Future suggestions/predictions thread

[CandygramforMongo]

Hi all,
So this is a first time messeger
The first thing I wanted to message in here since I watched the clip taking about whether bachmann will start making the 2026 looking Thomas from the new show
All I'm saying is.. please bachmann DO NOT start making stuff from the new show I beg of you please just carry on with how the characters look from the OG show like what you're doing now.

Ultimately, they're going to go in whatever direction that sells the most. And honestly, if they do go the direction of the new series, I'm not opposed to it. Also it's not like the CG stuff will go away, in my opinion at last. A bunch of the older stuff still has model era faces & features. So the existing current CG stuff (Ryan, Rebecca, Paxton, etc) will likely not go anywhere.

Bachmann have said that sticking to the CG era is their choice to help attract younger interest. So if switching to the 2026 design will insure that, so be it.

[Chaz]

I think it would be better for Bachmann to wait and see whether this new reboot actually has some staying power before taking the 2026 reboot designs and characters into consideration. Especially since we still know very little about the reboot. We do not have confirmed episode details, information on the special, or even an official trailer yet. At this point, we do not even know whether the reboot will actually be successful.

Matt mentioned in the recent Trainworld stream that they are going to do as much as they can to be consistent for the most part. Taking that at face value, it is safe to assume they are aware of the reboot but will ultimately want to wait things out before considering adding anything from the new show, including updated character designs for future models. With no proof of long term success, waiting is the most sensible approach.

If, and only if, this rebrand actually performs well, I think many fans would agree that Bachmann should maintain their current level of consistency for as long as possible while still focusing on long requested characters, such as Hiro and Whiff in HO and Edward and Duck in N scale. If Bachmann later decides to look into reboot designs for any other projects after these popular requests, then so be it. But if this rebrand takes a nosedive like AEG, then Bachmann should stick with what has proven to work for their Thomas ranges and focus on solid long term decisions rather than short term trends that would only appeal to a smaller audience.

[DustyMarie53!]

I think the for the most part is very important to read into.

For example, say a Thomas and Percy retool end up happening, they could use 2026 as the baseline to then further expand from there and be consistent. There's also the chance that the big redesigns, such as Flynn, or Charlie and Whiff's seeming gender swaps, could be part of it. Depending on how those play out in marketing and prominence, or on how Mattel wants that pushed, those could force Bachmann's hands in that regard. I think anyone else, such as say Hiro, or Nia, and I guess that's it confirmed so far, would probably be CGI. I also don't think we'd have to worry too much about the other side ranges like N or G too much. As they have already said those lines are more geared to adults, unless this show takes the fandom by storm I doubt that'd change much, so we shouldn't worry at that front until later.

[Jake86]

I was going to ask whether the Bachmann 2026 catalogue has been released or not if you can find out and get back to me when you get a chance that would be great thanks

[Kemptown Branch]

I was going to ask whether the Bachmann 2026 catalogue has been released or not if you can find out and get back to me when you get a chance that would be great thanks

Yes, it has been released, and can be found here:
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/Bachmann_2026/