E231-1000 series renewal sets, 323 Series Ōsaka Loop Line, and DF50 Shikoku Version setups with HOKI 5200 Limestone Freight Train sets (arriving April/May).
HO scale Japanese baggage cars.
KATO Class 66 (+77): A surprising return! Built to 1:160 scale, it’s perfect for European layouts, with continental liveries plus one UK version: ‘DB Cargo Climate Hero.’ Arriving May-ish.
Thank you so much for your support throughout the year. 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 the happiest of holidays and a wonderful New Year!
Best wishes, Ian Miller
December news from Train Trax UK - Small Business Saturday
At the time of writing, it's Small Business Saturday! Taking place a week after Black Friday weekend, the campaign is all about celebrating the nation’s small business success and encouraging people to support businesses in their communities and where appropriate, ‘shop local'.
We're a tiny specialist business in the grand scheme of things and every purchase means a lot to us. Even if you're not in the market for track, trains or trees today please consider how you're spending your hard earned cash and the impact it can have if you spend it with a smaller outfit.
It's been a bit of a marathon for our tiny business to keep up with orders over the last couple of weeks, both getting the parcels out to you and keeping our stock at the level you'd expect. We're managing though and your reviews are telling us that we're continuing to get most things right.
From Japan we've got the nice new EC-1 controller, as well as the 'Toyota Longpass Express' Ecoliner trains, the first of the SL 'Winter Wetlands' C11 packs, new small USB controllers and a few other bits.
From KatoUSA we've now got the first versions of the NW2 small locos, and HO scale starter sets. Take a look below for all the options.
I hope you all stay safe if affected by Storm Darragh.
Best wishes,
Ian Miller
on behalf of Model Railway Magic/Train Trax UK and now The Model Tree Shop
PS. Christmas is coming - shop now to ensure delivery before the big day. We're starting to see some seasonal disruption to postal services already so allow extra time!
I sent last week's email in a bit of a rush and forgot a couple of important things that I wanted to say.
1. We have gift vouchers available. This is the time of year that some people might well be interested in such things.
2. We won't be trading at the NEC show at the end of the month. It looks like a great show (I'm hoping to be there as a visitor on Sunday) but the costs and logistics didn't add up for us to attend with a stand this year. We don't have any more shows booked for this calendar year so please make your purchases online!
3. As of today stock levels are good, with the exception of some points.
4. As the festive season approaches, it's more important than ever to get your seasonal shopping done early! Demand for model railways and accessories always peaks in the lead-up to Christmas, and stocks of some items will run out. By shopping now, you not only secure the items you want but also avoid any potential shipping delays during the busy period. Plus, buying early lets you focus on enjoying the season instead of worrying about last-minute gifts. So why wait?
5. Newest announcements are now available. See 'posters' above. Amongst other things it's great to see something from Europe again - new versions of the ICE4 trains. From KatoUSA there's the return of the 'dash nine' (GE C44-9W) in three liveries, each with two road numbers and DC/DCC/Sound versions available. You'll find more details and pre-order links below. All our pre-order items can be found together here.
It's a busy time of year for us, but please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need help with your KATO or Model tree purchases! We'll do our best to get back to you as soon as we can.
Start shopping now and get ahead of the holiday rush!
Best wishes,
Ian Miller
on behalf of Model Railway Magic/Train Trax UK and now The Model Tree Shop
November 2024 news from Train Trax
My goodness it's been a busy week at Train Trax HQ. We've seen record numbers of orders for trains, track and trees. I think it's safe to say that the modelling season has begun - cooler damper weather (in the UK) means we're all looking for indoor things to do! Perhaps some folk are planning ahead and doing some Christmas purchasing too, only forty something shopping days to go...
We're trying our best to keep up stock levels on all the popular items, but we've hit a snag with many of the turnout/points. Some of these are now out of stock at all our suppliers and there isn't a production run scheduled in Japan for some of these until December. It's all a bit pointless I'm afraid.
We have had some interesting deliveries this week. The new JR modern Shinkansen E7 and W7 sets have arrived, as have the Pocket Line steam sets. We've also had too many KatoUSA locos arriving to list here. Check the sections below.
As we get to grips with our new business The Model Tree Shop we'll include a few bits of news in these emails, but you can subscribe on that site for more specific updates. We've also been posting a bit about ourselves on the Facebook page which is tantalizingly close to 1000 likes! Can you help get us there?
Warm regards,
Ian Miller
on behalf of Model Railway Magic/Train Trax UK and now The Model Tree Shop
PS. I'm waiting for UK pricing on Kato's announcements last week. More updates in my next email. There's some great stuff on the way next year!
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