Goodness, that's a bit much for a response...

TrainFan pretty much put it best for HO and N Scale priorities. Stepney and Sir Handel should definitely be the next new toolings in their respective lines after Ryan and Peter Sam. Though I hadn't thought much about Emily in N Scale, I do feel like she may come next on some considerable level. Rolling stock suggestions for N Scale and recolor priorities are all valid too.

While we're discussing long-term possibilities and the Large Scale range is getting two entries later this year, now would be a good time to discuss potential future Large Scale engines. Bigger engines aside, the range still has plenty of options for something new after Diesel and Paxton.

Which new engine is most likely next for Large Scale?

• Mavis - Popular choice and cost-effective option (chassis is similar to Toby), but relevance may be an issue
• Edward - Popular choice and cost-effective option (tooling is similar to James), but relevance may be an issue
• Bill & Ben - Two characters with one tooling, similar to Diesel & Paxton
• Duck - Longer base may be an issue, but is he impossible?
• Oliver - They'd need to make Toad to go with him
• Arry & Bert - They'd need to improve upon their faces
• Rosie - Likable character who is the right size, could use her red paintwork
• Glynn - Awkward design may work better in Large Scale than HO Scale
• Stephen - Same as Glynn
• LBSC Thomas - Recent recolor in HO Scale
• Origins James - Recent recolor in HO Scale

Part of me expects Thomas and James' recolors to come next, but if I had the choice for a brand-new engine, I'd be stuck between the top three (Mavis, Edward, Bill & Ben). All of them are cost-effective options of introducing a new engine without resorting to recolors and all of them have garnered some fair interest among fans.

To answer Terence's questions:

1) Yes. Although I don't have the base Rheneas model yet, more classic content is welcomed. I can see myself buying Smudger if they intend to produce him beyond a limited run and maybe even announce Duke alongside him.
2) Though I do agree that he would've been the better announcement, I think Yellow Rheneas could've also been the safer choice for Bachmann to go for at the moment. Repainting an engine without changing its face or nameboard could've served as both a cheaper option and a test run for potential engine recolors.
3) Part of me feels like fans outside the forum would be peeved by seeing two recolors in a row and would rather see Sir Handel announced (mainly depending on whether any news for Peter Sam is shared by then), but as far as comparing reception to Yellow Rheneas is concerned, I think Smudger would be better-received.

I don't expect Smudger to be announced this summer as I think it might be too soon for another recolor, but I lend my regards to those who anticipate him. My guess is that he'll be announced along with Duke after the rest of the main six Narrow Gauge engines are eventually completed with Peter Sam, Sir Handel and Duncan.

I already shared my input on HO scale engines, so I'll do the same with N Scale.

For me, what N Scale engine(s) should be made in the future heavily depends on how much longer the pandemic is active and how Bachmann will continue being affected:

• If the pandemic goes on past this year, I would hope for Edward to come next. His design shares certain elements with the currently-in-production James which could make him cheaper to produce on some level. For as much as Mattel has been pushing Edward to the side in recent years, I also can't imagine him being more likely as time goes on.
• Another choice with similar reasoning is Mavis - she's also a good cost-friendly option since she could share a chassis with Toby, but relevance may likewise play a key issue with the character. If we can't get her in Large Scale, we could still at least get her in N Scale.
• If Bachmann is not as affected by the pandemic as we've been thinking, Gordon and Henry would be welcomed. They've been frequently demanded since the N Scale lineup's beginning, and the Large Scale Diesel and Paxton have proven that it's possible to develop two similarly-tooled characters at the same time.
• While I mention Diesel and Paxton - I already talked about this before, but part of me hopes that both characters are saved for a later time in the range. Introducing a tooling as versatile as Diesel's that soon might not be the most helpful choice and I'm sure most people would want the full original Steam Team to come first.
• There isn't much that I have to say about Emily, but I do think there's a chance she could be next since she was present early on in the other ranges.

I'd like to hear what others think about possibilities of future engines for HO and/or N Scale.

The photo of Large Scale Paxton is the highlight of the catalogue for me - they surprisingly have him ready right off the bat!

It looks like they listened to what fans said about the HO model a few years back and worked hard to make this one better. Giving him a slightly more neutral expression this time around certainly helped. If he was in production at the same time as Diesel, it was likely the smartest move made. Props to the Bachmann team for improving upon Paxton in Large Scale - he looks great!

I don't have much to say about the DCC Thomas and Percy on the other hand since I'm not into DCC yet, but a few more surprise announcements are still welcomed.

Ryan's price is admittedly a bit much, especially since he costs more than Daisy, but I'm sure he'll still be well worth the purchase.

Either Hiro or Porter would be my picks if the options were restricted to GCI characters:

• Hiro has held his ground well since his debut. He'd be a solid seller and he also seems ideal for the first tender engine to introduce since Donald & Douglas in 2011. He could still be both a more expensive and detailed engine to produce than usual, however.
• Despite having a similar caliber of detail, Porter serves a good alternative since he's a shorter engine. Announcing him could also be Bachmann's one opportunity to bring back the long-discontinued Salty.

I'm a little surprised there haven't been much mentions of Stephen, Gator or Glynn at this point, though there could be unique issues that prevent them from being considered possible.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand there's the full lineup. Like Chaz, I'll reiterate some of my initial thoughts from the other thread.

Ryan is a character I'm not too familiar with since he was introduced past my initial time with Thomas. Regardless, I'm still happy to see him join the lineup! He'll certainly be a worthy addition to the HO engine selection and many fans will be eager to buy him. As the range's second GCI character and an engine without an existing fixed eye mechanism to conform to, the team will hopefully have it a little easier making him than Paxton.

'Toby Feels Left Out' is an episode I've only seen once, so I'm just a little more familiar with the Museum Coach. It looks nice going by pictures on the wiki and both coaches will be welcomed in the growing group of HO rolling stock.

Yellow Rheneas was a left-field announcement, but I'm guessing the Narrow Gauge lineup has gotten old enough to the point where recolors are now viable. I'm also more familiar with this choice having also seen Blue Mountain Mystery once, but I don't even have the original Rheneas yet, so I'm not sure if I would want it. We'll most likely have to wait for a new character after Peter Sam is finished (preferably Sir Handel).

Not much else to say about the Narrow Gauge Box & Break Vans, but I could see myself buying them depending on how they look.

I'm happy to see N Scale Toby confirmed by this time! And he's the right engine to introduce now for a multitude of good reasons - he's the most cost-friendly engine to choose, his chassis could be re-used for Mavis (if she remains viable in the future) and as a whole, he is a beloved long-timer with much potential to be successful. I can't wait to see him sculpted later on and I have a feeling that I'll want to buy him when I have the chance.

S.C. Ruffey was a bit of an obvious choice, but I'm sure he'll turn out good as well. We surprisingly didn't get the Milk Tanker or Brake Van despite sharing many guesses with Toby & S.C. Ruffey up until now. I'll continue to hope for them as the N Scale range keeps growing. It'll likely be a good while until we can have Henrietta to compliment Toby.

I've been holding out on new toolings for Large Scale after Diesel's reconfirmation last year, but it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer. It's all understandable and acceptable, however - the pandemic is still making things hard from a manufacturing point-of-view and Diesel alone has shaped up to be a worthwhile new tooling after a long time. I'm sure most people who model Large Scale will agree that anything for it this year is better than nothing.

Paxton is a character I want Bachmann to be careful with handling in Large Scale - his HO Scale model was not well-received for the fact that his face was poorly proportioned as a result of Diesel's existing eye mechanism. With a much bigger scale to work with this time around, I hope that the team can take their time to get the face just right on Paxton. As far as I'm concerned, the most that they would have do is adjust the eye mechanism on Diesel and sculpt the face around that. It'll make the creation of him cost more, but I'm certain it'll be worth it for the long-run and that he'll sell better with a more accurate face. Hoping that my concern can be passed on to the team and taken into consideration while it's still early.

With the announcements for all ranges shared, I can safely say that Bachmann is off to a good start this year. We already have a handful of previously shared products to look forward to later this year and we now have a bunch of new ones to also anticipate in the near future. Likewise, I'll tune into tomorrow's stream and see what else they've got to share. Best of luck to the Bachmann team as the year continues - you're the best!

Well, looks like we're suddenly getting an early peak of things to come-

Ryan is a character I'm not too familiar with since he was introduced past my initial time with Thomas. Regardless, I'm still happy to see him join the lineup! He'll certainly be a worthy addition to the HO engine selection and many fans will be eager to buy him. As the range's second GCI character and an engine without an existing fixed eye mechanism to conform to, the team will hopefully have it a little easier making him than Paxton.

'Toby Feels Left Out' is an episode I've only seen once, so I'm just a little more familiar with the Museum Coach. It looks nice going by pictures on the wiki and both coaches will be welcomed in the growing group of HO rolling stock.

Yellow Rheneas was a left-field announcement, but I'm guessing the Narrow Gauge lineup has gotten old enough to the point where recolors are now viable. I'm also more familiar with this choice having also seen Blue Mountain Mystery once, but I don't even have the original Rheneas yet, so I'm not sure if I would want it. We'll most likely have to wait for a new character after Peter Sam is finished (preferably Sir Handel).

The Narrow Gauge Break Vans and Box Vans are both items I would see myself buying the soonest in this list. Not much else to say about them.

Strangely, nothing new for Large or N Scale so far. Both might get new content after the releases of Large Scale Diesel and N Scale James later this year. Still hoping for another new character in Large Scale and Toby in N Scale.

This is a decent list of new products to start the year, all things considered. I certainly wasn't expecting most of the choices and many people were collectively expecting other options (HO Sidney, N Toby, etc). Time will tell if there is more to the catalogue, but what we've got for the moment is a good even ground that fulfills both fan demand (Ryan, Narrow Gauge Break Vans) and traditional recolors (Museum Coaches, Yellow Rheneas) in small doses.

Quote from: TrainFan97 on January 27, 2021, 08:48:49 PM
Could you show a link to the stream, or an image of Large Scale Diesel fully painted?

Here is the stream. Thomas info is shared at the 55-minute mark. It mainly recaps existing products that were recently released, but there is some new information as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E6MQvNemZU

Like Chaz, I'm happy to see Diesel coming along nicely. He'll certainly be well worth the wait for any Large Scale modeller. I'm also getting excited for the N Scale James now that its production sample has been mentioned. 

The event actually takes place on the 18th. Official announcement below:
https://twitter.com/Trainworld/status/1352303098446962691

Regardless, I'm fairly excited it. We've been needing updates on certain products for a while now, and this event serves a good opportunity to make the forum active again after some time of frequent inactivity. Anyone who wants to reiterate their expectations before the event are welcome.

Quote from: cp5150 on January 05, 2021, 08:15:11 PM
I'm 100% sure they won't make Splatter and Dodge for a couple reasons.
1) T&TMRR came out 21 years ago now so there would be no significance whatsoever for them making them
2) IMO they would sell terribly. T&TMRR marks their only appearance to date, making them very insignificant. Also, they don't have much of a personality, making them non-fan favorites, so they wouldn't make much money.
3) Their design is actually somewhat different to the other Class 08s (no handrails) so Bachmann would just need to make minor adjustments to them, but still, it would be a waste of money.

I agree on that notion. I like Magic Railroad as much as the next guy, but even I think it would be a bad idea for Bachmann to make anything from that since it wouldn't pay off for the long run. The mentioned duo never appeared again at all after the movie and the last time Bachmann made a diesel duo (Arry & Bert) didn't end well, so there isn't much of a reason to make them in the first place.

Laying down my guesses on what we may see through the year.

HO Scale:

• Tar Tanker reintroduction
• Red Express Coaches reintroduction

In terms of a new engine, it's a very fickle subject to undertake. Even for smaller engines like Stepney and Ryan, a new tooling would be too expensive all-around to undertake in 2021. Taking into account there's a lot that Bachmann has had to handle as a whole over the past year and that Daisy & Origins James still need to be handled, Bachmann is best off giving themselves a break from a new engine this year and sticking with reintroductions of past rolling stock.

Narrow Gauge:

• Sir Handel
• Green Carriage

N Scale:

• Toby
• Milk Tanker
• Ventilated Van (could reuse Graham Farish tooling)
• Brake Van (could reuse Graham Farish tooling)

Large Scale:
With Diesel still in production, I'm not expecting a whole lot from this category, but I'll still list what I hope to see in the future.

• Bill & Ben
• Red Coach
• Red Brake Coach

Other options I'm open to seeing:

• Narrow Gauge Brown Brake Van
• N Scale SC Ruffey

Truth be told, I'm not quite interested in buying the new tanker either. As much as I like purple as a color, I don't want to buy anything that's connected to the notorious "Bwuhba" era. Hopefully it'll at least be the only thing they make of that era now that it's over. Most fans didn't like it and I'm certain they'd rather not see any more of its content made.

Part of me was wondering if favoritism would come into play in terms of future Large Scale engines. We already know how Mattel unfortunately feels about Edward. Though the surprising addition of Mavis in Strasburg's Day Out With Thomas events was well-received, I'm not sure if that would be enough for her to be made (besides the other reasons I've mentioned before). I still want to see through it to the end with Mavis on some level, though I know very well that there is some inherit doubt on whether or not Mattel would want her made.

To my understanding of the recent series media, Duck and Bill & Ben have generally been used more often than Edward and Mavis. Part of me wonders if they would be made before the latter two. The same can also be said with Paxton, but I'm not sure what the benefits would be in following up on Diesel immediately with a recolor of his tooling. I also feel it'd be best to let Bachmann take their time with perfecting the position of his face on a bigger scale model.

That's not a bad rendition of that tanker. Nice to see it in a fully sculpted and painted phase after waiting quite a while.

Keeping the flow of new info going for the holidays, Busy Bee James (58821) has also been released:
https://twitter.com/bachmanntrains/status/1336761931764477953

Pretty good progress being made as far as scheduled releases are concerned. All we have left are the three N Scale tankers and (to an extent) Origins James before the end of this year.

Things have been looking pretty dry in the Thomas forums as of late, but now we have some news on upcoming products!

LBSC Thomas and all three of the one-plank wagons are now available. Item numbers are 58739 for Thomas and 77402 to 77404 for the wagons. Announcements below:
https://twitter.com/bachmanntrains/status/1336311835394510854
https://twitter.com/bachmanntrains/status/1336385570965254146