As mentioned at the end of the last email, there's some new liveries on the way from KatoUSA: The popular N scale SD70Ace with “Nose Headlights” is returning with a new roadname - “Montana Rail Link” and a rerun of Union Pacific’s #1943 “The Spirit”! Montana Rail Link (MRL) is a Class II regional railroad that operates over 900 route miles of track in Montana and Idaho, and works closely with BNSF Railway. For the BNSF modelers, the MRL’s rich deep blue locomotives will be a perfect addition for more variety in operations. Needless to say, UP #1943 “The Spirit” is a locomotive that everyone was waiting for as a rerun! Paired together with the new UP roadnumbers as well as our other UP Heritage units, you can enjoy the complete modern UP locomotive fleet!
New announcement posters from Kato Japan issued earlier today:
I'm still digesting these, but pre-orders for most of these will open shortly - take a look at the website towards the middle of next week. I'll put a link on social media as soon as UK pricing is confirmed. TrainTrax is on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram, although posting on the last two of these is a bit more sporadic!
I'm now listing a large collection of second hand KATO Japanese models on the Model Railway Magic ebay store. I'm keeping them separate from TrainTrax so no-one gets confused between the normal new stock and this second-hand stuff, but I also figured many readers would be interested. I'll be adding a few auctions per day for the next few weeks.
New arrivals of various rolling stock and buildings continue - and huge quantities of track re-stocks. I'm investing quite heavily in stock at the moment to take advantage of all the room in the new HQ. I've also started building some modules for my T-TRAK based layout. Watch this space for how it progresses!
It's probably worth a reminder that I'm always looking to get reviews on the site, so for anyone who posts a review (minimum 20 words), I'll send a voucher for 5% off your next 5 orders. Of course you'll also get that nice warm fuzzy feeling for helping other people! All you need to do is find the 'reviews' tab below the photo on any product page, and add a product review. Your details won't be used for anything else. (To ensure accuracy, reviews are limited to those who have purchased the items via Train Trax. Discount code will normally be sent within 5 days and is valid for 5% off all items except sale items and pre-orders and can be used up to 5 times for personal use.)
If you've read this far down the email then you must have some interest in what's going on here at TrainTrax HQ. In the next few months I'd really like to recruit someone else to assist with the next stages of the business's growth. If you'd like to know more and feel you have some useful skills, then please do get in touch. I'm very open to different ideas on how this could work.
In the meantime, happy modelling!
Ian
Just a quick update from the new Train Trax HQ this time. I've been away for a few days and have a lot to catch up on!
Firstly, the new announcement posters from Kato Japan issued at the end of January:
I'll definitely be getting in some of the E6 Shinkansen sets, the Seven Stars cruise train sets, and the tram expansion sets. You can pre-order here. If there's anything else on there that you're interested in then let me know and I can find out more details for you.
Secondly, am reminder that I took delivery of a large lot of second-hand Kato Japanese models a few weeks ago, from the estate of a collector. It's all in excellent condition and I haven't yet got around to listing it on the Model Railway Magic eBay page. If you want to take a look and make offers on any items before I do so, the list is here.
Thirdly, there have been too many recent arrivals to list, so take a look here. Many re-stocks have also arrived this week, with many more hopefully arriving on Monday. Apologies that some popular items have been out of stock recently - there have been some annoying delays with customs authorities which have slowed down a series of deliveries.
Lastly, thanks to everyone who said hello at the Doncaster Show. It was great to meet folks and help out with lots of Unitrack questions! Next show for Train Trax will be at Easter, and the local one for me - York MRS.
Have a great weekend!
Ian
STOP PRESS: I've just been sent some information about new releases from Kato USA. There will be new locos available to pre-order soon. Follow the Facebook page to find out more early next week, or wait until my next news email!
It feels like a lot has happened to Train Trax since I last sent an update email! The main thing has been a successful move across the trading estate to new larger premises. All contact details remain the same. I still have a few things to sort out, but it's going to be great having more room. I'll let you know when I get started on the testing layout I've got planned.
There have been several large deliveries of Unitrack and buildings over the last couple of days, with one more to come next week. Some new releases from Kato USA have also landed. See below for a few items where there's surplus after pre-orders have been despatched.
Next on the agenda is the 'Festival of British Railway modelling' at Doncaster Racecourse in a week or so. I'm booked to bring along a Train Trax stand, on Saturday 11th Feb and Sunday 12 Febreuary. I'll be roughly in the middle of the hall. I'm looking forward to meeting some more customers and chatting about all things Kato and Unitrack. It looks like a great show, and maybe I'll even sell a few things too.
Given the title of the event I probably won't be bringing along a whole load of US, Japanese or European models, instead I'll bring lots of Unitrack, T-TRAK modules, accessories, the Class 800s and a few 'freelance' trains. What would you like to see at the show? (I'm happy to accept requests for collection of website orders, and it anyone wants to see anything specific 'in the flesh' then let me know).
I will be taking a few days off during half term holidays, which corresponds with another planned Royal Mail strike, so any orders placed 14-16th February won't be despatched until the 17th February. Thank you for your patience - it's just me here so I need a short break from time to time!
Lastly, I took delivery of a large lot of second-hand Kato Japanese models today, from the estate of a collector. It's all in excellent condition and will be listed on the Model Railway Magic eBay page over the next few months. If you want to take a look and make offers on any items, the rough list is here.
Have a great weekend!
This week I've been making preparations for a big move for Train Trax HQ. I'm staying on the same site, but taking on a much bigger unit which comes unfurnished. It would have been easy to pop along to a Swedish furniture website and get everything I need, but instead I've been sourcing pre-owned shelving, tables and other bits and bobs to re-use. I know it's not the easy way, but in the long run I feel it's more sustainable, and certainly more full of character! After I've moved I'll have lots more room to hold more stock, both new Kato and pre-owned trains.
The Januaryclearance sale is still running - in fact I've added quite a lot of new items and increased reductions this week! Substantial discounts on all sorts of stuff - take a look. Less stock will make the move easier, and then I can spend the cash on re-stocking bigger and better than ever.
A few new arrivals have also trickled in over the last few weeks, including many of the new livery KatoUSA P42 locos. Pre-orders have been fulfilled, and on this occasion there's a few left. Check the 'Just Arrived!' page to see the range.
More stock from Japan should arrive sometime next week. If an item is showing as out of stock, remember to hit the 'Email me when available' button on the website and join the waiting list. When the item arrives you'll be sent an email and then it's first come first served for placing an order!
A new payment method 'Super' has been added to the website recently, which will give a 1% discount when you use it. You may have seen this on other sites. It won't be for everyone as it involves a bit of faff with a mobile app, but paying with the bank app through Super saves us money, so we can take 1% off the price. Give it a try and let me know how you get on. If people have trouble then I'll remove the option, but some folk might like it.
It's almost exactly one year since I took on Train Trax from the previous owner Keith. I've learnt so much along the way and after a slightly rocky transition I hope you agree everything is working smoothly. Thank you so much to everyone who has bought something over the last 12 months and supported this small business. I really enjoy hearing from (and sometimes meeting in person) my customers so do keep in touch.
Have a great weekend!
Ian
I send best wishes for 2023 to all email subscribers!
Two important things to note this time:
Firstly, the new and returning N gauge products from KATO Japan announced just before Christmas are now available to pre-order at Train Trax UK.
Note the return of the Turntable, and new station platform accessories as well as new versions of the high rise buildings which are sure to be popular - all due January/February 2023.
Coming around May/June 2023 there's re-runs of Series E353 "Azusa/Kaiji" and new Series 113-1000 Yokosuka Line/Soubu Express Line sets as well as the Kumoha 52 (2nd.) Iida Line 4-Car Set.
All available to pre-order in the usual place: https://traintrax.co.uk/preorders-reserve-them-here-c-51... Why pre-order? Only a limited quantity of each KATO release makes it to the UK. During last year there have been instances where a release has completely sold out before arrival. A pre-order guarantees that the item is yours, but there is no need for you to make payment until the items are in the UK. Unlike some retailers, I do try to keep pre-orders open until the item arrives if possible.
Secondly, I have launched a clearance sale today. Substantial discounts on all sorts of stuff - take a look. If you're interested there's two reasons why I'm doing this: primarily because such things are traditional around this time of year and also because I'm planning to move my store room to a much bigger unit (on the same site) in February. Less stock will make the move easier, and then I can spend the cash on re-stocking bigger and better than ever.
Clearance prices remain in place until the end of January, and there will be very limited re-stocking during this time across all lines. Get your orders in early! If you're looking for something in particular that shows as out of stock then please do get in touch.
It's very rare that anyone is disappointed with a KATO train, but just in case they are, I'm offering free returns for any items bought in December. I aim to make this as hassle free as possible - just let me know before Jan 15th by emailing sales@traintrax.co.uk and I'll sort it out!
Keep well and keep modelling.
I found myself going down an internet rabbit-hole and discovered this wonderful image on the New Zealand Archives Flickr site. [From a collection of 'Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot' scrapbook of cards, photographs, newspaper clippings and card greetings for Christmas/New Year from various railway stations in New Zealand.]
I like the sentiment and thought I’d share it with you all as a Christmas greeting.
To wish you a signal-ly Happy Christmas May you never be blocked by a Danger Signal but always find a Bright Light Ahead giving you a Straight and Clear Run to Prosperity in the New Year. THANK YOU to everyone who has supported this small business in 2022, whether your orders are large or small, its great to feel appreciated! I intend to continue to despatch parcels until 23rd December, then take a few days off and resume despatch on the 28th December. Please do follow the Train Trax Facebook page for further updates - there will be some exciting news at the end of the month, including the latest releases from Kato Japan. Happy Christmas, Ian Miller
This is an extra email from my normal fortnightly updates. There's some important deadlines coming up, and I thought it was worth a reminder:
Due to the uncertainty caused by the Royal Mail strikes we encourage customers to order as soon as possible to ensure delivery before Christmas. All couriers are dealing with much higher volumes than normal, and there will almost certainly be delays. Your patience is appreciated.
Current RM/CWU strike action is scheduled to take place Friday 9th December, Sunday 11th December, Wednesday 14th December and Thursday 15th December.
Royal Mail currently state on their website that the last recommended date for Royal Mail 48 parcels is Monday 12th December and for Special Delivery parcels is Wednesday 21st December. My cut-off for despatch on those days will be 1pm.
Please contact me if you'd like a quote for an alternative courier service.
I intend to continue to despatch parcels until 23rd December, then take a few days off and resume despatch on the 28th December. The other piece of news I needed to share with you is the latest announcements from KATO Japan (beyond the Big Boy I mentioned in my last email )
There are some useful 'DioTown' reruns of buildings and accessories available early next year. In addition there are the 'Blue Train' loco and coach packs, and a DE10 loco available in April. All now available to pre-order at Train Trax.
I think Train Trax UK might have hit a new sales record over the last weekend! Don't worry though - stock levels in general remain good, with more of everything arriving later in the week.
It's very rare that anyone is disappointed with a KATO train, but just in case they are, I'm offering free returns for any items bought from now until January 1st. I aim to make this as hassle free as possible - just let us know before Jan 15th by emailing sales@traintrax.co.uk and I'll sort it out!
Keep well and keep modelling.
Ian
Hello
Small Business Saturday UK takes place on 3rd December! Depending when you read this, that's probably tomorrow or today.
Model Railway Magic is a very small business (just me!), and this occasion seems to be a good excuse to celebrate everything good about small businesses, so this weekend I'm offering free delivery on orders over £150. Just use the code 'smallbiz22' on checkout.
Even if you don't need anything KATO right now, do think about how else you can support other small businesses this festive season. There has never been a better time to shop small and support all the extraordinary small businesses across the UK! Do you bit to show our incredible smallbiz community some extra love by shopping small either in person or online, and spreading the word far and wide!
Over the last week I've received massive deliveries both directly from Japan and via the UK KATO distributor, so stocks are good across most lines. I've got a large number of the popular N gauge Starter Sets, including Azuma, GWR Class 800 and Industrial locos. Also arrived is the very special 10-1727 58654 + 50 series 700 "SL Hitoyoshi" 4-car sethas been described as KATO Japan's best model yet. There is one full set, and a couple of the 10-1728 50 series 700th "SL Hitoyoshi" 3-car set (coaches only) available now due to pre-order mishaps.
This year Royal Mail are suggesting a last order date of Monday 12th December (1pm) to ensure delivery by Christmas for UK orders, early because of strike action and seasonal loadings. I'm now offering a Special Delivery option, for which the last date is Wednesday 21 December (1pm). Contact me for international (non UK) last order dates - it's complicated but I'm happy to work it out for you! Thank you for those waiting patiently whilst the posties catch up with the backlog.
Now the BIG news from KatoUSA: the pricing and availability dates have finally been released for their much anticipated N gauge Union Pacific Big Boy Steam Locomotive #4014. See below to view more information and pre-order links. These are the very best prices I can do - margins are tight on these items and buying from the USA is expensive! There's also a re-release due of the 'N Union Pacific Excursion Train 7-Car Set' which would be ideal to run with your choice of Big Boy
It's been a busy old week (I'm still recovering from the Warley exhibition), so I'll have a look at KATO's Japanese announcements on Monday and let you know about those next week!
Have a great weekend,
Ian
In my last email I'd hoped to bring you some news of fresh arrivals and photos of exciting new products from Japan and the US. I'm glad to say that after much chasing of couriers and customs officials, the incoming Japanese deliveries have made it through. Once pre-orders have been processed, there should be a few extras of the newest pocket line freight sets and others on general sale soon.
Keep an eye on the Facebook Page for further news of the American stuff - due early next week. Thanks to everyone who has made their seasonal purchases nice and early - I've been busy this week despatching all sorts of goodies to various parts of the world. With more disruption to Royal Mail due over the next few weeks I can't emphasize enough how important it is to order soon.
I also mentioned last time that I'm not planning on any particular special Black Friday deals on the website this year. Remember that all prices are already discounted substantially from RRP and Kato really does offer great value whether it's a simple piece of Unitrack or a full 10 car express train. However, to make some room for the new stock , some reductions are currently available on US Steam locos, platforms, some trams and one or two other things. Check the Sale Page.
A reminder is probably due that I don't have a physical shop. I keep overheads low (and hence prices keen) by running Train Trax from a very small office and crammed full store-room. There is no public access at the published office address. If you turn up hoping to have a look at things, I'm afraid you will be turned away. If you'd like more information about any product, or additional photos of something, then please do not hesitate to get in touch.
News from KatoUSA:
More Kato Intermodal is heading your way soon in the form of new N Gunderson MAXI-I 5-Unit Well Car sets, with new 40' Container paint schemes: Mediterranean Shipping, China Shipping, Safmarine & Yang Ming. These new container releases will be sold separately as well as with new productions of the N Scale MAXI-Is in BSNF "Swoosh" and TTX New Logo paint! Pre-Orders are now open (links below), You can read more about these sets on the website.
You may have also seen pre-announcement announcements and photos of the forthcoming Kato USA Big Boy on Social media. I'll open pre-orders for these as soon as we have a confirmed ETA and pricing. They do look very impressive pieces of kit!
I'll be visiting the Warley Show at the NEC next weekend (probably Sunday) along with my Junior Modeller. I'm happy to stop and have a brief chat with any customers if you're there too. I'll be wearing my Train Trax branded top!
Thank you for taking time to read this newsletter. I hope you find it at least slightly useful or entertaining. If you've got any ideas for anything you'd like to be included in future editions then please do get in touch. I'd love to include some photos of reader's layouts so we can all see what you've created. For more frequent updates from Train Trax don't forget to follow the Facebook Page.
Have a great weekend,
Ian
I'd hoped to bring you some news of fresh arrivals and photos of exciting new products from Japan and the US today, but they are still working their way slowly through the customs systems so they will have to wait until next time. With the backlog from strikes and the pre-Christmas build-up I think logistics companies are struggling a bit at the moment, so we'll have to be patient. That said, there are a few new items which have arrived via Europe this week. See below for details.
However, being the beginning of a new month, there are some announcements of upcoming products from KATO Japan:
These 'posters' were only released this morning, so I'm still having a think about which items I'll be making available. Do let me know what you're interested in. Those footbridges look useful!
Just to let you know, I'm not planning on any special Black Friday deals on the website this year - remember that all prices are already discounted substantially from RRP and Kato really does offer great value whether it's a simple piece of Unitrack or a full 10 car express train. However, to make some room for the new stock that's due soon, some reductions are currently available on platforms, some trams and one or two other things. Check the Sale Page.
Over the next few weeks and months we all know that life can get busy, and postal services are slower (even without the impact of strikes). Please do try to order early to avoid disappointment, especially for those customers with delivery addresses outside the UK.
Thank your for taking time to read this newsletter. I hope you find it at least slightly useful or entertaining. If you've got any ideas for anything you'd like to be included in future editions then please do get in touch. For more frequent updates from Train Trax don't forget to follow the Facebook Page.
Have a peaceful weekend,
Ian
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