Future suggestions/predictions thread

[Mulfred100]

Here is my top list of non rail characters that I would like to see released in Bachmann HO scale in the future they are Trevor Bulgy Caroline George Post van Bulstrode Elizabeth Lorrie Horrid Lorries 1 2 and 3 Butch Tiger moth  Jack Alfie Max Isabella Kelly Byron Ned Oliver the excavator Patrick Buster Flynn Algy Thumper Kevin Madge Ace Angelique Tony Ester Ace Cleo Travis Bulgy's friend if you like the idea please let me know thanks

Firstly Bulgy is being made. Circling back to what I said months ago while I admire your enthusiasm asking for 30+ characters in one go isn't gonna happen. Limit your expectations to one or two who you really want not just everything thats been seen on screen. You'll only end up disappointed if you don't.

Great suggestions Chaz. I can definitely see those happening, in 26-27. Maybe with another van recolour or museum coaches or the Red Express coaches added in aswell to utilise existing tooling in the case of the 12 ton Van and Express coaches and eventual tooling with the museum coaches. I also wonder how Bachmann may tackle adding more troublesome trucks to the N scale line. Weather they'll go on order of HO or maybe branch out. Tooling is there for Tt6 and 7, so will Bachmann wait to introduce tooling for 3-5 or will they maybe make a tanker or 12 ton van troublesome truck first. I'd definitely love to see Cranky in N scale. I definitely can see him being a good first non rail introduction before characters like Bertie or Harold.

[JLK2707]

Could Troublesome Truck 8 be a TAR Tanker Wagon, while Troublesome Truck 9 is just a Season 1 Troublesome Truck? Could it be possible for Troublesome Trucks 1 and 2 to get new faces?

[Stephen62]

Could Troublesome Truck 8 be a TAR Tanker Wagon, while Troublesome Truck 9 is just a Season 1 Troublesome Truck? Could it be possible for Troublesome Trucks 1 and 2 to get new faces?

I'd like the tar tanker used for a troublesome truck or even just a blank black or silver tanker. I'd even like to see the standard gauge slate wagons that were in Thomas' train to the mainland in journey beyond sodor make it into the line. The teal salt wagons with faces would be cool along Rickety and Fred pehlay would be great. And new faces would be cool even to put on other wagons or swap out on the trucks.

[Chaz]

Great suggestions Chaz. I can definitely see those happening, in 26-27. Maybe with another van recolour or museum coaches or the Red Express coaches added in aswell to utilise existing tooling in the case of the 12 ton Van and Express coaches and eventual tooling with the museum coaches. I also wonder how Bachmann may tackle adding more troublesome trucks to the N scale line. Weather they'll go on order of HO or maybe branch out. Tooling is there for Tt6 and 7, so will Bachmann wait to introduce tooling for 3-5 or will they maybe make a tanker or 12 ton van troublesome truck first. I'd definitely love to see Cranky in N scale. I definitely can see him being a good first non rail introduction before characters like Bertie or Harold.

Given the reception to the reintroduction of the red express coaches, I feel a bit silly for not including them in my earlier post. I'm sure those will be a big hit with fans, alongside the red branch line coaches. But more than anything, I'd really love to see Bachmann expand their freight stock. Particularly with a BR 20-ton brake van and the coal wagon with load.

As for an N scale Troublesome Truck #3, one of my biggest issues with Bachmann using the Farish tankers is that they're too small compared to the other stock in the range. I could definitely see them using the box van tooling and labeling it something like "Box Van: Troublesome Truck #3," possibly even reusing the same illustration as HO Troublesome Truck #7 in the catalog. Or maybe giving it a model-era face for bonus points and more of a contrast to the HO model and in a different color:



Either way, would love to hear further thoughts on my earlier N scale post.

[Awesometrain77]

Could Troublesome Truck 8 be a TAR Tanker Wagon, while Troublesome Truck 9 is just a Season 1 Troublesome Truck? Could it be possible for Troublesome Trucks 1 and 2 to get new faces?

For truck 8 I would like to see a new tanker  . That appeared in season 4 as well as JBS onwards.  They could also reuse the face they do for that. For a narrow gauge troublesome slate wagon


To be honest years ago, I would think that Bachman was eventually gonna make one of their troublesome truck numbers be a season one truck, but that day never came . I would love to see a season one truck however would it happen ? 
They could also do the international trucks
Lei the red Chinese van
Cyan African salt van
Troublesome coffee truck


On the topic of tankers the cream tanker is a product I am shocked they did not rerelease yet with the correct coloring this time . I assume the wrong coloring was why they  retired it. But I would love to see them, make the cream tanker with the weathered chassis.

[DustyMarie53!]

Could Troublesome Truck 8 be a TAR Tanker Wagon, while Troublesome Truck 9 is just a Season 1 Troublesome Truck? Could it be possible for Troublesome Trucks 1 and 2 to get new faces?

On the topic of tankers the cream tanker is a product I am shocked they did not rerelease yet with the correct coloring this time . I assume the wrong coloring was why they  retired it. But I would love to see them, make the cream tanker with the weathered chassis.

Admittedly unsure what you are referring to. The logo and color match it's CGI series off white specifications. There's nothing incorrect about it that I can see. The nitrogen lighting makes it slightly yellower then the off white cream it is traditionally but the tanker as far as I can tell replicates the colors accurately

[Jake86]

Here is my top 20 rail characters for Bachmann HO scale BoCo Derek Class 40 Stepney Bear Murdock Neville Mollie Nia Lady Arthur Harvey  Diesel 10 Dodge Splatter Fergus Dennis Phillip Sidney City of Truro

[JLK2707]

Hate to tell you Jake86, but they are not going to mention all those characters at once. Sidney is already being made.

[Zorran202]

Great suggestions Chaz. I can definitely see those happening, in 26-27. Maybe with another van recolour or museum coaches or the Red Express coaches added in aswell to utilise existing tooling in the case of the 12 ton Van and Express coaches and eventual tooling with the museum coaches. I also wonder how Bachmann may tackle adding more troublesome trucks to the N scale line. Weather they'll go on order of HO or maybe branch out. Tooling is there for Tt6 and 7, so will Bachmann wait to introduce tooling for 3-5 or will they maybe make a tanker or 12 ton van troublesome truck first. I'd definitely love to see Cranky in N scale. I definitely can see him being a good first non rail introduction before characters like Bertie or Harold.

Given the reception to the reintroduction of the red express coaches, I feel a bit silly for not including them in my earlier post. I'm sure those will be a big hit with fans, alongside the red branch line coaches. But more than anything, I'd really love to see Bachmann expand their freight stock. Particularly with a BR 20-ton brake van and the coal wagon with load.

As for an N scale Troublesome Truck #3, one of my biggest issues with Bachmann using the Farish tankers is that they're too small compared to the other stock in the range. I could definitely see them using the box van tooling and labeling it something like "Box Van: Troublesome Truck #3," possibly even reusing the same illustration as HO Troublesome Truck #7 in the catalog. Or maybe giving it a model-era face for bonus points and more of a contrast to the HO model and in a different color:



Either way, would love to hear further thoughts on my earlier N scale post.

I was about to say, wasn't the green cattle van the official #3 since the HO scale one was the 3rd Troublesome Truck made in the range? But yeah, I would love to see them release more troublesome trucks for the N scale range, to see whether or not the trucks made in HO can be replicated, if not made better ala Toad style.

Speaking of Toad, I'm surprised Oliver hasn't been thought of, since they're the duo that goes together, unless if it's just getting the other main characters out of the way first...., but that's just me...!

Also regarding the tankers (if they get to them), wouldn't they also have the advantage in this scale due to how flat the front and back of the barrels are? I'd say it'd be easier to apply the faces onto them 🤔

[JacobSK]

I always try to make at least one new post after every announcement period, specifically for the N scale range. This is because after each announcement, something new usually checks off that list. You could argue this post is a bit redundant since I'm basically preaching to the choir here and there were no new N announcements this summer. However, I think there's value in approaching this topic now; especially since progress is being made on previously announced projects and Bachmann released two engines along with more rolling stock at the end of last year.

This time, I'm doing something a little different. Instead of a broad wishlist, I'm sharing what I feel is a realistic lineup of products that could be announced between now and the next two years. My goal is to break everything into smaller, practical steps that that fit within a realistic timeline while giving Bachmann a manageable workload for the N scale range.

I'm intentionally avoiding things like starter sets (e.g., Gordon set or Christmas set), since those could be announced anytime without heavily impacting the production schedule. I'm also leaving out smaller non-rail characters like Bertie and Harold for now, as I don't think N scale is ready for that level of ambition yet.  However, I will touch on scenery pieces, especially since the five-bay roundhouse gives us a strong indication of what might be coming.  I'm also leaving out HO, narrow gauge and large scale, for obvious reasons. Anyway, here we go:

2026 Catalog:

• Edward – New engine tooling
• Red Coach – Repaint with modifications
• Red Brake Coach – Repaint with modifications
• BR 20 Ton Brake Van – New tooling

Edward seems like the one announcement that would've truly made the 80th anniversary year special. While the Thomas and James recolors were fine, they don't generate the same level of excitement Edward would have; especially since he was the very first character in the franchise. That said, given everything going on recently, it's understandable why he wasn't announced this year. I think N scale Edward should be the only new engine tooling for 2026 given by the recent HO announcement of the Flying Scotsman this summer.

The red coaches are a near certainty. They're simple enough for Bachmann to do and could easily be announced at any time and have proven to be very popular sellers in multiple scales and markets.

As for the BR 20 Ton Brake Van, I'm still a bit indifferent to the earlier LMS brake van choice. However, introducing the BR 20 Ton version (in purple as seen in CGI) would be a smart move and could mark the first new rolling stock tooling in N since Gordon's coaches back in 2023. Plus there are more repaint options for Bachmann to look into with this tooling, unlike the LMS one.

2026 NMRA:

• Tidmouth Milk Tanker – Repaint
• Tar Tanker - repaint
• Cranky the Crane - New tooling

For NMRA 2026, I predict a relatively quiet period for N scale, aside from one major highlight. The milk and tar tankers feel long overdue, (especially the milk tanker), and should be easy repaints for Bachmann.  I still firmly believe they should invest in a new tanker tooling that's actually accurate to the show and not the Farish tooling, but I digress.  Bonus points if they use the model era decals and introduce CGI ones at a later date or vice-versa.

Cranky, on the other hand, would be a very exciting announcement. Even though he requires a new mold, I think he should be the first major scenery piece and first non-rail character for N scale. Despite his size, Cranky could act as a great test for smaller non-rail characters in the future like Bertie or Harold.  He also represents Brendam Docks, one of the most iconic locations in the brand. Plus, Cranky was one of the first accessories in HO back in 2002, so his inclusion here would feel natural and even nostalgic for long time collectors.

2027 Catalog:

• Coal Wagon w/ Load – Repaint with new coal load
• Mining Wagon w/ Load – Repaint with new coal load
• Spiteful Brake Van – Repaint of BR 20 Ton Brake Van with new face

The coal and mining wagons should finally debut here, introducing new loads and offering variety like previous wagon announcements. Adding contrasting designs (painted vs. unpainted metal bars, decals, etc.) would also create visual diversity Similarly to how the plain red and Sodor Scrap Co. wagons were introduced together earlier this year. These loads could even be reused later for an ore load if Bachmann wants to produce a Thomas and Troublesome Truck set in N.  They even still produce the plasticville coaling station in N too for whatever that's worth.

Finally, the Spiteful Brake Van. This is another reason Bachmann should've introduced the BR 20 Ton Van earlier. Releasing Spiteful while the tooling is active makes perfect sense—similar to how Henrietta and Hannah were handled earlier in N, I could see these two being released together at the same time despite their announcements being at different times.

2027 NMRA:

• Duck - new engine tooling
• Mail Car – New rolling stock tooling
• Tidmouth Sheds – Repaint of five-bay roundhouse

For NMRA 2027, Duck feels like a perfect choice as the next new engine tooling. Like Edward, he's practically a given considering his popularity; especially in recent marketing and merchandise tied to the brand's 80th anniversary. Duck's small size and simple design make him a nice contrast to Edward as well.

The Mail Car would be a great rolling stock addition after the brake van, offering more variety and repaint potential down the line. Again, like the milk tanker, bonus points if they use the model era decal and introduce CGI one at a later date or vice-versa.

Lastly, Tidmouth Sheds feels like the obvious scenery piece, given the introduction of the generic five-bay roundhouse in N scale. Releasing the non-Thomas version first, then the Thomas-branded Tidmouth later, seems like the logical approach.

Final Thoughts:

This was definitely a long post, and some might say I went overboard planning two years of announcements instead of just one. But realistically, this lineup includes only five new toolings spread over two years, which seems manageable for Bachmann. Rolling stock offers multiple repaint opportunities, and the engine requests, Edward and Duck, have proven to be popular in multiple markets making them feel warranted to be the next two engine choices in N scale.

I've also recently been inspired to do another N scale post after looking into joining a club about an hour away from me. Working on new faces for my N Gordon and Emily has definitely been helping. And yes, I'll be adding model-era faces to Henry and Diesel when they're released. I'll do the same with Edward and Duck if they get announced. I'll share progress on the faces in another thread. Either way, let me know what you think!

Great ideas and excellent points, Chaz! I think this is a more realistic way to approach N Scale moving forward. Have broader ideas for the years to come.

January/February 2026: In recent years, new toolings haven't been announced in January/February like they used to. Even so, Edward seems a shoe in for next year, even if he wasn't announced for the 80th. Let's be honest, him not being announced for the 80th may have driven his demand up more!

The Red Coaches are simple enough. It's just a matter of doing what they did with Emily; modify the Annie and Clarabel tooling as see fit. Versatile rolling stock, anyone can pull them. That said, I myself would likely run them behind James, Percy and Edward and Duck if they were to be announced.  However, I'd rather them do like they did with the HO/OO models (one of my personal favorite pieces of rolling stock in that range) and do serious modifications unlike the large scale models. Too much to get into there, but hopefully, you all know where I'm going with this...

As for a brake van, that can cut either way. Let's give an example: Toad in 2022. Even though Graham Farish had an attractive Toad brake van tooling that I (don't know about anyone else, though) wouldn't have been upset about, Bachmann surprised us here by doing a dedicated new tooling for Toad! I see the same thing working for BR 20T brake van. I'm fine with a Graham Farish, but a dedicated tooling will make me happier!

For NMRA '26:

I do believe Tar and Milk Tankers should be announced, too. If for whatever reason they need to use the simplified Graham Farish tanker tooling, they're welcome to, but a new tooling would probably behoove them in the end. I visited TrainLand in New York this summer while on vacation, and I was both surprised and not surprised to see that while there wasn't too much N Scale Thomas stuff, what there was were more of the tankers than anything else. That says something to me.
Cranky: It'd be risky, but his HO model is still doing well to this day. Maybe he would be worth the investment. He's also very popular with parents than we realize. I know the parents I talk to with young children, besides Thomas and Percy, they almost always namedrop Cranky. Even over James and Gordon! Maybe he'll do better than we think?

And there would be a perfect time to introduce Troublesome Truck #3! Essentially a copy/paste job of Troublesome Truck #7 in HO/OO. Seems simple enough.

January/February 2027:

Original Green Coal Wagon with load: I've said my thoughts on pages further back in this thread. Nothing more I can say.
Spiteful Brake Van: His HO/OO model does respectably in sales. As long as a tooling (recycled Graham Farish or new dedicated one) exists, why not?


NMRA 2027:

Duck: Speaks for himself. His HO/OO model is a hot seller. He was brought to the UK sooner than characters like Emily, Rosie and Devious Diesel. Furthermore, he's one of the first characters in the new Motorized range over Toby or Henry! He'd be a fine choice for this range. Plus, he and Toad are Great Western and must stand together!
Mail Van: Gives something for fans to run behind Percy rather than just Troublesome Trucks or the Red Coaches.
Tidmouth Sheds: Surprised this hasn't been announced sooner after the generic roundhouse announcement. Speaks for itself.

And here would be a perfect opportunity to introduce Toby's Museum Coaches ! See Spiteful Brake Van for my reasoning, but it's the Red Coaches this time. I'm essentially echoing what Mulfred said, but I digress...

And there's what I have to say about your post! Well detailed and thought out, indeed.

[Chaz]

I was about to say, wasn't the green cattle van the official #3 since the HO scale one was the 3rd Troublesome Truck made in the range? But yeah, I would love to see them release more troublesome trucks for the N scale range, to see whether or not the trucks made in HO can be replicated, if not made better ala Toad style.

Speaking of Toad, I'm surprised Oliver hasn't been thought of, since they're the duo that goes together, unless if it's just getting the other main characters out of the way first...., but that's just me...!

Also regarding the tankers (if they get to them), wouldn't they also have the advantage in this scale due to how flat the front and back of the barrels are? I'd say it'd be easier to apply the faces onto them 🤔

They did use a cattle wagon for Troublesome Truck #3, but I don't think there's any "official" rule that the next one in N scale needs to be a cattle wagon. If anything, I'd encourage them to go a different route to provide more contrast with the HO version. I even remember large-scale collectors wanting a Truck #3, and Bachmann used their box van tooling for that; same logic could apply here. More Troublesome Trucks are always welcome, as many modelers say: "You can't have too many."

As for Oliver, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I was going to bring him up, but you're right; it likely comes down to fans wanting Bachmann to finish the main cast before moving on to side characters. Even with Toad already in the range, Duck continues to get far more requests, probably because he's a more iconic and popular character than Oliver. That said, I wouldn't rule Oliver out for a future release after Duck.

Regarding the tankers, as I mentioned before, the main issue is that the faces would need to be smaller since the Farish tankers are much smaller than other N scale rolling stock.  As JacobSK pointed out, these haven't sold well, and it's not hard to see why. I think adding a Troublesome Tanker in N would be a great idea, regardless of which tooling they use. But, if they want it to sell well, it's worth the investment to develop a newer, more accurate tanker tooling in N and introduce it alongside other variants like milk and tar.

Speaking of, thanks Jacob for the in-depth feedback on my N scale post! I think Toby's Museum Coaches would also be a fun addition in N scale. Late 2027 might be a good time for those or the red express coaches—ideally after Bachmann expands the freight stock in the range. Either way, I'm glad to see ideas and feedback for the N scale line still going strong.

[DustyMarie53!]

Didn't get a chance to read it earlier Chaz but I must say in agreement with almost everything you proposed. The engine picks are all sound, and so are the rolling stock. In agreement with some of the other shouts people have made regarding additions to the list like the museum coaches.

The only thing I disagree with is the normal brakevan. I'm just unsure Bachmann would lead with another faceless one out of the gate after the LMS one, especially considering neither the HO or G ones are on the market. Makes more sense to me from a business perspective that they would lead with Spiteful. But a normal BR one would be welcome, and I think voicing that interest now is definitely the right call. One in which I support.

Tidmouth sheds is also an interesting case. I know they've said the roundhouse would differ in some ways from tidmouth, but have never shot down reusing it. Has there been any product updates on said roundhouse now that I think about it? Feels like we haven't heard anything since 2024's NMRA. Don't necessarily disagree with the possibility just unsure of if I'd be fully confident in it until we see it.


I want to add one more potential character I think would happen either alongside Cranky or soon after. Bertie makes sense to me to happen to test how non-rail vehicles do in the line. I know you mention Cranky filling that role, but Cranky is kind of a different beast entirely. So it makes sense to me they'd either do both together or one soon after the other to get a wider test. Bertie serving as a test for smaller vehicles, while Cranky serves more as a test for additional accessories and buildings.

Let me know what you all think

[Chaz]

The only thing I disagree with is the normal brakevan. I'm just unsure Bachmann would lead with another faceless one out of the gate after the LMS one, especially considering neither the HO or G ones are on the market. Makes more sense to me from a business perspective that they would lead with Spiteful. But a normal BR one would be welcome, and I think voicing that interest now is definitely the right call. One in which I support.

Bingo. Just encouraging the demand for it and showing the potential, which is why I recommended the purple livery; to give it more contrast compared to previous offerings in HO and large scale.

I want to add one more potential character I think would happen either alongside Cranky or soon after. Bertie makes sense to me to happen to test how non-rail vehicles do in the line. I know you mention Cranky filling that role, but Cranky is kind of a different beast entirely. So it makes sense to me they'd either do both together or one soon after the other to get a wider test. Bertie serving as a test for smaller vehicles, while Cranky serves more as a test for additional accessories and buildings.

Funny thing is, I was originally going to go with Bertie (and Harold). Cranky made more sense the more I thought about Bachmann possibly wanting to replicate additional accessories, especially if they plan to reuse the upcoming five-bay roundhouse for Tidmouth Sheds. The reintroduction of the HO Tidmouth Sheds and the recent announcement of Knapford's reintroduction also influenced my decision to go that route. I also wasn't sure if they'd release just one vehicle like Bertie on his own in N scale, or introduce him in a pack with others like Harold and Terence. So admittedly, I wasn't sure how they'd approach it; not that a multi-character pack would be a dealbreaker or anything.


But for the record, I would wholeheartedly welcome Bertie. I'd love to have him and other vehicles in N scale too. Introducing one of them alongside Cranky would make for a great announcement. I'd be all for it.

[TrainFan97]

N Scale Edward has to for sure be announced in the 2026 catalog. He couldn't be an 80th Anniversary product, since N Scale still has a large backlog to catch up on, but at least Diesel, Paxton and Henry have had progress. Edward is the #1 priority for the next engine in the N Scale range to complete the original Steam Team. Then after Edward, the next engine will have to be Duck. I don't see Oliver happening until we get N Scale Duck. We can then also get Donald and Douglas for N Scale.

As for HO Scale, the next newly-tooled engine after Flying Scotsman is anyone's guess. Whiff is still the most popular request, along with Norman. Den, Dart, Samson and Philip are also possible characters for HO Scale, though they haven't had that many requests. Though Dart's tooling can be used for Natalie. If Frankie was to be made, her tooling can be used for the American Diesel. I wonder if Diesel's chassis could be recycled for Frankie? The most possible repaints of existing toolings would be Green Salty and Fernando. If Flying Scotsman turns out to be a popular seller, we could then finally see Hiro being the next tender engine for HO Scale.

[TEHNewClearwaterFeatures]

2026 Catalog:

Nia The Kenyan Engine – New tooling
Rocky The Breakdown Crane – New tooling
Judy & Jerome The Breakdown Cranes - New Tooling

2026 NMRA:

Norman – New tooling

These are my modest 2026 predictions...