Quote from: Toad139 on February 15, 2019, 02:43:44 PM
What exactly are the budget problems? Is there anywhere to find information on it?

Quote from: Falcon the 2nd on February 15, 2019, 02:47:14 PM
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.

Like Mr. Falcon pointed out in his post, Diesel would have been expensive to produce and have an RRP close to (if not more) than Emily, which as of the date of this post holds at $429.  I think many modelers out there would see a tender engine such as Emily better value for money than a shunter loco such as Diesel.  In the end, Bachmann clearly saw Diesel wasn't worth the cost, even if they could have literally scattered out his tooling across 3-4 other characters and got production costs down that much more.  Put simply, the more models you produce, the more you can spread out the cost of tooling, thus keep the cost per item low.

Furthermore, compared to Diesel there would be many other Large Scale models currently offered from Bachmann that would give you more bang for your buck.  The Thomas and Percy models with DCC Sound are only $399 each.  In addition to that and outside the Thomas line, Bachmann's 2-4-2 Locomotives and Peter Witt Streetcars (both models with a high amount of detail)  have RRPs of $419 and $429 respectively.  That being said, which of the following would you be most likely to purchase?

Diesel - $429+
Emily - $429
Thomas w/ DCC Sound - $399
Percy w/ DCC Sound - $399
2-4-2 Locomotive - $419
Peter Witt Streetcar - $429

Even if Bachmann had decided to go through with Diesel and release him to the Large Scale market, there would still be those that would whine about the high RRP of a niche market product, not wanting to pay the cost of Bachmann recovering it's investment to produce said model.  At the end of the day, Diesel's RRP would have been the nail in the coffin for the model, and personally I feel Bachmann did the right thing by not going through with the production stage.  No one in their right mind would have gone out and bought Diesel when several other models Large Scale present far better value and have more appeal.

-Rusty

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

Yes announcements this year were more than disappointing, but at the same time I'm in no way surprised that Large Scale has yet again got the short end of the stick.  Quite frankly I think its safe to say that the range has finally reached the end of the line.  At this point, I will say I see the range continuing on with what it has now, but I don't see any new items (especially engine characters) getting announced in the future.  At the least I would have liked to see the rest of Bachmann's models with DCC Sound factory installed, but it looks like I'll be doing that myself now... 

The issue I've seen with Large Scale is that the range is so limited on what it can do right now, but I honestly feel like what simple additions that could be added to the range are not even being considered.  A troublesome truck only requires a new face tooling, red coaches only require altering the existing Annie/Clarabel coaches, and even something like an LBSC Thomas only requires a change of paint.  Even adding DCC Sound to James, Emily, and Toby (or even just 1 of them for 2019) would have been simple as the models and sound module are already there.

Like I've mentioned in the past, model railroading is sadly becoming a dying hobby as it is a niche market, and Large Scale is a niche of the overall hobby.  The cost of everything keeps going up, and its gotten to the point where either the company can't afford to produce said models, or the customer can't afford said models.  Bachmann's Spectrum line died years ago due to the high cost and minimal sales, and while I can say that the quality of the models was well worth the price, many people just don't see it that way.  I made a post on this topic a while back, and I'll leave a link if you wish to check it out.  Well worth the read.

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,34581.msg254706.html#msg254706
https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,34581.msg254761.html#msg254761

So from what I've seen recently, it's pretty clear that many people are cheesed off with the lack of Large Scale (and even Narrow Gauge) announcements this year, and quite honestly I don't blame them.  As for me, I'll be getting Toby, adding DCC sound to him, James, and Emily, snatching up the Spiteful Brakevan and the GW Van, and calling it quits there.  After Diesel's cancelation, 3 mediocre tanker recolors, and no new 2019 Large Scale announcements, I don't see the future of the range getting any better...

-Rusty

Quote from: Streak on February 14, 2019, 04:15:30 PM
Just a second, Plow Bender. If they were to make a new engine in Large Scale, would they make it DCC Sound like Thomas and Percy right off the bat? If so, that would be cool.

To be honest Mr. Streak, your post just got me thinking about what I said previously.  That being the case, I'll have to step back for a moment.

First let's talk about what we already have in the range with DCC Sound, being Thomas and Percy.  Bachmann also has the sound module sold separately, which includes the sounds for James, Emily, Toby, and other characters which sadly don't seem to have much chance in Large Scale at this point.  But here's the thing with the way these models are set up.  The DCC Sound models can run off either digital or analog, which means you don't have to choose between one operating system or the other.  Personally I feel this is why the standard Thomas model was discontinued, and my guess is Percy has stuck around a little longer considering he is not as popular of a seller, and therefore Bachmann still has a few hundred of these models still in the warehouse.

Now on the topic of Mavis getting announced, here's where your statement comes into play.  Would Bachmann make Mavis with DCC Sound already on board, or would they make the model standard DC?  My thoughts on this are that it's an argument that can swing both ways.  If Bachmann has plans to thin out their standard DC models (as they've done with Thomas) and just make them all come with DCC Sound on board, then to release Mavis without the addition of sound on the first go seems a little odd.  At the same time, Bachmann would have to make a sound module for Mavis, as the current one does not offer her as an option in the programming.

Now let's say Bachmann has plans to make Mavis, but this time just as a standard DC model.  If the range continues as it has been (just with DCC sound models being Thomas and Percy), then this seems the most likely.  In this case I could see Bachmann bringing out a sound module for Mavis at a later date.  I do remember Chaz brought up the same idea with Diesel back before the 2018 announcements, but his cancelation kind of killed the chances of getting a sound module.  If Bachmann did decide to announce Mavis though, I think they should look into a sound module for her, as without one it leaves Mavis as the only engine character without the option of sound, without having to start from scratch and add it yourself.  Winston on the other hand is another story entirely, as Bachmann was clearly fighting enough just to put a motor in him (hence why the model doesn't have moving eyes or a full interior) that they wouldn't even be bothered with fitting a sound system.

So as a recap, if Bachmann does intend to add DCC Sound to James, Emily, and Toby, then adding it to Mavis should be a priority as well.  I think it would make sense to give Mavis her own sound module, rather than having her share one with other diesel characters similar to what Bachmann did with the first module.  I think during that time Bachmann had bigger plans for the Large Scale range which were cut short due to production costs, hence why sound suites offered then include characters that don't have much of a chance now.  In the case that Bachmann just holds on to the standard models, then a standard Mavis would be fine.  I think at the end of the day however, a sound module for Mavis should at least be looked into, even if a model of her never gets released with DCC Sound factory installed.

As I said in an earlier post, I personally feel that Mavis is the way to go if Bachmann wants to do another engine character in Large Scale, and a diesel at that.  She's a popular character, a rather easy tooling, can reuse Toby's chassis, and is sure to sell better than Winston did when he was released.  If Bachmann plans to add DCC Sound to her be it factory and/or optional, then I welcome this addition as well.  Yes models with DCC sound cost extra, and yes maybe sound is more of a luxury for some, but personally (and from past experience working with models with DCC Sound on board) it's well worth that little bit extra for the life it brings to the models.

-Rusty

Quote from: JLK2707 on February 13, 2019, 04:39:45 AM
Would anybody here just want to make their own custom large scale devious diesel?

Personally I'd rather make Mavis considering she has more appeal and would personally be easier to build than Diesel, at least from my perspective.  It would be simple to go out and get a Toby chassis and then build Mavis up from there.  I actually have a friend with a laser cutter who can make the pieces/parts for me, then I'd just have to build the model up as if it were a kit.  I've been toying with the idea already with potential plans to make a 1:22.5 scale Lady in Large Scale, so I'm pretty sure the same method could be used for Mavis.

-Rusty

The announcements are usually posted sometime in the afternoon, of course that's here on the East Coast for me.

In response to Chaz's post, here are my wishes/predictions for announcements.

Wishful Thinking:

HO:
Original Thomas - with moving eyes
Original James - with moving eyes
Red Express Coaches
Troublesome Truck #6
Flatcar w/ Paint Drums (or other load)
Resin Buildings

Narrow Gauge:
Peter Sam
Brakevan(s)
V-Tippers

Large Scale:
James the Red Engine w/ DCC Sound (with moving eyes)
Emily w/ DCC Sound (with moving eyes)
Toby the Tram Engine w/ DCC Sound (with moving eyes)
Mavis w/ DCC Sound (with moving eyes)
Red Coaches
Troublesome Truck #3
Henrietta (and maybe Hannah)

Slap in the Face Reality:

HO:
Red Rosie
Toffee Tanker
Chocolate Syrup Tanker
Explosives Van

Narrow Gauge:
Duncan

Large Scale:
Sodor Diesel Co. Tanker

-Rusty

Quote from: JLK2707 on February 13, 2019, 07:47:48 AM
I would not be surprised if Bachmann just did Sidney and/or Red Rosie in HO scale due to how things are right now. What do you think?

I'd honestly be willing to bet my money on Red Rosie at this point since she seems to be the most likely to happen.  As I said in a previous post however, I'm not for this idea as I don't see her being that profitable considering most who wanted her in the red livery have already done the modification themselves, and the only ones that would buy her at this point are those who don't have her yet.  I do remember seeing a few people saying they we're going to wait till Bachmann updated the livery before getting the model, so there's a couple extra sales there.  Personally I think that the lavender livery is possibly another reason Rosie's sales haven't been that great, aside from the fact Mattel went out of the way to shove her character down our throats...

To be quite honest at this point, I'd be fine with Rosie making it into Large Scale if it meant we could at least get a new locomotive tooling for once.  Still I feel even a tank engine would suffer the same production issues as Diesel...

-Rusty

In the catalog from 2000 to 2002?  Boy my numbers were off quite a bit, but funny enough that's what someone had it listed as.  So much for "they can't post anything on the internet that isn't true" eh?

In all seriousness though, the set does have a bit of charm to it considering it is from one of the classic and iconic Christmas stories, and I can definitely see why it would have been such a popular seller after the movies release.  However it would be nice to see a large scale manufacture today bring a proper G Scale Polar Express set to market, but with the uprising cost of production and G Scale being a niche of a niche market, it's probably something I can only dream about.  I do like the Lionel Polar Express I have, but it still leaves a lot to be desired.

Anyways thanks for your informative post, Bill.  Quite enjoyed reading it. 

-Rusty

Quote from: TrainFan97 on February 11, 2019, 05:25:08 PM
Less than a week away, and the complete list of announcements for this year will be listed by InsideTrack this Friday. After that, that's all folks... until next year!

I have low expectations, but I'm still feeling anxious to see how good or bad the announcements will be. Either it will be a huge improvement over last year, or it will be even worse than last year. I shouldn't expect it to be any better, so I can avoid disappointment. As much as we'd like to see Stepney or Daisy being made in HO, they seem unlikely at this point. They might once again go the more cost-effective route by making another recolor, like Sidney to complete the Class 08 line, or Red Rosie to make Rosie available in her current, up-to-date livery.

My HO rolling stock hopes are the Explosives Van, and Troublesome Truck #6.

Alright, seriously... please tone it down a bit.  You've literally repeated the same thing across half a dozen posts within the last month and it's honestly starting to get old.  We're all aware when the announcements will be made, we're all aware who will announce them, and (based on the current status of the range and past announcements) we're all aware the chances of good/bad announcements are 50/50.

I'm sure many of us are anticipating the upcoming announcements, but we honestly don't need an update everyday of how much longer it's going to be till we get them.  In addition to that, the whole Sidney, Red Rosie, Stepney, Daisy, etc topic has been gone over enough times now, I'm pretty sure what's needed to be said has been said and there's really no reason to keep bringing them up.  They may get announced, they may not.  Let's just sit back and relax until Friday and see what happens.  We really don't need a countdown and probability statements each day till the announcements.  This is the Bachmann Forum, not NASA...

-Rusty

Quote from: Rodimus Supreme on February 07, 2019, 07:30:02 PM
Why are you guys saying the orange branch line coaches didn't have faces? The episodes with them showed they have faces. At least they are implied to, what with the close ups of faces and all.

Well as Mr. Trainfan already pointed out, the coaches which had faces were Annie and Clarabel.  The other 3 coaches are actually the Old Coaches, just flipped around with the green and cream livery on the opposite side.  You can also tell from the positioning of the windows that they're clearly not LB&SCR Stroudley coaches.  Due to budget restraints during the making of Season 1, the coaches were only painted orange on one side and then green/cream on the other.  They pulled this same magic trick with the Milk/Tar tankers as well.

Although I see the orange coaches being an easy option for Bachmann and definitely rolling stock people would buy, I don't see them happening simply because they honestly seem too practical.  Furthermore, I could actually see them having a slightly higher RRP than that of Annie/Clarabel (even though they just used an existing tooling), and therefore in the long run it would be cheaper just to make your own coaches instead.

I actually made 3 of them for myself years back when I was still into HO scale by simply using gasoline (or nail polish remover works too) to remove the names.  I also painted the frames of the coaches their proper black.  The current owner that I sold them to was nice enough to send me a photo to show.  I actually ran my coaches backwards, with the faces facing the rear, and using 1 Annie and 2 Clarabels.  Anyways, it's really not a hard project to tackle if you wish to make your own.



-Rusty

Quote from: Rodimus Supreme on February 01, 2019, 06:08:55 AM
I hate to say it, but I wouldn't be surprised if Bachmann announces this year that they are cancelling the line entirely.

I don't think I'd go as far to say that, but I could honestly at the least see them not announcing anything new.  As long as the range is selling well (which it is), Bachmann will continue to keep it around with what they have in the range already.  The only thing I would see happening at that point is Bachmann would most definitely discontinue items that are not selling, which in turn may lead to some new announcements after so many years without any.  I will say that it is a shame Bachmann doesn't offer any starter sets for the range, but I know for a fact they were discontinued due to the high RRP which went up every year.  Percy is still around, but that's only because his set wasn't a popular seller and Bachmann still has a lot of them in their warehouse.

I know a lot of people don't want to hear it, but the Bachmann Thomas line as a whole may eventually reach the point where Bachmann makes no new announcements and instead just continues to produce what the ranges already have.  Still just like I pointed out with Large Scale, we many not get new announcements yearly, but possibly biyearly or over the course of a few years.  As I've mentioned before, the cost of production keeps going up and Bachmann is trying to work with what little options they have, while also trying to come to an agreement with Mattel what they can/cannot produce, which is a clear sign as to why announcements the last few years have been kind of lackluster.

-Rusty

Quote from: Large Scale Champion on January 29, 2019, 06:23:10 AM
So it's that time again.... will 2019 be kind to Large Scale Thomas fans???

I highly doubt it, but I'll try to stay positive without getting my hopes too high.  I made a list of my predictions for 2019 announcements, and a more detailed one can be found in the Bachmann Thomas & Friends in 2019 thread.

Mavis
The Red Coaches
Troublesome Truck #3 (van or tanker)
Henrietta (maybe Hannah too)
James, Emily, and Toby w/ DCC Sound

I honestly don't see a lot of what I put in my list getting announced (if even anything) and I have to agree with one user who stated Large Scale will probably end up with another mediocre recolor this year.  As I stated in my earlier post, Bachmann hasn't done a new LS tooling for 4 years now, so surely they can squeeze out another one now?  Henrietta makes sense considering they could reuse her for Hannah, therefore spreading out the cost of tooling that much more.  Even the DCC Sound models would make sense considering everything is there to make them, therefore keeping production costs low.  I don't know, regardless how simple these additions seem, I agree with another user that Large Scale will probably end up with the short end of the stick this year, just as it did for 2018.

-Rusty

Actually I believe he may be referring to The Polar Express Big Haulers set as seen here.




Kind of surprised someone from Bachmann wouldn't even know about this.  Then again, according to my records the set is from 1985, and I'm not sure how long it stuck around.  I bet the user Loco Bill could probably shed some light on this topic.

-Rusty

The way I see it, if any range is going to make out this year (or at least do better than the rest) it's going to be Narrow Gauge for sure.  I agree with what Mr. Griffin said earlier on in this thread, and I could see Large Scale and HO just getting mediocre recolors again.  I still have hopes that Bachmann is keeping a couple highly asked for announcements in their back pocket, but I'm not going to get too excited.  In all I can honestly say I'm looking forward to the 2019 announcements, as I am curious just how good and/or bad they're going to be.

-Rusty

What kind of controller are you using Mr. Striker?  I've had a similar issue with large scale models using Bachmann's standard 1amp power supply, but the issues you describe sound a little more like your power is alternating current (AC) rather than direct current (DC).  Please elaborate a little more.

-Rusty

I think part of what makes the Workman's Cottage stick out amongst other structures is its small size and the landscape surrounding it.  It's not much different than your rustic log cabins out in the woods, only in that case you're not having to deal with the 9PM to Houndslow rumbling by and rattling the windows.



I'm on the same page wondering if the newest additions to the UK line may be an insight into some welcome additions to the resin buildings range as well, but at the same time I'm trying not to count my eggs before they hatch.  One thing's for sure, the 2019 announcements can't get here soon enough.

-Rusty