Dear Thomas & Friends™ fans,
Below is a list of the new items we are announcing for 2017. This is the COMPLETE list. Enjoy!
HO Scale
58817 Paxton (with moving eyes)
77011 Ventilated Van – Great Western
77012 Ventilated Van – Sodor Fruit & Vegetable Co.
77013 McColl's Cattle Wagon
Narrow Gauge
58603 Rusty
Large Scale
91407 Diesel (with moving eyes)
98021 Spiteful Brake Van
Please watch Bachmann's website for an announcement of Oliver's arrival as well as for all other new Thomas & Friends™ product arrivals.
Wow, Rusty beat Sir Handel and Peter Sam! This took me by total surprise, nonetheless I'm really excited for him and Rheneas! A bit disappointed that there is no rolling stock in narrow gauge but with the slate wagons still on the way we at least have something decent to look forward to.
Paxton was inevitable, but another welcome addition nonetheless, I could see him being a lot more popular than Rosie. Its nice seeing some of the same vans from large scale make it to HO, didn't expect another cattle wagon. Probably going to pass on these but might consider Paxton.
Diesel is exciting in large scale, and inevitable, but glad that an actual locomotive has joined the range after Toby's announcement. I did not see the spiteful brake van coming but I imagine it will just be the regular brake van with a face on it, possibly a new livery. Already these two are an improvement over anything large scale got in years.
A small lineup of announcements, but not disappointed, great job Bachmann!
Kudos to you, bachmann!
Paxton. Ah, we all knew this was happening.
Large Scale Diesel.
Well we know who's coming out next year ::) :P
I really hope that Diesel will come with black rods, considering they'll be plastic like the rest of the engines. (Those who have them, that is. Even if he doesn't, it's a simple fix I guess.)
Also, The large scale Spiteful Brake Van is something I could've seen from a mile away, as the Brake van was the only rolling stock piece in the range not to have been subjected to having a recolour.
But in all seriousness, I wonder why they skipped over 2 narrow gauge engines, and didn't want to add to the list of rolling stock for the range?
Interesting to note that all the engines announced this year were diesels...hmm...
Paxton is expected. Hopefully the break from HO will allow them to catch up with Oliver and Rosie.
The HO rolling stock is lame but i'll probably buy the GW van and McColl cattle wagon.
Rusty is gonna look so cute in narrow gauge. Bachmann was smart to not release another carbon copy steam engine. They would've probably seen sales decrease if they had. Plus the color pallette so far is nice. Red, red, orange.
Large scale Diesel will no doubt look very impressive. I guess hindsight is 20/20, he's always been kinda the token diesel of the show and that's what large scale seems to be focused on- the target characters of the show. They could almost stop making new engines after Diesel if they felt so inclined...
Spiteful brakevan is suuuuper weird, but the Large Scale line does love repaints, so that's probably all he'll be.
Very exciting!!
Nice announcements. I'm surprised that the Spiteful Brake Van has been announced for LS! For someone who doesn't collect LS, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what the model will look like. As for the rest, I can't wait to see, either. And I find it nice to see more ventilated vans for the HO range.
Wow, I can't wait for rusty, and Paxton!
No redesigned James???
Maybe, but they usually don't mention these things until later. Look at the CGI updates of the mail car, oil tanker, cream tanker and raspberry syrup tanker. But I'm still just looking forward to getting BOTH Rusty and Paxton!:)
I really hope Paxton sells better than 'Arry and Bert. Now that he's been confirmed, the ONLY Diesel repaint left would be Sidney. (Not counting Splodge, since they were one-offs)
I'm a little surprised Daisy wasn't chosen, or Stanley, but we're already getting two engines with completely new toolings; Oliver and Rosie. Paxton sounds like an economical decision, using Diesel's tooling like 'Arry and Bert. We might see him released this year depending on whether or not he's delayed. 'Arry and Bert were announced in 2013, but weren't released until Summer 2014. Their images were first revealed in the 2014 catalog.
Rusty is confirmed for Narrow Gauge. We might see Peter Sam next year.
Diesel is the first PROPER engine to be made in Large Scale since Toby. Next, I'd expect Mavis or Duck.
It took 6 years since we first started really getting into the idea of a Spiteful Brake Van by Bachmann to have him made.
...and they make it in the Large Scale range.
Nice to see Paxton announced. And I'm guessing the did Rusty to add a bit of variation to the steam theme in Narrow Gauge. Good choices Bachmann.
How long will it take before someone starts a 2018 predictions thread..? ::)
I'm pleasantly surprised by the announcement of Rusty. Generally speaking, I don't think anyone saw this coming, however it makes total sense. Television series wise, Rusty was amongst the first NG characters to receive a large scale model, had a scattering of focus episodes and is in the hearts of Thomas fans old and new as being a kind and helpful, little diesel. Exactly the sort of character to promote to children in the world's current social climate.
Large scale Diesel I'm super excited for, particularly as we haven't had a 'proper' announcement for 4 years! His wheelbase will negotiate R1 curves and I know he will look fantastic... especially his side rod mechanism in this scale. Paradoxically to Rusty, we need a pantomime villain to shakes things up in LS and generate some excitement - and prepare to see a lot of kitbashing for class 08 conversions on YouTube.
Paxton's announcement is a not so surprising, albeit a very welcome addition to the range. Our first Nitrogen character (that classic fans like, too!) in HO. Most of the tooling is on hand for him... however I don't expect to see him so quickly. Paxton's face is considerably smaller than Diesel's and the eye mechanism will also have to move, plus he'll need more plastic framing surrounding where his face will sit. I maybe wrong of course, but this isn't just a simple repaint IMO.
Rolling stock I'm not so stoked by but realistically in HO - what is there to do? If the cattle wagon resembles the one seen currently on the show, this will be my only purchase.
Spiteful brake van. I should be more excited than I am by the fan service... but meh. I will buy him but I remain hopeful for mail cars, red coaches and Henrietta for future years.
Narrow gauge, no rolling stock announcements this year, buit it's obvious the range is good hands and is being built on.
Thank you Bachmann for a cracking year of announcements. Certainly nothing to spread a 'bad atmosphere in the yard.'. Writing this, I'm hopeful the discussions for the following year can return to a more mature (in attitude) arena that the forum once was.
Mark
Wow! Really happy about these!
Glad to see Paxton in the line-up. A great character and personally one of my favorites. I am also glad to see the vent van getting the GWR treatment. It gives me some more stock for the GWR layout I have.
Rusty was a pleasant surprise too!
A little sad that they only makes the Spiteful Brake Van in large scale and not HO as well, but otherwise nothing to complain about.
I'm quite happy with these announcements. I can't wait to see Rusty's model because I love his CG render. I'm also hoping the new vans use the Ice Cream wagon's tooling like the large scale ones.
You never know, they could do the Spiteful Brake Van in HO Scale next year.
I'm a little late on posting this, but better late than never, eh? So what are my thoughts on this years announcements? Well coming from me personally, I see them as a little hit and miss to be honest. Granted they're better than last year's announcements, but are still somewhat lacking I feel.
To be honest, the HO announcements are probably the most disappointing considering their all pretty much just recolors, but I'm not writing them off completely. It's nice to see we're finally getting Paxton, considering many expected him to be announced in 2016. It really took me by surprise last year when he got pushed aside for Rosie, and I think many others felt the same. As for the new rolling stock, I'd rather just save myself some time and not bother discussing that.
Narrow Gauge is both good and bad I guess you'd say. It's nice to see that we're getting Rusty this year, and if we're lucky maybe in time for Christmas. I was surprised though to see Rusty announced before Sir Handel, considering I (like many I'm sure) expected Bachmann to make the narrow gauge engines in numerical order. Either way, Rusty is a winner nonetheless. The only downside to announcements for Narrow Gauge is we aren't getting any rolling stock this year, but I think many are happy just to have Rusty added to the range. Definitely a model I'll be adding to my want list once I get a proper HOn30 layout started.
Large Scale honestly was kind of a disappointment for me. I will say I am happy to see we're getting an actual locomotive for the first time in 4 years (going on 5), but the disappointment for me here though is that I would rather have seen Mavis over Diesel. Granted we'll probably get Arry and/or Bert, and/or Paxton for 2018, but I'm not really looking forward to them either. As I said before, Diesel wins hands down just for the simple fact he's (unlike stupid Winston) an actual locomotive. The Spiteful Brake Van is another announcement that took me by surprise, considering the fact he is a character from Season 2. Depending how the model looks when finally released, I may be adding it to my want list as well.
So my final thoughts on the 2017 announcements are this. Large Scale has finally gotten the help its needed for years with an actual locomotive being introduced into the range, Narrow Gauge is getting yet another classic and asked for character, and HO is finally getting a character that should have been announced over a year ago. The way I see it, these announcements are really a step in the right direction for all the ranges, and the positives outweigh the negatives.
-Rusty
Quote from: sodorlad on February 18, 2017, 03:05:13 AM
How long will it take before someone starts a 2018 predictions thread..? ::)
Predictions are one thing but it never hurts to let Bachmann know what products we want/are pleased/displeased with at all times of the year. A lot of people seem disappointed that Sir Handel wasn't next, so maybe that's a good hint to Bachmann as to who to make next.
All I really have to say is: Molto bene!
I made my first purchase of a Bachmann Thomas range engine a few few weeks ago ( Devious Diesel) and was disappointed that it was not DCC ready. There seems to be nothing in the announcement on moving to DCC ready locos in HO scale in the future or am I just out of touch with Bachmann plans.
Unfortunately none of the Bachmann locos are DCC Ready.
My input on this year's announcements is that I kind of like it. It's a little exciting, but not too exciting. The HO scale standard gauge range this year, I'm indifferent about. I can wait for Paxton, and the other pieces of rolling stock.
The HO scale narrow gauge range, I'm happy about. I'm pretty excited for Rusty to be released in the Bachmann HO scale narrow gauge range. I think Rusty would be pretty cool to run around the track for the way his wheels are. There are no side rods, or pistons to make Rusty to run around the track. He just has small separate wheels that are exposed. I think that would be pretty cool for that kind of locomotive to run around the track that is small, and has a good amount of detail that is in high quality. It's nice to finally have a diesel locomotive being released in the HO scale narrow gauge range.
The G scale range, doesn't really apply to me, because I don't collect the G scale trains. I knew Diesel was going to be announced sometime. I was surprised that they announced the Spiteful Brake Van. The Spiteful Brake Van hasn't been in the series since season 2. I think it would've been cool if they announced Duck in the G scale range. Overall, the announcements this year may not be very strong, but that's a good thing. It's a little exciting for me, but not too exciting. I don't have to keep counting down time, rushing the time to get a product I'm so excited about like I did in 2015 (which in fact are still not released yet, biggest mistake I've ever made about rushing time, but it's no big deal. Not the worst thing in the world), and I don't have to wish my life away. I can just enjoy life.
Kudos to Bachmann Trains!
I'm quite pleased with this years announcements. I'm surprised that Bachman didn't announce any rolling stock for the narrow gauge this year! It would be nice to see some coaches added to the lineup.
For the large scale, it's nice to see a locomotive added to the lineup again, but where is Gordon or Henry? Shouldn't we see more of the main characters before we see some of the more minor characters? Hopefully for 2018 we see one of them and maybe some express coaches.
For HO scale, I'm not surprised they chose Paxton, but I would have liked to see maybe Stanley or Daisy. I'd really like to see them reintroduce the express coaches for HO scale as well. Let's see what 2018 brings us!
I agree with you Mike1121, I was surprised that there was no rolling stock for the HO scale narrow gauge range this year. I was sure there would be. I thought they were going to add some coaches to the HO scale narrow gauge range this year.
Henry, or Gordon would be probably be very hard for Bachmann to release in the G scale range, because they would be so large, and it would cost them a lot of money to make them. It would also take them a very long time to make. Possibly surpassing the amount of time it took for them to make Oliver for the HO scale range. It's a possibility, but that remains to be seen.
I'm not either, I knew they were going to announce Paxton sometime soon. I was hoping for Daisy this year. Yeah, that would be very nice for me. I can add the express coaches for my Bachmann Gordon. I need some rolling stock for my Gordon.
Well, the Official 2018 Thomas & Friends New Product Announcement remains to be seen in about a year. But for now, I'm just going to be grateful for the announcements this year. They're kind of good. A little exciting, but not too exciting. I like that from time to time.
A large scale Gordon and Henry is out of the question. Especially with how this year's announcements have consisted of mostly recolors. The only new toolings we got are diesel engines, and one of them will obviously be used for recolors in the future. Both the Bach-man and Doug Blaine have mentioned that they would be too large as well as expensive to produce and they wouldn't do well on standard large scale train sets. The fact that the large scale range is doing a new engine at all in today's market is a blessing on its own, let alone an entirely new tooling.
I think it's interesting they did Emily but can't swing Gordon or Henry...but I'm no expert.
In theory, Gordon and Henry could work with R2 (bear in mind different terminology between G Scale track manufacturers) curves upwards, provided there is no middle drive wheel nor middle tender wheel flange - as per Thomas, James and Emily.
Also, in theory, are they really that much more expensive to produce than Emily? Design wise they are more simple and wouldn't need an alternative motor to - say, James.
However, a parent buys a starter set - the simple matter is an engine like Gordon and Henry aren't immediately compatible with this.
Gordon too has arguably little to pull rolling stock wise associated with his character.
Until the large scale climate improves - and it will only improve by us fans and consumers getting behind it, then this will limit certain releases.
Consider Diesel's character and presence in the show currently... this will also be a factor of his release in terms of projected sales - a decision not taken lightly when generally characters painted black tend to keep the shelves warm.
Don't get me wrong, I personally would have chosen Edward this year because of my sentimentality for his classic era persona - but I still think Diesel's worth getting excited for.
With all the talk about people wanting Henry and Gordon in large scale, I think it's time we revisit a post I made back in April of 2016 in the Thomas & Friends in 2017 thread. I pretty much say the exact same things Chaz's has mentioned in his post, but I go a little more in depth about it. My post can be found at the link below. I highly recommend you read it if you're one of the ones whining because you're not getting a large scale Henry and/or Gordon this year... :P
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,31790.msg237691.html#msg237691
-Rusty
Quote from: sodorlad on February 20, 2017, 05:22:58 PM
Gordon too has arguably little to pull rolling stock wise associated with his character.
I mean...what does he have to pull in HO?
Quote from: Griffin on February 20, 2017, 05:30:08 PM
Quote from: sodorlad on February 20, 2017, 05:22:58 PM
Gordon too has arguably little to pull rolling stock wise associated with his character.
I mean...what does he have to pull in HO?
Nothing. But he did... and they are no longer in production. Another factor which doesn't bode well for Gordon's release in LS.
OO/HO Coaches are available courtesy of a rival manufacturer of course.
Diesels tooling isn't particularly complicated that's why I feel they decided on him for LS, now I don't see anything holding Bachmann back from modifying LS James tooling to make Edward.
So now that the catalog is out here are further thoughts.
It's obvious that with both HO engines still delayed, as well as everything in narrow gauge being delayed too that Bachmann decided to take things a lot lighter this year with only two additions being new toolings. Both being very easy to make with one of them obviously being made to produce more re-colors in the future. I find it interesting how the new cattle wagons illustration makes it seem like it has a Bachmann Branchline tooling like Toad since it looks like this cattle wagon includes brake pipes on both ends. The spiteful brake van replacing the regular brake van in large scale is an interesting choice, I also wonder based on the illustration of the large scale Diesel if that will be given a more angry face as opposed to the smiling one on the HO model.
Despite this, I'm actually a lot happier with these announcements than last year's announcements, as I felt that most of what got announced last year really fell flat (with the exception of Troublesome truck #5 and narrow gauge announcements). This year's announcements show quality and not quantity. I am a lot happier with this year's choice of an HO engine, as Paxton is an obvious improvement over Rosie who will not only look a lot nicer, and will sell better but is a lot more of an actual character as opposed to a shameless marketing tool who was made to only appeal to little girls.
It's understandable why some people are upset that Sir Handel and Peter Sam got skipped in favor of Rusty but with everything from last year being delayed it makes sense why they want to go for an easier tooling. I'm personally happy that Mattel is at least having Bachmann sticking with the season 4 narrow gauge engines as opposed to forcing them into the newer/more marketable ones, so in some ways it could have been a lot worse. I'm just happy enough we are halfway through the original six narrow gauge engines.
This years announcements really do show promise as well as hope that we can expect more in the future. My only complaints are the lack of rolling stock for narrow gauge, but I'm sure we will see coaches and brake vans soon, along with Sir Handel and Peter Sam too. I also think the Spiteful brake van should have been announced in HO too, but when a 2018 thread eventually pops up I'll do a post suggesting that. Otherwise, I see this years announcements as a huge improvement over last years and I am really looking forward to these new products. Thanks again Bachmann!
Now that everything else is out, what are everyone else's thoughts?
Where did you find the catalog?
Go to the 2016 catalogue and replace the 6 with a 7 in the url.
It's not very wise of Bachmann imo to not include a real picture of Rosie or Rheneas in the catalogue. To the common consumer who looks through the catalogue every year, not seeing progress isn't a good sign. And we know they have the models- heck, Rosie's promo was up on the website!
I'm very disappointed that we have no picture of rheneas as he was clearly at the show. Heck they didn't even include a picture of Rosie. But we did get Paxton and rust and a general outline of the new rollingstock. Other than that this catalogue is useless. I do hope we get a prototype picture of rheneas soon, as again he was clearly at the show. It actually shows us less than we've already been shown!
Quote from: Chaz on February 20, 2017, 09:31:50 PM
I also think the Spiteful brake van should have been announced in HO too, but when a 2018 thread eventually pops up I'll do a post suggesting that.
Considering we got two of the previous large scale only vent vans, we will probably be getting the Spiteful Brake Van in HO sooner or later. Maybe next year we'll get that and explosive van.
Well I guess I'll give my thoughts
Paxton is not much of a surprise, but I'd welcome him more than Arry/Bert. Considering his doubt, and portrayal in the show. So I wouldn't mind picking him up.
With Rusty, I'm kinda not surprised he was announced, I was speculating that Bachmann might put Rusty or Peter Sam before Sir Handel, going by what's the most marketable. I still think they're going down the route following with Peter Sam next. I assume that Rusty was brought in because of his simple design and color contrast.
The LS Range, I think this is a step-up compared to the previous. While some have hoped for Edward, I think Diesel, the fact they introduced a new engine into the LS is actually a blessing. As with the Spiteful Brake Van, that's a complete surprise.
Overall, very short list, perhaps the smallest we've had in a while, but nonetheless this is a good year. Quality vs Quantity.
A disappointing thing about Rusty for me personally is he will have his large Sqaure face rather than the smaller face from season 4, but it's easily modifiable. Something I was surprised to see was the Spiteful Brakevan is more RWS based than TV if they bring him to the H0 range I hope they keep that look.
Quote from: HLC Railroad on February 20, 2017, 10:07:12 PM
I'm very disappointed that we have no picture of rheneas as he was clearly at the show. Heck they didn't even include a picture of Rosie. But we did get Paxton and rust and a general outline of the new rollingstock. Other than that this catalogue is useless. I do hope we get a prototype picture of rheneas soon, as again he was clearly at the show. It actually shows us less than we've already been shown!
the Rheneas and Rosie models probably weren't ready when the 2017 catalogue was being designed. at least they added the Oliver model image.
Regarding the photo of Rheneas, I recall something similar happening with the red coaches one year and those were on display at Toy Fair before we got official photos, something tells me that this is the same scenario with Rheneas. A photo of him isn't that far away now.
Quote from: Toad139 on February 20, 2017, 11:34:16 PM
Quote from: Chaz on February 20, 2017, 09:31:50 PM
I also think the Spiteful brake van should have been announced in HO too, but when a 2018 thread eventually pops up I'll do a post suggesting that.
Considering we got two of the previous large scale only vent vans, we will probably be getting the Spiteful Brake Van in HO sooner or later. Maybe next year we'll get that and explosive van.
It's certainly not out of the question, but I will bring it up regardless, seems like a decent opportunity for Bachmann to do a decent recolors that fans would actually be a lot more interested in compared to other ones in recent years. Especially when the Donald and Douglas models are still in production. :P
On another note, did anyone else notice that the Salty set has been discontinued? It seems like Salty really is out of the range permanently now. What's really strange is that the standard large scale Thomas was not there either, yet he is still in the sets and available in DCC/sound. No idea why they would do that with Thomas of all characters.
Hopefully Chaz, hopefully Bachmann will bring back Salty someday, especially when they release Porter.
The only let down of the Salty set was the redesigned conductor. Cranky the Crane would have been a better addition.
The reason why the standard Thomas is discontinued is a brilliant marketing strategy: The only way to get a Thomas now is the more expensive variant (The Sound one), or through the most expensive way possible, by having to buy a whole set.
But to be honest, I'm thinking anyone who wanted a Large Scale Thomas (and only him) most likely would have one by now.
In regards to the large scale Thomas #91401 being absent in the 2017 catalog, it comes as somewhat of a surprise to me, but at the same time it doesn't. Considering the fact I noticed he's been sold out for almost a year now, I had a feeling something was up, but didn't think Bachmann was going to discontinue the model. Especially when he is the #8 bestseller on the bestsellers list of Large Scale Thomas & Friends motive power.
It's no surprise, but the Thomas with Annie and Clarabel set #90068 is actually the #1 bestseller in the whole Large Scale Thomas & Friends range. I think that many people who are getting into collecting the Large Scale Thomas & Friends models would probably find it easier to go out and just by a complete train set, as opposed to just buying everything separately. I remember back when I first started collecting large scale, I just went out and bought the Thomas and Percy sets (also got a Bachmann Big Haulers set) because it was the easiest way to get the models, track, and was a cheaper alternative.
That's another thing. It should also be noted that for the price of a large scale Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel separately, you could just about buy the complete train set for the same price. Not sure that's really saying much though considering all you're getting extra is a bundle of throw away steel alloy track and a very underpowered 1 amp power supply. My recommendation is to sell that garbage off and get yourself the Bachmann brass track and a power supply of at least 5 amps or more.
I can honestly say I don't 100% agree with Bachmann's decision to make Thomas a set exclusive (if that is the case), especially when he is the #1 character and considering the stats on his sales were good. Unfortunately this leaves me in a bit of a bind considering I've been meaning to upgrade my Thomas model with a newer one. That pretty much leaves me rushing to get my hands on a new model while I still can, or purchase a complete train set and have yet more steel alloy track that I don't need. Then again, eBay has come through for me many times before in my hunt for large scale products.
-Rusty
Overall, the announcements for this year look great. As everyone has been saying, quality over quantity is the moral for this year. The only real disappointment is that there is no new rolling stock for the narrow gauge line. However, that does not make the overall announcement poor. After looking at the catalog that just came out, the item that I am the most excited for is McColl's Cattle Wagon. When I first read the list of new items, I thought that McColl's Cattle Wagon was just going to be another typical repaint, but no. According to the illustration, Bachmann is using a brand new tooling from the Bachmann Branchline. That will definitely be on my Christmas list for this year ;).
Now, since Bachmann is making Paxton, which would be the fourth Class 08 in the range, and the seventh "small loco" since Donald and Douglas, I think that there is some serious discussing to do for a possible 2018 loco. I know that it is still pretty early for 2018 predictions, however, this is one that I wanted to put out immediately since it could be yet another great investment for Bachmann. Diesel 10 Diesel 10 would probably be one of Bachmann's best selling locos. Here's why. He would be the first "large diesel" in the range with a unique livery and a fascinating persona. His claw, "Pinchy", is also mind-boggling (in a good way for the consumer). Just imagine yourself walking into a hobby store or train show with all of the Bachmann locos hanged up. Diesel 10 would surely stand out. Daisy would be the other great choice, but in terms of overall sales, I think that Diesel 10 would be better.
Lastly, for anyone who is interested in 3D printed faces from the classic era including the Spiteful Brake Van face, I would recommend that you check this out: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/seansstuff?s=0#more-products
As cool as a Bachmann Diesel 10 sounds, it's REALLY hard to expect him. How would Bachmann do Pinchy? Same goes for Harvey's crane. IF they ever made Diesel 10 or Harvey, they should just omit their eye mechanisms, and just give them a moveable claw or crane.
Diesel 10 is the only character introduced in Thomas and the Magic Railroad to be rendered in CGI.
Okay, I can't access this site from my home wifi anymore for some reason, so I've got to use my mobile phone's data or wifi at places like my university. So I guess I'm late to giving my thoughts, but oh well. Now, let's begin:
3, 2, 1, Go!
HO Scale:
Paxton:
Well, to be honest considering that Oliver and Rosie have yet to be released, I didn't expect to see an engine announced in HO this year. But Paxton I think was a sensible choice, and I felt he was the most obvious candidate for the next HO engine. Overall, I think this was a safe, but sensible choice. Certainly will appeal to older and newer fans, and whilst the tooling won't be identical to Diesel's, it'll be highly similar - which makes it an economic decision for Bachmann all around I think. As I said, a safe, but sensible choice.
The Great Western, and Sodor Fruit & Vegetable Co. Ventilated Vans:
I didn't expect to see these two make the transition over to the HO range so soon, but I find that they are...good choices. I don't really know what to say about these, other than that I think these were also safe choices, if these are recolours of the Ice Cream Van too - like they were in Large Scale- which I expect they will be. Not sure what else to say in all honesty. A safe choice again, but again, one that makes sense. I imagine they'll be decent sellers - particularly the Great Western variant. I'm hoping we'll see the Explosives Van make the transition next year.
McColl's Cattle Wagon:
I honestly expected a recolour of an existing Cattle Wagon for this one too. So I was pleased to see that it's going to be a new tooling. I think, and hope it'll be a good seller, I like the design and want to see this new tooling succeed.
Narrow Gauge:
Rusty: Well, I'd like to see the smaller styled Season 4 face - but let's be honest, that's not going to happen. I feel Rusty was chosen because he's a more simple tooling than the likes of Sir Handel or Peter Sam. I've heard a few people bring up colour contrast - but given Skarloey is a Crimson-red colour, and Rheneas is fairly orange, I can't really say Rusty provides much contrast with these two characters, in my eyes. More of a conformity actually. As I said, I imagine he was released for his simpler tooling above all else. Whilst I may have expected Sir Handel or Peter Sam, that doesn't mean I think Rusty is a bad choice. Just a surprise, but by no means a disappointment.
Large Scale:
Diesel:
I would've preferred to have seen Edward or Duck, but I don't think Diesel is a bad choice, I'm surprised at the generally lukewarm reception to Diesel from fans, but then again, it's been several years since the LS range got a new engine, and I don't collect LS, so I probably don't completely understand the frustrations of those that do. I find the idea of Gordon or Henry being released in LS at some point in the future to be extremely unlikely. But I think Diesel was a sensible choice, and definitely an economic one, as there are so many Class 08's in the series that recolours become rather easy. I also quite like the illustration used, and hope it's indicative that the Diesel model (when made) will be included with a sinister looking face - considering that's what the illustration has. It may be questionable if he will have a sinister face or not, but hey, a guy can dream, right?
Spiteful Brake Van:
This was...probably the biggest surprise of this year for me. But I don't think it's a bad idea by any means. I'm quite glad it's being released, to be honest. I like the design from the illustration shown, especially considering it appears to be in more of an RWS style - I really like that. I hope this turns out to be a good seller, and I hope it transfers over to HO next year, but for the meantime...
Overall thoughts:
I like both Large Scale announcements, and whilst I understand that some people may be disappointed in them - I do quite like both announcements, and hope they succeed.
I was hoping for (at least) a brown brakevan in the Narrow Gauge range, but oh well, Rheneas still isn't out yet, and Rusty is a good announcement, one that I do enjoy - I hope for a brakevan next year, along with Peter Sam - then after this, I'd like to see some coaches in the range, but this may be a little while in the future. Whilst I'm slightly disappointed there's no piece of new rolling stock, it doesn't overly bother me - I hope next year brings more to the table for the Narrow Gauge, but for now, I think it's fine.
The HO announcements all seemed...predictable...and even if I didn't expect a new engine this year, Paxton seemed like the most likely candidate for quite some time, so I'm not too surprised by this happening. Both vans seem like sensible options, and I don't feel there's too much to say there.
I agree with most people's consensus thus far that this year's range is definitely quality over quantity, but I would like to make an addition to that argument. This year's range feels very much like Bachmann wanted to play it safe. I feel like all the announcements in each range (in one way or another) are very safe ones - sensible yes, but also very safe. Granted, there's nothing wrong with that, and even the items in announcement that surprised me the most (Rusty, Paxton and the Spiteful Brakevan), all felt like safe choices. Sensible, yes - but definitely safe...and even the surprises aren't too...surprising I guess.
Overall, I think this year's range is a good one. I look forward to next year's, and think that this is certainly an improvement over last year's range - but that's just my opinion. I look forward to seeing all the finished products.
~Alex
OH MY GOD!! That website with the faces is unbelievable! Has anyone else seen this??
No. What are you talking about?
Quote from: TTTEfan1992 on February 23, 2017, 02:05:18 AM
No. What are you talking about?
He's talking about Shapeways.
Do you have a link?
It was literally in the post at the bottom of the last page, but here it is again:
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/seansstuff?s=0#more-products
I also must agree however, that the faces there are amazing. I'm surprised more people in the fandom don't know about it, in all honesty.
~Alex
Shame they don't have a happy Thomas face or any Percy faces, either way I'm going to use their James face on my Bachmann model.
Glad I could be of service :). The seller started this about a year ago and I think that he is still adding new faces to the list. These faces are high quality. My favorite is the large troublesome truck face which is displayed on the second page. Also, there was a happy Thomas face, but it got taken off the list for some reason.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_nLc9Zn1EY
*waits for comments about Rheneas*
Do the eyes line up with the moving eye mechanism if I were to cut them out?
They look great.
Quote from: Anthony P2 on February 23, 2017, 09:56:44 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_nLc9Zn1EY
*waits for comments about Rheneas*
Yeah didn't even get a close up shot so this is useless.
Quote from: HLC Railroad on February 23, 2017, 10:02:30 AM
Do the eyes line up with the moving eye mechanism if I were to cut them out?
Yes they do.
Quote from: donaldthescottishtwin on February 23, 2017, 12:34:40 PM
Quote from: Anthony P2 on February 23, 2017, 09:56:44 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_nLc9Zn1EY
*waits for comments about Rheneas*
Yeah didn't even get a close up shot so this is useless.
oh I know! I'm just waiting to see all the "Why couldn't they get a closer picture?!" comments!
When will the official 2018 Thomas and Friends new product announcement come out? Earlier than Feb 2018? Thanks!
Quote from: Danielv18 on February 23, 2017, 04:55:47 PM
When will the official 2018 Thomas and Friends new product announcement come out? Earlier than Feb 2018? Thanks!
In 2018...
Replying to Reply #59:
The "OFFICIAL 2018 THOMAS & FRIENDS NEW PRODUCTS ANNOUNCEMENT!" will come out the day before the New York Toy Fair (Friday 2-16-18).
Are we seriously worrying about that right now?
No, I'm not worried about that at all. I was just answering to Danielv18.
Quote from: AJW98Productions on February 23, 2017, 04:31:26 AM
It was literally in the post at the bottom of the last page, but here it is again:
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/seansstuff?s=0#more-products
I also must agree however, that the faces there are amazing. I'm surprised more people in the fandom don't know about it, in all honesty.
~Alex
Has anyone used these? What's your opinion? Thinking of a diesel face to replace my cgi face :)
Quote from: Griffin on February 23, 2017, 07:03:19 PM
Are we seriously worrying about that right now?
I agree with you. Can we please leave our 2018 product suggestions/opinions until later this year?
No. We must have newbies spamming topics and posts of "can bachmann make this obscure engine/piece of rolling stock??? k thx byyyyeeee!" All the time. It's the nature of this fandom/containment board.
Man oh man have I not been here in a long while, I think Rusty is gonna be a great edition to the Narrow Railway line (even though I'm still hoping for a Peter Sam (I'm biased cuz he's my favorite)) but Rusty will be a good edition and as for Syndey or Paxton, I honestly forget which CGI diesel they announced, regardless I'm gonna assume it will be a great edition for the HO scale, Large scale Diesel just makes sense to me and if I'm disappointed by anything at all it's that we won't have any passenger cars for the N scale line. Other than that I can't wait for a better pic of Rheneas! Those are my humble thoughts and opinions.
Quote from: JJ96 on February 28, 2017, 07:50:39 PM
Man oh man have I not been here in a long while, I think Rusty is gonna be a great edition to the Narrow Railway line (even though I'm still hoping for a Peter Sam (I'm biased cuz he's my favorite)) but Rusty will be a good edition and as for Syndey or Paxton, I honestly forget which CGI diesel they announced, regardless I'm gonna assume it will be a great edition for the HO scale, Large scale Diesel just makes sense to me and if I'm disappointed by anything at all it's that we won't have any passenger cars for the N scale line. Other than that I can't wait for a better pic of Rheneas! Those are my humble thoughts and opinions.
It's Paxton.
I like that Paxton was released. We need a CGI character in the Bachman range. I also can't wait for Farmer Mcoll's wagon. Now Rusty being released this year was a surprise to me but nonetheless I am grateful for him.
I'm really excited for Mcoll's Wagon. The rest of the releases I could pass on but Mcoll's Wagon is very intriguing to me. I may get the GWR Ventilation Van as one could always use more GWR rolling stock.
I can't wait to get Stanley Charlie rather rocky Murdock Paxton Harvey Billy nevel Molly Ryan Stafford porter Stepney Sansom duff scruff Sam hank just Jerome hope they hurry up and make them
Quote from: richarddoneit on May 14, 2017, 11:48:40 AM
I can't wait to get Stanley Charlie rather rocky Murdock Paxton Harvey Billy nevel Molly Ryan Stafford porter Stepney Sansom duff scruff Sam hank just Jerome hope they hurry up and make them
Is this even just real?!
Quote from: richarddoneit on May 14, 2017, 11:48:40 AM
I can't wait to get Stanley Charlie rather rocky Murdock Paxton Harvey Billy nevel Molly Ryan Stafford porter Stepney Sansom duff scruff Sam hank just Jerome hope they hurry up and make them
This would be better suited for the Thomas & Friends in 2018 thread. That is where wishlists or guesses for future products go until the 2018 Official announcements are out.
Quote from: donaldthescottishtwin on May 14, 2017, 07:55:31 PM
Quote from: TrainFan97 on May 14, 2017, 07:23:24 PM
Is this even just real?!
It's just another child.
It's ok if it's a child, even if it is, you don't have to be rude about it.
I was pointing out the obvious not being rude, cool it.
I know full well that Bachmann is not like Wooden Railway or Trackmaster.
A LOT more effort goes into a Bachmann model.
Keep in mind that almost everything that got announced this year were recolors, and one of the new toolings this year (large scale Diesel) will inevitably be re-used for other models in the future.
Personally I think the delayed products from last year, (plus Oliver), are why the announcements were smaller than previous years. Hopefully once everything else gets out, Bachmann can offer more new products next year.
Here we go again with the trolling.
Yeah! Just ignore richarddoneit.
You're a month and a half late for April Fools jokes.
This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen on this forum. I just can't take it seriously. Neither Bachmann, nor the fans decide what's made, Mattel does. Nothing else will be announced until February of 2018.
So ridiculous, it's funny. That post was, with the most unrealistic possibilities ever. Large Scale Gordon and Henry? Sam? Really?
Quote from: richarddoneit on May 15, 2017, 03:29:11 PM
Dear Thomas & Friends™ fans,
this is all the trains I want in 2017 bachmann best get making
This would be better suited for the Thomas & Friends in 2018 thread. That is where wishlists or guesses for future products go until the 2018 Official announcements are out.
Quote from: TrainFan97 on May 15, 2017, 05:12:09 PM
You're a month and a half late for April Fools jokes.
This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen on this forum. I just can't take it seriously. Neither Bachmann, nor the fans decide what's made, Mattel does. Nothing else will be announced until February of 2018.
So ridiculous, it's funny. That post was, with the most unrealistic possibilities ever. Large Scale Gordon and Henry? Sam? Really?
Don't feed it, ignore it and it will die.
Quote from: richarddoneit on May 15, 2017, 06:30:33 PM
Bachmann Thomas And Friends announced 2017 to 2018
This would be better suited for the Thomas & Friends in 2018 thread. That is where wishlists or guesses for future products go until the 2018 Official announcements are out.
The unrealistic lists are gone.
Next, after all of the TV series Narrow Gauge engines (including Bertram, Duke, Freddie, Mighty Mac, Luke, and Millie), are you guys gonna do Ivo Hugh and Smudger?
Quote from: codyjk727 on June 11, 2017, 09:12:45 PM
Next, after all of the TV series Narrow Gauge engines (including Bertram, Duke, Freddie, Mighty Mac, Luke, and Millie), are you guys gonna do Ivo Hugh and Smudger?
No they probably won't even get that far, until they get added into the cgi series.
Quote from: codyjk727 on June 11, 2017, 09:12:45 PM
Next, after all of the TV series Narrow Gauge engines (including Bertram, Duke, Freddie, Mighty Mac, Luke, and Millie), are you guys gonna do Ivo Hugh and Smudger?
Not a chance that any of those engines get made except for perhaps Luke and Smudger (since he was a Rheneas repaint.) Bachmann will definitely focus on the "core six" in the coming years more than the CGI-era characters.