Quote from: Streak on July 12, 2019, 11:14:19 AM
Now after her, we need HO Scale Ryan to complete the Harwick duo (Or maybe Stanley plz)

Ryan would be fitting for a new HO Scale character once all is said and done with Daisy. His debut movie (Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure) will turn five years old in 2020, so it would make sense to announce him around that time.

Was anyone surprised by Daisy having an eye mechanism? As far as I remember, not too many people were expecting its integration with her windows in mind. Regardless, it's a welcome addition that may make her model all the more nifty.

Quote from: Large Scale Champion on July 12, 2019, 11:09:50 AM
Congratulations Bachmann, BUT please don't forget large scale 😢

There's always hope for this coming February. Personally, I'd be down for seeing Mavis announced in Large Scale even though a new character hasn't seemed likely for a while. But since the team has been able to defy fans' expectations by integrating an eye mechanism for Daisy, acknowledging Large Scale via characters like Mavis feels plausible. As long as requesting is maintained in that category, she may eventually be confirmed.

I'm proud of the Bachmann team for acknowledging their fans' wishes once again! These announcements prove that long-term persistence can pay off with requesting, at least as far as model trains go.

I most certainly cannot wait to see how Daisy and Peter Sam look, and I hope they'll be a hit among fans after years of waiting. With these two engines, a new N Scale line and UK availability in mind, 2020 is shaping up to be a delightful year for Bachmann's Thomas lineup so far.

Hooray! I'm certain he'll be worth the wait and I hope to pick him up at some point later this year. 

This is spectacular news to hear and I'm hopeful that Bachmann can earn a greater income as a result! It looks like 2020 is shaping up to be a solid year for Bachmann's Thomas products so far, with this and the N Scale line's introduction in mind.

Quote from: TrainMan2001 on April 17, 2019, 10:28:10 AM
I suppose I should get my predictions in before it's too late.

HO Scale:
As much as I would like to see Stepney, it doesn't seem like we are going to get more new toolings for HO scale at this point in time. Maybe if the brand gets taken over by someone other than Mattel, I could see that changing, but Mattel currently doesn't seem to care that Bachmann is supposed to be more realistic than Trackmaster or Wood (I'm looking at the Sodor Mining Co. Wagon and Live Lobsters Wagons specifically). With that said, I will post what I think will happen next year.

-LBSC Thomas
-Black James

I am going to say now that Mattel should stop pushing the pointless wagon recolors from Bachmann. They just don't fit the theme of the range well and those resources could be used in other areas instead. There are also currently 42 pieces of rolling stock in the range, 11 of which are recolors from the toy lines that we just never really needed. People probably aren't even going to collect all of them anyways, especially since there are still quite a few wagons that have actually been in the show. If we absolutely have to have a wagon recolor next year, I suggest a Celebration Coach, keeping with the 75th Anniversary theme and maybe being a Red Coach recolor with banners or something on the side with a 75th Anniversary logo. Then the recolors can stop there. We don't need almost a third of the rolling stock being stuff from the toy lines that don't fit with the appearance of the range or what the range is supposed to be.

Narrow Gauge:
I know that the rolling stock recolors aren't that expensive for bachmann to produce, but without the added cost of those announcements, maybe they would be just enough for them to squeeze in two new engines rather than one next year, especially since the range is so popular. Also, this year there have been a few limited edition items released in Bachmann's normal range, which are no doubt going to be popular since they are tied to the Golden Spike. Maybe these items will be enough to subsidize Bachmann's normal ranges next year, leaving more funds for the Thomas range (yes, I know this is wishful thinking). With that said, here are my thoughts.

-Peter Sam
-Sir Handel

Narrow gauge modelers have been asking for both of these engines almost equally because of all of the different real engines they could be turned into. Done correctly (which is almost no effort other than rivets for both), they will both be extremely accurate to their bases, and they will have even more appeal to modelers than Skarloey and Rheneas. These two could easily be freelance industrial locomotives, visitors to other lines, the Corris Railway could easily be modeled for the first time. They also have several variations within the Thomas universe as well, which some people will probably model.

-Brake Vans (Red, Blue, and Brown)

I think that brake vans could also possibly happen in 2020, however that entirely depends on when the Blue and Red Carriages get released, and if Bachmann can do this many new toolings for the Thomas range this year. Although, even if they can't do brake vans this year, they could probably do them in 2021, and there are alternatives in the meantime. Elsbridge Productions has made 3D printed ones, and Peco have 3 different types of brake vans on the way, so we could get some place holders until Bachmann can announce some.

N Scale:
Bachmann themselves confirmed that the new range will not be out before 2020 in their TCA Spring video. I think that they may produce a starter set with Thomas, Annie and Clarabel, but I wouldn't be surprised if this range is otherwise left untouched for this year.

Large Scale:
I feel like the Large Scale modelers deserve something nice, since they haven't gotten anything for a long time. Maybe a new engine is possible next year, since nothing was announced.

-Mavis

She would be fairly easy for Bachmann to produce, sharing the same chassis design as Toby, after all. She also seems to be somewhat popular as well, considering she is the third engine to get a Day Out with Thomas model. However, Plow Bender has brought up several good points about why both a new engine and a diesel wouldn't get as good of sales as we would hope for, and considering Bachmann Large Scale in general has been thinned out considerably over the last few years, I could see why a new engine couldn't be made.

-Red Coach
-Red Brake Coach

People have been hoping for them to make these in large scale for years, and they are really popular in HO, so they could be really popular in Large Scale too. It also wouldn't be that difficult for Bachmann to make these.

A host of good points are made here, especially with all the HO wagon recolors that have overstayed their welcome. By sheer coincidence, my predictions are pretty much idendical to yours! 

Oliver is next in line for my list of wanted characters, so I'm pretty glad to hear he's among those that are back in stock. The mention of Gordon's coaches also have me intrigued and I cannot wait to hear more about them soon.

Quote from: Streak on February 20, 2019, 11:51:20 PM

Quote from: Falcon the 2nd on February 20, 2019, 11:35:01 AM
Releasing two engines that are capable of sharing a single chassis together is an ideal way to approach character creation. Gordon and Henry's HO models were both released in the same year, so I can see it likely happening again in the N Scale lineup. And if Mavis isn't the perfect partner to release alongside Toby, I pretty much don't know who is.

Exactly. Gordon and Henry being released together is a very strong possibility considering they share the same chassis. So is Toby and Mavis. The main argument going for Mavis in Large Scale is that she can reuse Toby's chassis/cowcatcher mold and that would apply to N Scale as well once Toby is eventually made. I have a strong feeling as well that if/when Diesel is released in N Scale, that it's a good move to release Paxton alongside him. They share almost all of the same molds and an N Scale Paxton would probably have a much better face than the HO one considering they won't have to worry about moving eyes.

Of course, if sets of twins are announced for the line (like Bill and Ben, Donald and Douglas, Arry and Bert), they'd both be released side by side obviously. But I also want to say that next year in 2020, there might be a slight possibility we could get a second engine announced alongside James (because let's be honest, the next N Scale engine's gonna be James). If that does happen, I'm calling Edward since both he and James go well together and are around the same size. Since the first three years of HO Scale had at least two new engines being released each, something similar to that could happen with N Scale. Who knows, if N Scale turns out to be easier for Bachmann to produce we could see two N Scale engines every year but I highly doubt that. Either way, the possibilities of this new line have me excited and I'm interested to see where Bachmann takes it.

I actually was thinking about Edward for a brief moment. His similar size with James is a pretty good point to bring up and it helps that their tenders are just about the same shape.

While I'm not sure how soon Donald and Douglas may come, I would hope for Duck to be released shortly afterward since the twins' front wheelbases are somewhat similar to his.

In one way or another, we're all excited for the N Scale lineup and we all hope for it to be a success. HO Scale engines have been announced at a gradually slower rate in recent years, so it's possible for N Scale engine announcements to come our way a bit faster since they could be easier to make. For now, though, the best us fans can do is to keep sharing our ideas/suggestions with Bachmann over the coming months and hope they may listen to us.

Quote from: Streak on February 20, 2019, 01:45:15 AM
On the topic of characters in N Scale, I concur with TrainFan97 that it will take a while to make all the main characters in N Scale, but hopefully Bachmann will play their cards right and if they see an opportunity to reuse pieces like chassis and molds to get characters released quicker, they'll take it. Release Henry alongside Gordon. Release Mavis alongside Toby. Release Paxton alongside Diesel. Get more characters that the consumers want. Maybe I'm being too ambitious (I'm writing this post right before going to be rn) but I think that's what Bachmann can do to get this N Scale train rolling.

Releasing two engines that are capable of sharing a single chassis together is an ideal way to approach character creation. Gordon and Henry's HO models were both released in the same year, so I can see it likely happening again in the N Scale lineup. And if Mavis isn't the perfect partner to release alongside Toby, I pretty much don't know who is.

Quote from: Anthony P2 on February 19, 2019, 09:02:14 PM
Also, when does the catalogue even come out?

Someone said in a separate board that they contacted Bachmann and it should be up by the end of the week.

I generally don't believe in rumors relating to any of Bachmann's lineups and I'm hoping the catalogue will give us a good idea on what the status of Large Scale currently is.

Random question: has anyone tried fitting Percy's body on Thomas' chassis? I'd like to know if the chassis can run well with Percy's running board fitted, or if they are even compatible at all, in case I decide on making a custom engine with them.

Since a handful of users have given their predictions and hopes earlier, I may as well give mine and include some reasoning behind them. I may or may not repeat what others have already said concerning certain choices and the list may not be anywhere as big as others' either, but it's still worth a share.

HO Scale
Daisy or LBSC Thomas - Daisy's become a major fan favorite since her return in the show and an LBSC recolor for Thomas would be ideal for the 75th anniversary.
Troublesome Truck #6 - Demand for this idea has lately been prominent and as someone who is (surprisingly) still yet to own a single Troublesome Truck, I'm open to it.
Ffarquhar Station Resin Building - This is a very iconic location that's been around since the show's first season and it would also fit accordingly with the anniversary.

Narrow Gauge
Sir Handel - Sir Haydn's overhaul was finished many months ago, which means Bachmann now has a good opportunity to get a hold of measurements for Sir Handel. If Peter Sam were announced instead, I'd be open to him too. Just hoping for Sir Handel out of silly personal preference.
Brake Van - This has also been a popular idea lately and I'd love to see it made since it'd make Narrow Gauge freight loads feel a little more complete.

G Scale
Mavis - This lineup has been in a rough place lately and if any new engine were to be made anytime soon, it'd have to be Mavis. As I already said elsewhere, her tooling can easily be reused from Toby's with minimal change (maybe a length extension at the most) and she'd be a popular character in this lineup like she was in the HO lineup.

N Scale
My predictions are pretty much the exact same as TrainFan97's. If just one item were to be announced in that list, however, I'd hope for it to be James. He's always been a favorite for many fans (myself included) and since he was among the first characters announced in past lineups, it's expected that he'll be next in line when all is said and done with Thomas and Percy.
I'm also hoping for Toby and Mavis to be made sometime in the future, but it's much too early for them to be introduced at the moment. Many of us are excited for this new lineup and we all have high hopes for it, though it's also important to keep expectations in check and have patience for certain ideas we may have.

Quote from: SodorRoundhouse on February 15, 2019, 05:01:52 PM
Not gonna lie, I wasn't so keen on the idea of N Scale at first. But after seeing all the ideas being mentioned, I'm certainly beginning to warm to the idea I'm definitely interested in seeing where the range goes in any case and as some have previously mentioned, there's a much bigger possibility of producing the bigger engines in N Scale rather then G Scale! Hope I'm not getting too ahead of myself by saying this, but if they ever announced Bill and Ben, I wouldn't hesitate to model the China Clay Pits!

I've been warming up to the idea of N Scale as well! I would love to see the range become a success and I'm hoping Bachmann can learn from past lineups to make this as delightful as possible. It just might turn out to be a bigger success than Large Scale was due to a broader user base, a less strict variety of characters to create and, of course, affordability.

I'd love to pick up a starter set if it's ever announced at a later date and I'd most certainly pick up James, Toby and Mavis if they are ever announced within the next few years.  

Quote from: Large Scale Champion on February 15, 2019, 10:24:45 AM
2019 Just absolutely gutted!

It's pretty disappointing to find out that this year isn't the year for Large Scale, but since emphasis is currently being put in introducing a new line (N Scale), it's understandable why there are sadly no new announcements.

At least we have more time to catch up on certain products we've been missing out on, as well as working on custom models. It never hurts to make a mock-up of a particular product idea with the right time and resources. That being said, I wish Plow Blender the best of luck if he decides on making a Mavis model. Since rolling stock customs have proven to be excellent, I'd be down for seeing a custom Mavis made someday!

Quote from: JLK2707 on February 15, 2019, 05:10:36 AM
I agree. Let's just hope we enjoy whatever is mentioned tomorrow! But don't be surprised if it is more recolours of current engines and/or rolling stock. Not trying to be a downer, but I am just commenting over what we have gotten over the past few years. Also, why was the large scale Bachmann devious diesel cancelled?

If I'm not mistaken, Diesel would've been a very expensive character to both manufacture and purchase. He's an engine that would require a new tooling and his retail price supposedly would've been on the same level as Emily's, if not higher.

Other users have already discussed this, but seeing a character with a new tooling in the Large Scale range has become an insurmountable challenge in recent years. That's one of the reasons why Mavis has recently become an appealing choice: her tooling can easily be reused from Toby's without much changes. Maybe at the most, the base can be extended to match her longer size, but other than that, I don't see much to worry about in terms of changing it.