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!
More October 🚄 news from Train Trax UK - All the latest stock updates
You may have seen my email earlier this week announcing the exciting news of our acquisition of The Model Tree Shop. As you can imagine, a lot of work has gone into making this happen, and we're still very much in the thick of it! Sorting through tens of thousands of different model trees in hundreds of boxes has been quite the adventure, and we’re still getting to grips with all the systems and processes. It's been fun, though, especially when you stumble across gems like a9mm high Canary Island Date Palm—perfect for adding some exotic flair to your layout! If you need something specific for your next project, don't hesitate to ask; we’ve probably got you covered.
At Train Trax, we pride ourselves on being a fully online business. While we know some of our customers prefer ordering over the phone, it’s becoming harder to support. For safety, speed, and accuracy, we strongly encourage you to place orders via our website, except in special cases where this may not be possible. Our website is designed to be user-friendly, and placing your orders online ensures everything is processed smoothly.
In other exciting news, we’ve just received a massive delivery from KatoUSA! The highly anticipated SD40-2 locos and coalporter wagons have arrived, and we now have most versions in stock. If you've been waiting for the re-run of the Unitram Turnouts, good news—limited stock has also just landed, so act fast to secure yours!
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to helping you create amazing layouts with all these fantastic new products.
Warm regards,
Ian Miller
on behalf of Model Railway Magic/Train Trax UK and now The Model Tree Shop
In my last couple of emails I've been hinting at something exciting that we've been working towards. It's taken a little while longer than expected to get ready for our announcement!
Last week we officially took over the goodwill, website, stock and operations for The Model Tree Shop. For nearly 20 years Steven Bird and his family poured their hearts and souls into The Model Tree Shop, creating a vibrant business for professional model makers, architects, hobbyists and enthusiasts. As they embark on a new chapter, new owners Model Railway Magic Ltd will continue to provide exceptional service and support to the shop's loyal customers.
About The Model Tree Shop: The Model Tree Shop sells high quality scale model trees and landscaping materials for discerning modellers. Suitable for architectural models, model railways, slot car racing layouts, wargaming, dolls house collectors, gifts and more. We have a huge variety of trees in different types, sizes and colours, along with other materials like static grass, plants, and flowers.
Model Railway Magic Ltd owns and operates Train Trax UK, which was transferred in similar circumstances from it’s previous owner nearly three years ago.
"The Model Tree Shop has a long-standing reputation for quality products and knowledgeable staff. We are honoured to continue this legacy and expand our offerings to serve the growing community of model enthusiasts. We think that the track and trains from Kato will be perfectly complemented by the range of trees and other scenics available through this business"
After a brief period for ‘transplanting’, The Model Tree Shop has now re-opened under new ownership, ensuring a seamless transition for customers old and new.
Happy modelling
Ian Miller
on behalf of Model Railway Magic/Train Trax UK/The Model Tree Shop
October 🚄 news from Train Trax UK - More Announcements from Kato USA and Japan.
It's not long since I sent you an email about the September announcements from Kato. This month I'm a bit better organised, so the October announcements are following swiftly behind.
There's a bumper crop of interesting items in the announcements, with most due to arrive over the next six months. Pricing on some items is still to be confirmed so I'm not including all pre-order links this time. You'll find all items on our pre-order page when we have prices for them. Here's my summary:
Of most interest to UK modellers will be the 9 car GWR Class 800/3 train. This has been widely expected after the other versions, but now we know it will be with us by the summer of next year. It will be available in DC/Analogue, DCC Fitted and DCC Sound versions. Which will you go for?
For North American modellers there's a re-run of the iconic #4014 Big Boy, plus associated tenders, excursion train and diesel support loco SD70M diesel #4015 will be updated to match the current livery details. There's a few other liveries and road numbers of the SD70M too so make sure you check out the options.
Japanese N gauge fans get the EF510 310 and new sets of container wagons for it to pull, as well as some more figures and a new re-railing device which looks useful. The Christmas set previously announced for US customers is also coming out in Japan and elsewhere. I'm looking forward to that one arriving!
There's some changes afoot for controllers - the standard 'blue' controller and point switches are getting costume changes and will now be dressed in a sleek black to match the Sound Box. Technical gubbins stay the same so you'll still get silky smooth PWM DC control. There's also a baby controller being introduced suitable for Pocket Line locos which will run off a 5V USB-C power supply (i.e. a phone charger). Perfect for seasonal layouts around a tree perhaps?
In BIG news there's a HO version of the powerful Japanese D51 steam loco. This looks to be quite a beast! It's coming with various freight wagons, figure sets and realistic scenic coal. I'd love to see a train like this as part of a UK exhibition layout one day!
As promised in my last email, we have had lots of North American locos arrive this week. We've also had our first batch of GWR Class 800 'Paddington' Starter Sets come in. A few other long awaited items such as Unitram points have also arrived. Check the 'Just Arrived' pages.
As the weather changes and we think about the modelling months to come many of us will be wondering about our personal finances. This is your regular reminder that we try to have the best pricing for Kato items in the UK. We'll price match any UK retailer who has the item in stock - just get in touch to let us know what you found and where. In addition to that; we offer 60 day no hassle returns and friendly service.
It's been a bit of a strange month so far here at HQ as we juggle various projects and admin tasks. I hope to send you another email next week with a one-off special announcement as one of the projects comes to fruition.
Happy modelling
Ian Miller on behalf of Model Railway Magic/Train Trax UK
PS. From time to time our second hand brand Model Railway Magic get requests for 'clean' used Kato Unitrack, sometimes in bulk. At the moment we don't have any in stock. If you have reasonable quantities of track pieces which you're not using, then we might be able to offer you something for them and find it a good home. Email us with details.
September news from Train Trax UK - Announcements from Kato USA and Japan.
A belated email from TrainTrax this month. We have been tied-up planning, going and coming back from our attendance at The International N Gauge Show (TINGS). As always with shows it was great to meet so many existing customers in person. It was particularly lovely to see Keith, previous owner of Train Trax, as well as catch up a little with Hiroshi, President of KATO. We also had our Hex TRAK demo which attracted a lot of interest.
Now we've caught up with most of the admin and emails, we can open pre-orders for the most recent announcements from Kato, both North American and Japanese. There's just a few this time, probably to allow manufacturing to get back on schedule after some recent delays.
The 'posters' are above, but to help you out there are the following new items in the Japanese range: Tokyu Railways 5050 series 4000 series (in 'Shinkansen' style wrapping), Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line 16000 series, (HO) EF58 (with icicle cut, brown), 381 series "Yutaka Yakumo", and the E231 series 500 series from the Chuo-Sobu local line. From KatoUSA there's a long overdue re-run of the SD80MAC - available in Conrail and NS liveries for those of you pulling coal. See below for pre-order links.
Over the late summer we have had various arrivals. Take a look at the 'Just Arrived' page to find out what's now in stock. There's some large deliveries due next week with more DCC Sound fitted KatoUSA locos and more.
You might know that Train Trax is one part of what Model Railway Magic does. We also trade all brands and scales of used model railway equipment on our eBay store. In the next month or so we're planning to branch out into something else by taking over another small online brand from the modelling world. We think there's lots of potential for it to 'grow' and we hope some of our Train Trax customers will also find it useful. More news on this soon.
Happy modelling
Ian Miller
on behalf of Model Railway Magic/Train Trax UK
Train Trax UK News - August Latest Announcements from Kato
Another email from Train Trax UK I'm afraid!. We announced our own Hex-TRAK product earlier this week, but as promised we've also caught up with opening pre-orders for the latest from Kato in Japan.
In these August announcements from Kato (posters above) we've seen a very intriguing new controller product, optionally to be sold as a premium bundle with the 'sound box'. Also revealed were some useful containers, new H5/E5 Shinkansen, EF65 locos and 'Ginga' sleeper train for them. I think the Yamanote line E235 EMU will be popular and there's also some two-car E300s which are perfect for smaller layouts. Take a look at the listings below (keep scrolling down!) and click through for more details.
Announced simultaneously is the KatoUSA C-44 Charger, Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner®. A few of you have already got in touch and told us that you've been on the real thing, so I think this will sell-out quickly. The Surfliner connects San Luis Obispo to San Diego via Los Angeles, which boasts the largest population and number of passengers in the California route area, and is the most famous train on the West Coast route. All passenger cars are characterized by large two-story bodies, and the Cab-Baggage-Coach (a combined car with a driver's cab) at the end is equipped with a driver's cab for driving with the passenger cars in front.
There's several versions of this being made available - DC/Analogue, DCC or DCC+Sound. There's also the choice of 4 car, 8 car, or 4 car add-on. If you need any help navigating all the choices please do get in touch!
This week has been busy for us. Not only have we been despatching the Hex Trak and dealing with all these new products, we've also had a mega-batch of new arrivals. You'll find those all listed below - in addition to the DCC Fitted 9-car Azuma sets, there are lots of KatoUSA goodies and OO9 locos at great prices! Don't miss out on these new items - as ever stocks are limited so buy now while you can!
Best wishes,
Ian Miller
On behalf of Train Trax UK
PS. Keep an eye on all our Social media over the next week or so. There may be new offers coming if we can find time!
Train Trax UK - Brand new range now available - Hex TRAK
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new range of Hex-TRAK products, officially unveiled on Friday to the modeling press and across our social media platforms. These innovative products are now available for purchase!Hex-TRAK represents a groundbreaking concept in modular model railways. They are smaller, simpler, and easier to store and handle than the larger T-TRAK modules, while offering larger radius curves and more space for scenery compared to Kato's 'MiniCircus' diorama modules. Hex-TRAK modules can be combined in numerous ways to create both large and small single-track layouts.Click the image below for a video explanation:
The standard module geometry is based on a 248mm straight track (Kato 20-000) and 216mm radius curves (Kato 20-170 & 20-171). While most Kato rolling stock will handle these dimensions, some larger stock or stock from other manufacturers may struggle due to the tight radius. Please check compatibility and minimum recommended radii. Junctions are also possible using the Kato 'Compact' 150mm radius points, although this will further limit the rolling stock that can smoothly traverse the modules. Each module is laser-cut from high-quality 6mm MDF, measuring 248mm across the flat edges and approximately 286mm from point to point.Keen followers of modeling forums might have seen discussions about Hex-TRAK earlier this year. Jonathan first encountered Justin's similar work on the TableTopRailroad YouTube channel a few months ago. By coincidence, Jonathan was already developing something nearly identical. We reached out to Justin, and since then, we have corresponded extensively, exchanging ideas and collaborating towards a final design and system. Justin is aware that we at Train Trax UK are selling these modules, and he has given his blessing. We hope you share our excitement for Hex-TRAK and look forward to seeing the incredible layouts you create. Why not join our dedicated Facebook group? Best regards, Ian Miller On behalf of Train Trax UK PS. Last week there were some exciting announcements from Kato and KatoUSA. We're awaiting confirmation of UK pricing, and then they will all be available to pre-order from our website. Look out for another email from us as soon as we know more.
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