Future suggestions/predictions thread

[TrainFan97]

With the catalog being dropped towards the end of the month, guess I'll have to write a few things down for what I think should be there. This list may not exactly be catalog hopes, but hopes for what could be announced in the near future.

HO Scale:
Whiff or Norman (if we get a newly-tooled engine)
Green Salty or Fernando (If we get an engine repaint)
Mainland Diesel face variants (like Ulli)
Flatbed with Pipe Load
Flatbed with Christmas Tree Load
Flatbed with Chinese Dragon Load
Chocolate Syrup Tanker
Toffee Tanker
CGI Fuel Tanker
Red Open Carriage

Narrow Gauge:
Duncan (uncancellation) or Luke
Smudger or Proteus (if we get an engine repaint)
Tan Box Van
Tan Brake Van
Gray Box Van
Gray Brake Van
4-Plank Wagon

N Scale:
Edward, then Duck
Sidney or 'Arry and Bert (if we get engine repaints)
Red Coach
Red Brake Coach
Red Express Coach
Red Express Brake Coach
Coal Wagon w/ Load
BR 20-Ton Brake Van with variants, including the Spiteful Brake Van

I don't expect all in the catalog. Just some ideas Bachmann should look into anytime for the near future. Once N Scale finally gets Edward, we should then get N Scale Duck, whose chassis can be later reused for Donald and Douglas. Flying Scotsman is coming to HO Scale, but Bachmann would sooner make Spencer in N Scale than him. Both would recycle Gordon's chassis though.

[harrison05]

We aren't too far away from the catalog dropping here is my predictions/wants for the catalog I try to be realistic with my hopes trust me I'd love for Splodge and Smudger, While I do think they will happen soon due to being easy repaints I doubt that will happen for at least another few years...

HO (that is if we get a new tooling.)
Whiff

NG (I doubt Duncan will be uncanceled until Douglas's overhaul is done.)
Luke

N Scale (I could see them doing Duck, Oliver or maybe even Daisy before Edward but I think he's is next.)
Edward

as for rolling stock who knows ngl it's always a surprise.

[Chaz]

N Scale (I could see them doing Duck, Oliver or maybe even Daisy before Edward but I think he's is next.)
Edward

I could -sort of- see them introduce Duck in N scale before Edward, since Duck has been promoted more heavily lately in marketing and merchandise, is apparently getting a new diecast tied to the 2026 show, and is another one of Bachmann's top HO sellers. Bachmann also hasn't released a new N scale tank engine tooling in some time, with recent molds focused on tender engines and Diesel/Paxton, plus the Thomas and James repaints. So starting with a smaller, potentially cheaper tank engine would make sense from a production standpoint.

That said, Edward still feels like the most practical and natural choice overall, and despite the fandom often being split on different opinions/views, I haven't seen a single suggestion that doesn't place Edward as the next logical choice in N scale.  I'd be very surprised if the next engine announcement in N scale isn't him or Duck.

[DustyMarie53!]

NG (I doubt Duncan will be uncanceled until Douglas's overhaul is done.)

I've seen this line of logic come up a few times and I wanted to offer a potential alternative. As Douglas wasn't in pieces until a good few months after the Bachmann cancellation (plus I'm sure they likely already have measurements)

Duncan was cancelled after Sir Handel's sample was revealed, which we know now is almost entirely Sir Hayden with a new coat of paint. I think the reality is, Bachmann doesn't want to make Duncan just Douglas and that is why it was cancelled for the reasons stated of lack of cross compatibility. His tvs design is too different compared to the real engine and there's no easy way to swing it. Will they revisit this, perhaps. But I don't think it'd be anytime until the other 3 cgi narrow gauge engines are done. Plus with the 2026 project on the horizon there may be even more to pull from with Rheneas seemingly already confirmed and the fact Motorized Nia explicitly comes with a BMQ mine truck. I think Duncan is off the radar for some time.

Also agree with Chaz, I imagine Edward or Duck will be next. I hope they'd prioritize Edward but it is an interesting point that Duck is way more marketed at this current point. I'm sure Edward will also be in the new show but it is interesting

[TrainFan97]

With Douglas in overhaul, it may be years before Duncan does get uncancelled, so we're most likely going to have Luke announced as the next Narrow Gauge engine. We could still see tooling repaints like Smudger and Proteus in the near future. It's time for a new Narrow Gauge engine.

The next N Scale engine has to be either Edward or Duck. While Edward would complete the original Steam Team in N Scale, Duck has been marketed a lot lately, and he'd be the next tank engine for the N Scale range. His chassis can also be reused for eventual N Scale Donald and Douglas models. Just like how Toby's chassis could be reused for Mavis.

[Awesometrain77]

Only a few days left
I honestly thinking more CCT otherwise known as ulilty vans .
Brown
Cream with red
Blue with white

And Possiblely Gordon's special expess coaches .

And I honestly think we might see a van for the Thomas's 80th thing.

For narrow gauge I feel like it's gonna be a skip however maybe the red model era coach . Or British narrow gauge stuff .

For large scale I'd say skip .
For n scale I'd say Gordon's express set and maybe red express coaches .

Honestly I could see HO scale get more plank wagons or cattle vans . But I just think plank wagons maybe better to do with more loads . Or something . Cattle vans could be a new tool completely rather than the tool that they have been using so I think that as for repaints . The CCT vans are the perfect offering to expand upon. 

[MrNormalDraws]

Since Bachmann are doing CGI renders of both the Milk and Fuel Tankers alongside the originals, do you guys see either the Oil Tankers or Mail Coaches getting the same treatment?

I personally see the Mail Coaches more, and less likely with the Oil Tankers. The reason being is that the original lettering is identical to the Tar ones, and that would confuse buyers. At least the Mail Coaches are a different story as we only have the CGI ones and the green recolors without lettering.

[TrainFan97]

One idea for a rolling stock in HO Scale is a red or a green mining wagon, but with an ore load, so that the ore load no longer has to be exclusive to the Deluxe Thomas set. The blue mining wagon that's still available has a coal load. I'd also like to see the dark gray van and the orange wagon with coal load from the cancelled 80th Anniversary set being released as separate products, since we are getting the brake van from it. Though we still don't have the Chocolate Syrup or Toffee Tankers in HO Scale yet. Many people would also like to see Gordon's Special Coaches.

The blue open wagon is coming to N Scale, which is discontinued in HO Scale. Maybe they'll also bring the orange Cargo Car (also discontinued in HO Scale), or the Coal Wagon w/ Load to N Scale as well. The latter has been in high demand for quite a while. We desperately need generic brake vans in N Scale. Other rolling stock that's very much possible in N Scale are the red branch line coaches, and red express coaches. If Spencer was to be announced for N Scale at some point, that will be when they'll have to bring the Special Coaches to N Scale as well.

At some point, Bachmann may end up discontinuing the N Scale tankers and create a whole new tanker tooling, which would be better-received, by better matching the tankers from the show. The tankers at the time had to be made from a Graham Farish tooling, and that was when the N Scale range was in its infancy. It kind of still is, but things are really starting to pick up with many products on the backburner. We should soon see the first samples of N Scale Diesel, Paxton and Henry. Once they're out, possibly by the end of this year, N Scale will really be picking up.

Maybe Bachmann wasn't ready to announce Luke for Narrow Gauge yet because they need to see if he's feasible first, to avoid another situation like Duncan. That begs the question. Who will be next for HO Scale once the backlog starts clearing? The most popular choices are Whiff, Norman and Hiro. If Flying Scotsman sells good, maybe Bachmann will look into finally announcing Hiro for HO Scale. Despite the inevitably high price, I can still see Flying Scotsman selling better than Rebecca, as he was in the Railway Series, one of those Awdry characters, and one of the most famous engines in real life. As for smaller engines like Whiff or Norman, perhaps Bachmann can look into how much their toolings would cost to see if it's feasible to get into production before announcing them. The current backlog should really start clearing by the end of this year. Sometime soon, we should finally see finished samples of Sidney and Mainland Diesel.

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Have the ore load available outside the set is a great idea. It would save many fans bucks. Also, I would love to have loads added in the rolling stock section of the order parts section.

[CandygramforMongo]

Have the ore load available outside the set is a great idea. It would save many fans bucks. Also, I would love to have loads added in the rolling stock section of the order parts section.

Releasing individual loads would be a great idea! We already see it with the standard model railroading market. It's also a great (and budget) way for collectors to get their hands on previously discontinued items, such as the Paint can wagon. With the diesel fuel flatwagon announced, maybe we can see the paint cans released separately so collectors can swap em out. Perhaps even timber loads to go with the logging company flatwagons.

[TrainFan97]

This is definitely a piece of HO Scale rolling stock Bachmann needs to consider, a red or green mining wagon with an ore load, so that the ore load can be available outside the Deluxe Thomas set, so people don't have to buy that set just to get the ore load. Especially if that set was to be discontinued at some point. The existing blue mining wagon has a coal load. They can release one in a different color with an ore load.