Ian Miller’s love of trains started early. His mother says he would kick in the womb whenever the local steam train passed by. He had a model railway as a child, but as he grew up, life took over and time for trains fell by the wayside.
After 15 years in IT support, Ian was ready for a change. He began buying and selling second-hand model railway items in his spare time and founded Model Railway Magic Ltd in 2020. What started as a small eBay business gradually became something rather bigger.
In early 2022, Model Railway Magic acquired TrainTrax, the UK specialist in KATO model railway products. The Model Tree Shop followed in 2024, adding a well-established range of realistic trees and scenic products. Alongside these two businesses, we continue to buy and sell pre-owned model railway collections.
Today, Model Railway Magic is a small York-based team operating three distinct parts of the hobby:
- TrainTrax – KATO trains, Unitrack and accessories
- The Model Tree Shop – model trees and scenic products
- Model Railway Magic on eBay – pre-owned models looking for new homes
We believe the future of model railway retail lies in specialisation. There is now far too much choice for one shop to stock everything well. The strongest businesses know their subject, carry a useful range and provide the sort of help that cannot be found by reading a product code from a box.
Our business is unashamedly online. We attend selected exhibitions, hold occasional open days and welcome visitors to our premises by appointment, but our websites are our main shop windows.
That does not mean we want the business to feel remote or faceless. Behind every order are real people who know the products, answer questions and try to sort things out properly when something goes wrong.
We do not pretend to be bigger than we are, to know everything or never to make the odd mistake. We would rather be straightforward with customers and build a business that people return to because it is genuinely useful.
Customer happiness has been central to Model Railway Magic from the beginning. Model railways are not necessities, but they can make a real difference to people’s lives. They provide creativity, relaxation, connection and, occasionally, a perfectly reasonable excuse to avoid doing something less enjoyable.
Model Railway Magic is accredited by the Good Business Charter, reflecting our commitment to treating employees, customers, suppliers and the environment responsibly.
Ian is also developing plans for a hands-on model railway visitor attraction in York. The project aims to introduce more people to the hobby and create a place where visitors can see, drive and learn about model railways.
Model Railway Magic has changed considerably since 2020, but the basic idea remains the same: specialist products, honest service and more opportunities for people to enjoy the hobby.