I don't think a Thomas model revision is going to happen for a long time, personally. There's not much of a financially beneficial reason for Bachmann to do one. However, once again, this is just a fantasy and points I'm wanting to share about how Bachmann -could potentially- revise Thomas.
Recently, I stumbled upon the Twitter page of Thomas_Lab ( https://twitter.com/thomas_lab/media ), who is a Japanese Thomas modeller. They have done some fantastic custom models, as well as modifications to their Bachmann Thomas models. It was on further investigation that something was.. slightly different about his Thomas model. The conclusion is interesting, and a small detail I don't think the forum has ever picked up on before:
(http://i66.tinypic.com/2r2pzxu.jpg)
I've circled other areas in different colors, but my point of interest first and foremost is the
red and
brown circles.
- Red: This is Thomas' front. On the Bachmann HO model, it is quite fat. You can see there is a lot of space above and below Thomas' buffers. On Thomas_Labs model, he has sanded down Thomas' front to be thinner, which is actually in-line with the thin-ness of the Large Scale Thomas' front (and TV series Thomas). Now, then...
- Brown: This is the curve on Thomas' front. On the HO scale model, the curve is a bit sharper and deeper than it is on the Large Scale model. The HO model is actually more accurate to the TV series, but since the Large Scale model has a shorter front and a less prominent front curve, it allows for the Large Scale model to have a front coupler.
With these two
Red and
Brown points combined, it could very well be possible to give a future Bachmann Thomas revision a front hook/loop coupler as well.
Now lets look at the more commonly known and popular modifications Thomas fans do to their Bachmann models already:
Yellow: The HO scale lantern is chubby, simplistic, almost like a marshmellow. Most fans tend to find lanterns from other toy ranges to replace the Bachmann one. Might be something to consider.
Green: On the HO scale Thomas, the space between his splasher and side tank is filled in. This isn't the case on the Large Scale model. One of the oldest Bachmann Thomas tricks has been to re-paint that space black, to simulate a space.
Pink: A minor detail I don't see addressed as often. Thomas' footplate shrunk in size about Season 3, and has stayed that way since. Somehow the Season 1-2 design got onto the Bachmann model.
Orange: Thomas' boiler bands for some reason purge out like tumors on the HO scale model. The Large scale model does something similar, but due to the scale difference, it's much less noticable. It would be nice if Thomas could have a flat boiler with red stripes, just like Edward.
Purple: Misc. details. An open cab and cab windows is always a nice touch, but it's not a necessity. The whistle tooling on the Large Scale model is also more accurate to the TV series Thomas, while the HO scale one looks less defined.
Blue: This one is a no brainer. If any changes come to the Bachmann Thomas model, I can see this one happening. The HO scale face is based off promo artwork from the early 2000s, and looks outdated compared to the newer CGI model on the Large Scale Thomas.
Now, I'm no toy designer. I don't know the ins and outs of how design choices are considered for factory production. These are just details I've noticed as a consumer, and still hope will be put into consideration one day.
Let me know what you guys think.
I personally don't think revisions will happen anytime soon mainly because people are still buying these models helping Bachmann make a profit off of them. If there are any revisions I could see happening in the future, then I would imagine they would update the faces to match the CGI series. That by itself is an improvement along with James' paint scheme possibly changing next year (if China doesn't goof up again). If Bachmann were to update their tooling for Thomas entirely and then update Percy and James' the following year(s) as opposed to making an engine in HO with a new tooling like Charlie or Stanley, then I would be completely on board with that. Paxton could still be pulled off in the process too as an added bonus since he is a recolor.
I'm still on board with the idea, even though I don't think anything beyond a paint change/updated faces are going to happen. But if Bachmann is able to make some of these other revisions you just mentioned happen then I think it is worth the investment. The biggest reason for that is because if other models have been getting some of Bachmann's best quality but the main characters on the show didn't, it makes them stand out horribly in comparison. This is especially important when new consumers are more likely to pick up the main characters first before considering any of the other characters that are made with better quality.
HI everyone,with all this talk about revisions on Thomas & Friends models,let me just say that I am completely satisfied with the models I already have.I got what I paid for and they run just fine!!!!!!!
UPTODAY
It's more the cosmetic detials we are addressing. And considering the rising price of the models, I don't think accuracy is too much to ask for.
Even though some of these are pretty big, I think they are all within reason. As a matter of fact, did anyone notice that the hooks on the Sounds Thomas and the Celebration Thomas both have black hooks, rather than grey hooks. These changes could be made subtly over time and eventually we'd be left with a much better Thomas than before.
There are other Japanese Thomas modellers on twitter. (https://twitter.com/8610thomas/media) (https://twitter.com/thomasandhumi/media)
If they would consider revisions, perhaps they could redo Henry's tender as well.
Indeed. Those modifications look great!:)