Train Trax UK, Model Railway Magic Ltd, Unit 15 The Bull Centre, Stockton Lane, York (2026)

15/06/2026

Every week we unpack something interesting and this week's batch spans Shinkansen history, two of Japan's most recognisable limited expresses, and a 60th anniversary special that will interest anyone following JR West's western corridor operations.

The headline is the Kato 10-2098 E4 Series Shinkansen "Max Toki" 8-Car Set. When JR East relocated the double-decker E4 fleet from the Tohoku Main Line, the Joetsu Shinkansen became its final home. In 2014 the stripe colour changed from yellow to pink, and the P9 formation at the Niigata Shinkansen Rolling Stock Centre gained the crested ibis logo on its flanks, a nod to the Sado Island conservation programme that became quietly bound up with the train's identity in its later years. KATO's 10-2098 reproduces that specific P9 formation with printed livery and logo rather than stickers, and marks the switch to a slotless motor on the E4, which makes a real difference to slow-speed running and consistency across a longer consist. DCC-friendly as standard. If you are building a Joetsu Shinkansen scene or collecting the E4's operational history, this is the formation that represents the final era before withdrawal in 2021. One in stock.

Also just in from the same batch: the 10-2170 E259 Series "Narita Express" in renewed colour reflects a significant change to one of Tokyo's most familiar trains. In 2023 JR East redesigned the E259, removing the aircraft wing markings and N'EX logo from the lead cars. The reason matters: the removal signalled the train's expanded identity beyond airport services, particularly its use on the Sobu Main Line "Shiosai" service from 2024. This is not simply a cosmetic update - it represents a different operational chapter for the E259, and for collectors tracking the prototype accurately it is a distinct version from earlier releases. Based on the Ne005 set from Kamakura Rolling Stock Centre. Slotless motor, close-coupled body-mounted couplers, front connecting door part included for coupling two sets together.

The 10-2142 683 Series 4000 "Thunderbird" (renewed car) basic set reproduces the B35 formation from the Kyoto branch of Suita General Rolling Stock Centre in the post-2015 black and blue colour scheme. The offset collision prevention structures on the end panels are reproduced, the single-arm pantograph is correct for the 4000 series, and destination stickers cover both pre- and post-Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsuruga opening eras, which means this model can represent the Thunderbird at two distinct points in its operational history. Pair with the 10-2149 681 Series add-on set to build the full 12-car formation. Slotless motor, DCC-friendly. Two in stock.

And a collector piece worth knowing about: the 10-2215 Special Projects 287 Series "Kuroshio" 60th Anniversary wrapping 2nd 6-Car Set. The Kuroshio is JR West's limited express on the Hanwa and Kisei lines between Osaka and the Kii Peninsula coast, one of the great scenic routes in western Japan. This special edition marks 60 years of the Kuroshio service with a full commemorative wrap on the 287 Series formation. The 60th anniversary livery is a significant departure from the standard white and blue scheme and a genuine collector's piece. One only.

See everything that's just arrived → traintrax.co.uk/just-arrived-c-27-html

15/06/2026

The big Train Trax summer sale is now on!

10% off everything at traintrax.co.uk until 24 June, from Japanese N gauge, North American, European outline, Unitrack, accessories, to buildings. 'Just Arrived' category items are excluded.

The 10% also applies on top of existing reductions in our rolling sale, which currently includes North American DCC locomotives and a handful of Japanese sets that have been with us a while.

Head to the usual place - https://f.mtr.cool/hwawqykktp - and use code summer-26 at checkout.

Ten days. No extensions.

13/06/2026

Lovely day at the N gauge society's World Wide Group and Yorkshire Area Group annual convention.

12/06/2026

🚆 New Kato Announcements Have Arrived!

This month's highlights include:

✨ The stunning THE ROYAL EXPRESS Izukyu 2100 Series 8-car luxury train
🚄 Kyushu Shinkansen 800 Series "Sakura/Tsubame"
🌙 583 Series "Kitaguni" sleeper express sets
🚉 E235 Yokosuka/Sobu Rapid Line formations
🚂 DF200 diesel locomotives
🚋 Pocket Line Chibi-Den "Green Liner" tram

Pre-orders are now open, which ones will you go for?
https://traintrax.co.uk/product-tag/announced-jun-26

12/06/2026

A quick reminder that the WorldWide and Yorkshire Area Group N Gauge Society open day is tomorrow at Heworth Community Centre in York.

Train Trax will be trading from 10:30am. If you're planning to come, parking on site is limited so the number 11 bus from York Station is worth considering. It stops at Ashley Park Bridge, just outside the centre.

Layouts covering Japan, North America, Europe and Great Britain. £5 entry per modeller or family group. Doors close at 4:00pm.

Hope to see you there. 38 Applecroft Rd, Heworth, York YO31 0HQ.

10/06/2026

The Rhaetian Railway is probably the most ambitious narrow gauge railway ever built. A UNESCO World Heritage route running through the Swiss Alps at gradients and altitudes that would challenge a standard gauge main line, operated since the 1920s by locomotives that have become icons in their own right.

KATO's RhB range brings that character into N gauge. The Ge6/6-I 'Rhaetian Crocodile' is the centrepiece: the articulated electric locomotive that earned its name from the jointed bodywork that flexes through tight mountain curves. In the 5-car set with Alpine Green passenger cars, it is one of the most complete and atmospheric European formations available. The Ge4/4-III and the ABe 8/12 Allegra EMU represent the contemporary network, alongside coaches for the Glacier Express and Bernina Express formations and supporting accessories including the Swiss station building and platform set.

One note for collectors: KATO models the RhB at 1:150 rather than the 1:160 used for other European N gauge. This is deliberate. Because the prototype runs on metre gauge track, 1:150 gives the correct proportional relationship on standard N gauge track. Worth knowing if you are planning a mixed European layout.

Good stocks across the full range at the moment. See everything at traintrax.co.uk/kato-swiss-rhb-n-gauge

Have any of you built a Swiss Alps scene, or is the Glacier Express trip the reason this range is on your list?

09/06/2026

If you're in York this Saturday, the WorldWide Group and Yorkshire Area Group of the N Gauge Society are holding their joint annual open day at Heworth Community Centre.

Train Trax will be there to trade. The layout list makes it worth the trip on its own: modular layouts from both groups covering Great Britain, Europe, Japan and North America, alongside two stand-alone layouts, Muhlenfelder by Pauline McKenna and Trifolou by Piers Milne. Japanese and North American scenes are well represented, which feels appropriate given what we stock.

Doors open at 10:30am and run until 4:00pm. Entry is £5 per modeller or family group, refreshments are available on site, and bus number 11 from York Station stops at Ashley Park Bridge just outside the centre. Parking on site is limited.

We'd be glad to see some familiar faces there. Heworth Community Centre, 38 Applecroft Rd, Heworth, York YO31 0HQ. Full details in the attached image.

08/06/2026

Every week we unpack something interesting and this week we're heading to North America, with one of the strongest batches of US outline we've had in a while.

The headline is the Kato 106-9001-S Amtrak SC-44 Surfliner 4-Car Train Pack (DCC-Sound). The Surfliner is Amtrak's Pacific Coast passenger service, a distinctive double-deck trainset running the California Coastal corridor between San Diego, Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo. The SC-44 cab car and bi-level coaches are one of the most recognisable passenger train formations in North America, and this DCC-Sound fitted pack delivers a complete, ready-to-run Surfliner experience with working sound straight out of the box. One in stock.

Also just in: a pair of Norfolk Southern SD70ACU diesel locomotives: the 176-8560 NS #7300 and 176-8561 NS #7337, each individually numbered and available separately. The SD70ACU is a remanufactured SD70 platform, updated and modernised by Progress Rail for NS heavy freight duties. These run in multiple on long freight trains across the NS network, and having both allows for a proper double-headed freight consist in authentic NS Thoroughbred livery. One of each in stock.

And one for the DCC collector: the Kato 176-8957-S ES44AC CPKC #9375 (DCC + Sound). This is a Canadian Pacific Kansas City ES44AC in the striking CPKC "action red" merger livery, with DCC and Sound fitted. The CPKC merger created the first single-line railway connecting Canada, the US and Mexico, and this loco wears the new unified livery introduced after the 2023 merger. One in stock.

A strong week for North American running.

See everything that's just arrived → traintrax.co.uk/just-arrived-c-27-html

05/06/2026

The KATO turntable: what is it, and how do I fit it into a layout?

The turntable is a product we get asked about more than most, usually by modellers planning a depot area who aren't sure how it fits into a Unitrack layout or what's involved in making it work. Often we find that the KATO 20-283 Electric Turntable is one of those products that modellers either know very well or haven't considered at all. Here's what it is and how to approach integrating it.

What does it actually do?

A turntable rotates a locomotive 180 degrees so it can be turned for departure in the opposite direction, or positioned on any of the exit roads that surround the turntable bed. It's the centrepiece of any depot or servicing area and, operationally, it adds a type of movement that running trains around a loop simply can't replicate.

The KATO turntable has a 160mm bridge, which is long enough to accommodate most European, British, and American locomotives with room to spare. It's motorised; just press the switch once to step to the next exit road, or hold it to rotate continuously. The bridge lines up mechanically with each exit road, so there's no guesswork about alignment.

How does the power work?

Exit roads are powered by the bridge itself as it passes, which means unused exit roads are automatically isolated, so no additional wiring needed for the basic setup. This is a significant practical advantage over many other turntable systems.

What accessories are available?

The turntable comes with four exit tracks. The 20-285 Straight Extension Track Set adds three further fitted straight roads with bumper stops - useful if you want a proper multi-road roundhouse arrangement. The 20-286 set adds curved exit tracks left and right for approaches that don't run straight off the turntable. The 20-287 Extension Cable allows you to position the controller up to 150cm from the turntable itself, which is helpful on larger baseboards.

Does it work with DCC?

Yes, with a small amount of additional wiring. The turntable controller connects to the DCC system via the green socket on the controller. You'll need to isolate the exit roads from the main running track to avoid short circuits - eight insulated rail joiners are supplied, with more available separately. The polarity switch on the controller handles reversal, though note that loco direction on DCC is controlled by the decoder rather than the track polarity.

How much space does it need?

The turntable itself has a 481mm diameter footprint, and you'll need approach track on at least one side. Plan the surrounding exit roads before committing to a position on the baseboard as it's easier to adjust the track plan at the pencil stage than after the scenery is down.

traintrax.co.uk

01/06/2026

Every week we unpack something interesting. This week it's Japanese freight, and a particularly interesting corner of it.

The headline is the Kato 3086-1 EH800. This is the dual-voltage electric locomotive built specifically to work through the Seikan Tunnel, the undersea rail link between Honshu and Hokkaido. The Seikan Tunnel presents a unique operating challenge: trains must handle two different power supply systems across its length, and the EH800 was purpose-designed to do exactly that. It's a large, modern, purposeful machine — eight axles, a distinctive cab arrangement, and a very specific operational reason to exist. This version is the non-JRF mark variant, representing the loco in its current working guise. In stock.

Pairing naturally with it is the Kato 10-1871 Koki 102+103 "Kangaroo Liner SS60" 8-Car Set. This is the dedicated container wagon formation used on freight services through the Seikan Tunnel and beyond. The Kangaroo Liner SS60 is a distinctive road-railer-style container service, and the 8-car set builds a complete and operational freight consist behind the EH800. One only.

Also in: the Kato 10-045 EF210 Container Train 3-Car Set, a compact three-wagon container consist to pair with the EF210 locomotive that anchors any modern Japanese freight layout. The EF210 is the current standard JR Freight electric on the Tokaido and Sanyo corridors, and this three-car set is a cost-effective way to put something behind it. Two in stock.

And something genuinely unusual for the collector end: the Kato 10-1824 Special Projects Nagoya Rinkai Railway ND552 2-Car Set. The Nagoya Rinkai Railway is a small freight and passenger operation serving the industrial port areas of Nagoya Bay, a third-sector line that most modellers will never have seen before. The ND552 is a diesel multiple unit specific to this railway, and this special project model is the kind of piece that rewards a collector who values the obscure and the genuine. In stock.

See everything that's just arrived: traintrax.co.uk/just-arrived-c-27-html

Train Trax UK

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