Bachmann Online Forum

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With the new Thomas & Friends Announcements for Winter 2021 revealed, I think that we can all agree that the line-up is solid. However, the one announcement that has especially received mixed thoughts from fans is the Narrow Gauge Yellow Rheneas. Thus, I wanted to bring up one Thomas product that would be a very pleasant surprise for the NMRA this summer to make up for that, as he also shares the same tooling as Rheneas: Smudger!

This idea first came up when thinking about one product that was announced with mixed thoughts from Winter 2020 (Busy Bee James), and what was announced in the summer afterwards (Origin James), which many more fans were happy with, plus both models utilized the same tooling.

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I have zero doubt that a Bachmann Smudger would do much better than a Yellow Rheneas in terms of sales, primarily because he is a classic character from the model era. Hence, there is nostalgic value to him. Announcing Smudger would also provide an additional model that modellers can purchase to make Dolgoch, in case the Rheneas models are out of stock.

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(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/e/ee/BlueMountainMystery579.png/revision/latest?cb=20180919212934)

While some may argue that Smudger would not make sense without a model of Duke first, take a look at Yellow Rheneas. Rheneas appeared in the yellow paint scheme at the end of a movie for 20 seconds with Victor and Luke, two other engines that Bachmann have not made. Furthermore, while others may argue that Smudger is not relevant anymore, neither is Yellow Rheneas. Plus, take a look at the Spiteful Brake Van or even Toby's Museum Coaches. Those were both only seen briefly, yet the reception for them was positive because they have appealing designs and nostalgic value, which Smudger also has.

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All in all, I hope that this suggestion can be passed along for the summer, as I know for a fact that many fans would be ecstatic to see a Bachmann Smudger announced, and make up for Yellow Rheneas' announcement. I, without a doubt, would purchase a Bachmann Smudger, unlike Yellow Rheneas.

As always, here are some follow-up questions for other fans:

1. Would you buy a Bachmann Smudger?
2. Do you think that Smudger would have been a better announcement than Yellow Rheneas?
3. Do you think that an announcement of Smudger for this summer would make up for the mixed reception on Yellow Rheneas?

Thank you very much for reading my post, and I look forward to reading everyone's thoughts!

Firstly yes I for one would absolutely buy Smudger in a heartbeat. When I saw that Yellow Rheneas was announced I'm not going to lie I firstly thought "why?" Then I thought "wouldn't it have been better to do Smudger first since the only thing they would need is the face and even then I'm sure people would probably use the ertl Bertrum's face as some modelers have done so on here when making their custom Smudger models.

Ertl Bertrum shown here as a reference

(https://i.gyazo.com/d2025d24457aa0db53c7bfd50e52e49a.jpg)

As for do I think Smudger would have been a better announcement then Yellow Rheneas. Honestly yes I do think that. As Terence said Yellow Rheneas was on screen for 20 seconds in his Yellow paint scheme with two characters that currently aren't available and that yellow paint was never seen since or referenced. Yes theres merchandise of yellow Rheneas but I'm always of the opinion that unless there's a major story too that particular colour scheme then for me personally I'm not interested. Red Rosie, LBSC Thomas and Origin James are all examples of for me Recolours I plan to buy. However Busy bee James and Yellow Rheneas aren't. Same would be said if Bachmann did Blue Bill and Ben or Pink James or any of the Percy suggestions. They just aren't for me however I'm going wildly off topic here. Yes I do feel Smudger would have been better then Yellow Rheneas.

Lastly yeah I do feel that if Smudger was announced in the Summer or in the next batch of announcements whenever they maybe he will be very well recived. Also I'd love to point out a couple of pro to having Smudger in the line. For one there is no money spent on new tooling as I say you just need the face. Secondly when and if Bachmann make Duke then they have another character at their finger tips in Bertrum. Smudger's face and Duke's body = Bertrum. So thats another win for Bachmann. Lastly I found these images on Deviant Art of two mock ups someone made of both Smudger and Yellow Rheneas.
(https://i.gyazo.com/bc407dd1ae4dcda102349d6e259aefb1.jpg)
(https://i.gyazo.com/f378038ddc58e37fa98cf34f7107e94b.jpg)
That is literally how easy it would be to make Smudger

I would most definitely purchase a model of Smudger. I do believe Smudger would have received better results then a Yellow Rheneas and if Bachmann decided to release Smudger in the summer, I firmly believe that he'd still be met with great feedback and sell really well. Of course, these are just my personal thoughts.

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.

Nobody asked for Yellow Rheneas, so Smudger would be a much better choice for a recolor in HOn30 Scale. He has nostalgia value. They'd have to not only change the paint scheme, but the face as well for Smudger. If Bachmann ever does make Duke someday, they can simply reuse Smudger's face to make Bertram. When Bachmann does make Sir Handel (hopefully soon), they can use his tooling to make Proteus. Smudger, Bertram, and Proteus were all recolors that only appeared briefly, but so was Yellow Rheneas.

Another NMRA hope I have is Sidney for HO Scale. He's a character I've been wanting for some time now. I'd be shocked if Sidney gets announced in Large Scale before HO Scale. If Sidney does end up getting announced in Large Scale first, popular demand will get him made in HO Scale as well, just like the Spiteful Brake Van.

I know it's a bit late, but other ideas for recolors in Large Scale include LBSC Thomas and Origin James. I would suggest them for N Scale, but the N Scale range is currently in its infancy, and engine recolors wouldn't be best there for the time being.

For N Scale rolling stock, I'm shocked they still didn't announce the Milk Tanker.

In response to Terence's questions, I would definitely buy Smudger over Yellow Rhenaes any day, and definitely think that he would've been a better pick between the two. As for whether it'll make up for it, I don't know.

I highly doubt Yellow Rhenaes will sell well, considering he's a more expensive narrow gauge engine, and his appearance wasn't as iconic as the Thomas, James, or Rosie recolors. Honestly, this may seem a little harsh, but I think Bachmann would just be better off canceling Yellow Rhenaes altogether. Cancelations haven't happened much, but honestly given the feedback, I think it would be for the best. I just don't know how feasible that would be.

Going back to smudger, he would be very nice to see. Would be a very simple recolor besides the face.

I think what disappoints fans the most about yellow Rheneas was the timing of when it got announced, especially when HO was able to pull off Ryan while still working on Daisy and vice-versa for N scale Toby while N scale James is still in production.  Especially when the demand for Sir Handel was very evident.  However, Doug made it clear in the video that Peter Sam will be taking some extra time, which is likely why they went with a recolor like Yellow Rheneas over a new engine tooling like Sir Handel.  If for some reason they still aren't able to do a new tooling, Smudger would really be the only recolor option they would have left (unless if they wanted to make Stuart out of Peter Sam and just incorporate a new funnel and nameplate for the model, but I won't get my hopes high on that one)

But to answer the initial questions, yes I would buy Smudger and I agree he would be a lot more of a welcome addition than Yellow Rheneas.  But to answer the third question, I think Smudger would be a solid backup option for the summer announcements if and -only- if they aren't able to pull off Sir Handel.  While I don't know if it would make up for the mixed reception of Yellow Rheneas, it would be an all around better choice, and that's what made people happy about the Origin James announcement last summer after the previous disappointment of the Busy Bee James.

Im really not sure where Bachmann get's there ideas from when releasing Characters and Rolling Stock Its Bad Enough That The Models Are Made Based On Their CGI Appearances But Now I Believe Bachmann Is Just Being Lazy. Anyone Who Knows T&F Knows If You Think About Repainting Rheneas The First Thing That Comes To Mind Is Smudger Even I Had No Idea Rheneas Even Had A Yellow Repaint. I Felt Smudger Was Awesome In His Series 4 Appearance In Under 60secs Smudger Stole That Episode He Had Character He Was Different Its Hard To Make A Character In Any Show Stand Out In Such A Short On Screen Appearance But Smudger Did Just That. His Model Would Easily Sell Out If Bachmann Released Smudger Instead Of Yellow Rheneas Which I Will Never Buy Ever ! . . Its Not 5 Or 6 Year Old Kids Buying Your "US$100" Models Bachmann Its People Who Have Been T&F Years Before CGI & I Think Its Time Bachmann Pays More Attention To What The Fans Want . . Bring On Smudger If You Want To Do A Proper Rheneas Recolor

I think Mattel pushes Bachmann to make mostly CGI-based models. Though, we have been getting model series rolling stock like the Spiteful Brake Van, and the upcoming Museum Coaches. We also ended up getting Busy Bee James, which is an engine recolor based on the model series, so there's NO EXCUSE not to make Smudger using the Rheneas tooling. To make Smudger, Bachmann just needs to change the face and paint scheme on Rheneas.

Seriously, nobody asked for Yellow Rheneas, just like how nobody asked for Busy Bee James.

My hope for NMRA would be it would be enough time for Peter Sam to be in the stage where a new engine could be announced like they did with Ryan for HO. Preferably Sir Handel. I feel like five months should be enough. Although if it isn't I would settle for Smudger.


For the standard gauge line I'd expect only recolors just because of Ryan.


Sidney and the explosives van would be really cool. Maybe some of the large scale tankers in ho also.

If they wanted to keep the theme of obscure hit rolling stock going..I think Gordon's special coaches might be a possible option of a simple repaint of either Gordon's coaches or Spencer's coach

If another HO Scale engine does get announced this NMRA, there's a very good chance it will be another recolor. If that's the case, then it's about time Bachmann finally makes Sidney, once and for all. He will complete the Class 08 series of characters in the HO Scale range. Sidney has been requested for years now, especially since his tooling already exists. I do like the look of Green Salty, but for now, the #1 priority for an engine recolor in HO Scale is Sidney.

For rolling stock, why can't Bachmann just bring the Explosives Van, Chocolate Syrup and Toffee Tankers to HO Scale already? They've been requested for years, and Bachmann hasn't given them to us. I am looking forward to the Museum Coaches, and Gordon's Special Coaches would also be a great idea. Personally, I'd like to see the Orange Coaches.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/1/13/Edward%27sExploit32.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1000?cb=20180816201350

And while they're at it, they can make an Orange Brake Coach. It would be the reverse of the Museum Coaches, where only the brake coach was used, but we're getting a regular coach as well.

By the time we see Peter Sam, we can hope Sir Handel can get announced this NMRA, but if a new tooling isn't possible for the time being, then they can make Smudger for HOn30 Scale.

Last year, we only got one announcement at the NMRA, which was Origin James. Many of us, including myself, were upset about there being only one announcement.

TrainFan97, sometimes one is just better than nothing whatsoever.

Quote from: JLK2707 on February 02, 2021, 02:39:33 AM
TrainFan97, sometimes one is just better than nothing whatsoever.

I guess you're right. I do remember some people flipping out last summer. Origin James was something that should've been announced earlier in the year. Even if the only announcement this summer is Sidney or Smudger, it's still better than nothing.

Thanks for the responses guys. It's great to see that everyone supports a Bachmann Smudger, so here's hoping that he can become a reality for this summer, as a nice recolor. It would make up for the disappointment that was Yellow Rheneas, and to an extent, Ryan over Stepney.

As for an HO Sidney, even as a CGI character, I would support him getting announced soon because the model would utilize the same tooling as Diesel and Paxton. However, I see him more as a possibility for next February, especially with Daisy and now Ryan in play.

I would 100% buy a Bachmann Smudger. I personally don't care to much for the CGI series, so anything relating to the classic seasons is more likely to peak my interest, but I don't see Yellow Rheneas being too popular with anyone, regardless if you like the CGI series or not. Smudger would be a new character to the range, even if he is just a Rheneas repaint.I believe that alone gives him more appeal, and would make more people consider buying him.

Here are the next engine priorities:

HO Scale
#1 priority for recolor: Sidney
#1 priority for new tooling: Stepney

HOn30 Scale (Narrow Gauge)
#1 priority for recolor: Smudger
#1 priority for new tooling: Sir Handel

For HO Scale, Stepney definitely has to be the next newly-tooled engine after Ryan. Some were upset that Ryan was chosen over Stepney, but at least it made sense that Ryan was announced after Daisy because of the fact that they both share a branch line. At least the Bachmann team is actually considering looking into making Stepney. They're fully aware of his demand, as he is one of the all-time most-requested engines for HO Scale. Once he's finally announced, Stepney will be the first engine based on the model series since Duck.

Ryan will be the largest steam engine in the HO Scale range in quite some time, while Daisy is going to be the first larger diesel who isn't a shunter. These two are no small engines, and they're both on the horizon.

EDIT:
Regarding N Scale, I have a feeling that the 5th engine will be Emily. If they're still not ready to make Gordon or Henry yet, good possibilities would be Emily, Edward, or Diesel. Because the N Scale range is in its infancy, they may not be ready to make an engine with a tooling as versatile as Diesel's just yet. With Toby on the horizon, we're already going to have half the original Steam Team in N Scale, and I think Emily will most likely be next.

For N Scale rolling stock, I'm shocked they still haven't announced the Milk Tanker. I hope they eventually do make Henrietta to go with Toby. If Emily is indeed the 5th engine in the range, they need to make her coaches as well. The Red Coaches will also be great for N Scale rolling stock.

For Large Scale engines, the next possible new tooling can be Edward, Mavis, Duck, Oliver, or Bill and Ben. Recolor suggestions include 'Arry and Bert (with better faces), LBSC Thomas, and Origin James. The best idea for Large Scale rolling stock would be the Red Coaches. Henrietta may be too complicated for this size.

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.

Edward - Mattel practically deleted him and would never approve
Gordon - Far too big
Henry - Same reasons as Edward and Gordon
Duck - Would sell well, but may be too long
Donald and Douglas - same as Duck, but if they made Duck they could reuse his chassis for these guys
Oliver - He is short enough to be considered IMO, but you can't just make Oliver without Duck
Bill and Ben - Very likely. Small, fan favorites and you can't have one without the other
Spencer - Same as Gordon
Rosie - I would expect her in the next year or two, but I'm not sure if they would do her normal paint job or red one
Ryan - Same as Duck
Salty - Is discontinued in HO, so Bachmann isn't likely to make him
Arry and Bert - Same as Salty
Mavis - Easy to make, using the same chassis as Toby, but I have this feeling that her HO model will be discontinued soon and they likely wouldn't make her without her HO version being available
Daisy - Same as Gordon

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

Other then Edward for the LS range

Maybe Stephen could work considering that the LS market is a bit quirky. Not only would he work as a Thomas character but he could also serve as a very easy  kitbash for the real Stephenson's Rocket. It's one of the most popular locomotives to model.

Edward would be a great choice for Large Scale, but the only problem is that he (along with Henry) was disrespected terribly by Mattel, especially during the infamous Big World Big Adventures era.

I think the most likely choice for a new tooling in Large Scale is Bill and Ben. They're two small engines using the same tooling, and you can't have one without the other. Bill and Ben would be very popular in Large Scale. Rosie is also a good choice. The only issue with Mavis is her relevance. The only issue with Duck would be his rather long chassis. Bachmann should definitely look into making Large Scale Bill and Ben.

Bill & Ben do feel fairly likely to come next, the more I think of it. They're ripe for Large Scale treatments in the senses that their sizes conform to manufacturing eligibility and the range coincidentally offers more then enough wagons/trucks for them to pull. The recent welcoming reception of Diesel and Paxton should be an incentive to announce two engines simultaneously with a new tooling again. With that said, Bill & Ben would be the wisest choice of an engine duo to introduce next - they're just the right size and they would likely be successful in Large Scale since they were already very successful in HO Scale. I know I'd certainly be open to buying them if they were announced.

This is a small suggestion, but if they end up announced and made, I would hope that their wheels are colored black like their Classic Series and HO Scale models are, instead of red like they are in the GCI series. I personally always found that to be a bit of a weird and distracting design choice. If Diesel's silver side-rods are anything to go by, future Large Scale engines based on Classic Series characters should have their aesthetics maintained from original counterparts (besides the additions of CGI faces).

As much as I have wanted Mavis for a handful of reasons and over a long period of time, I've grown increasingly uncertain about the possibility of her for the fact that she just isn't a relevant character anymore. It doesn't help that it's been about eight years since she last had any merchandise in any capacity. If by any chance she is announced at some point in the future, it would be a pleasant surprise and I'd definitely be interested, but for now, the considerable barrier of relevance makes it hard to see her being announced for a long time.

The same can be said for Edward, though one can argue how much worse he's had it long-term despite his recent mistreatment. Edward was still getting merchandise after Mattel's takeover begun and he was appearing in the show much more often than Mavis. Mattel's hardcore attitude about Edward today, however, is still something worth thinking about while mentioning the idea of him and I do feel like it's also a barrier that may unfortunately prevent him from being announced in the future as well.

Right now, however, Bill & Ben make for a safe option to anticipate for a brand-new Large Scale tooling. If a recolor were to come next, I would hope for LBSC Thomas to be chosen.

So as usual, I have plans to carry out my thoughts on what Bachmann should introduce with full-on in-depth posts and I wanted to start with narrow gauge first before moving on to the other ranges.  Best way to start this off is by talking about the top narrow gauge engine request, Sir Handel.

(https://i.gyazo.com/23b276406b79fdff6e42072764bd09fc.png)
So, why should Bachmann introduce Sir Handel as the next narrow gauge engine?  Well to make the first point simple it comes right down to his design.  Out of all the narrow gauge engines that are in CGI that Bachmann hasn't announced yet, Sir Handel has the best design, proportion and detail wise.  In addition, he offers a nice dark blue color contrast compared to the rest of the other engines in the range, in addition to filling the infamous gap between the first 5 narrow gauge engines (being #3).

(https://i.gyazo.com/4277a5058b634404e9bdeecc640657fa.png)
In addition to that, Sir Handel is also a safe character for Bachmann to make since recolored engines for narrow gauge are not out of the question based on Yellow Rheneas' announcement.  The best choice out there would be "Falcon" which would only be Sir Handel with a different nameplate.  They wouldn't even need to change the face either.  It would not only take less effort than Yellow Rheneas since the paintwork wouldn't need to be updated.  But odds are, more people would buy that than Yellow Rheneas, thus making Sir Handel's inclusion all the more welcome if Bachmann wants to make characters they can reuse toolings for.

(https://i.gyazo.com/a213965a3f8ffc94ca5111f58a5f4c24.png)
Finally (and this really is more speculative), if there really is a "mandate" from Mattel that companies like Bachmann can't invest in new toolings of characters that aren't from the CGI era (which I can sort of see that also being a reason why Bachmann picked Ryan over Stepney (hopefully we can still see Stepney happen regardless)) then I would argue that Sir Handel should be the top priority for the next new engine tooling Bachmann should consider above all their other ranges.  Especially when their HO and N scale ranges both have two new engine toolings we are waiting on.  And while a lot of people are on the fence with Duncan and there's no real interest in any of the newer CGI styled narrow gauge engines, I think it goes without saying that Sir Handel really would be their safest and most well-received option for their next new engine tooling.  

(https://i.gyazo.com/7d693eb247ba89b728ba346877473600.png)
Overall though I think it's suffice to say that once Bachmann is able to pull off a new narrow gauge engine, regardless if it's a new tooling or a recolor, no narrow gauge engine deserves the honor of being announced/made next than Sir Handel.  The demand and following for him is definitely there, and he easily one of the few remaining narrow gauge engines that has a wide all-around appeal.  If he's announced either at the NMRA, or even 2022, I think that it would make up the disappointment/lackluster response from Yellow Rheneas.

(https://i.gyazo.com/adc5d74f89d95887c20089b9a15796f8.png)
So now that I'm talking about Sir Handel, I wanted to talk about the next rolling stock suggestion for narrow gauge, a new open wagon.  

(https://shop.bachmanntrains.com/images/HO_Scale/77201.jpg)
While Peco rolling stock recolors may have been a good idea at the time (minus the stupidly high prices), it's fair to say that after seeing how Bachmann's introducing new box vans while replacing the Peco ones respectively that Bachmann does the same with their open wagon.  

(https://i.gyazo.com/6471f42a8abd1a28af8d0ee25ee51c17.png)
Clearly using new toolings would not only be a lot cheaper but these will sell a lot better long term, similar to that of the slate wagons and the coaches.  Especially with all the different recolor possibilities they could come up with.

(https://i.gyazo.com/5be8fdf76ee0fdd1351346eb2e854ea0.png)
The great thing about introducing these wagons is they can either be released with or without a load or be a great possibility for future recolors once a new tooling is invested in these.  Either way, combine this with the cheaper production and cost it would take to make these, I feel like this is almost a shoe-in to be added next in the narrow gauge range.


Anyway, what are everyone's thoughts on these suggestions?  Would you buy Sir Handel and also agree that no other narrow gauge engine should take priority over him?  Would you be interested in buying the new open wagons as well?

Let me know your thoughts and I'll talk about HO and N scale in future posts.

Your input on Sir Handel was very well-put and summarized perfectly why he should be next in the Narrow Gauge line. I, too, wholeheartedly believe he should be next above all else and I would 100% buy him if he were announced and produced. Can't account for much about the newer open wagons, but depending on how the box van refreshes go, I might see myself wanting the wagons too.

These in-depth posts are honestly really good and I'm curious on what you think of possibilities for other lines.

As far as new toolings are concerned, I am confident that Sir Handel will be Bachmann's next narrow gauge engine, and would certainly purchase one for my collection. I also agree that Sir Handel should be Bachmann's first priority as the next narrow gauge engine. However, if new toolings cannot happen right away, I hope that Smudger could be the second resort to still make up for Yellow Rheneas' announcement.

As far as the narrow gauge open wagons are concerned, I would certainly purchase them, but only if they are based on ones that appeared in the model era of the show and come in colors such as black and brown. Gimmicky Blue Mountain Quarry CGI ones that are red or green would not interest me, on the other hand. Hence, as shown in Chaz's post, these would be ideal:

(https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/e/e8/DuncanAndTheOldMine72.png/revision/latest?cb=20170362219462)

I totally agree about Sir Handel. It makes so much sense, considering he is Number 3 on the Skarloey Railway (with Skarloey, Rheneas, and Rusty being released already, and with Peter Sam on the way).

Here's my predictions for the NMRA:

HO Scale:
Sidney
Gordon's Special Coach
Ventilated Van - Explosives
Chocolate Syrup Tanker
Toffee Tanker

Narrow Gauge:
Smudger
Open Wagon
Brake Van - Brown

N Scale:
Henrietta
Tidmouth Milk Tanker
Open Wagon - Red
Coal Wagon with Load

Large Scale:
Bill
Ben
Red Coach
Red Brake Coach

We may or may not get a full lineup, or only one announcement like last year (Origin James), but these are definitely items Bachmann must consider. Didn't list Stepney or Sir Handel because we already have some new toolings on the horizon for their respective ranges, and they'll both most likely be saved for 2022.

Quote from: Chaz on February 06, 2021, 12:29:51 AM
So as usual, I have plans to carry out my thoughts on what Bachmann should introduce with full-on in-depth posts and I wanted to start with narrow gauge first before moving on to the other ranges.  Best way to start this off is by talking about the top narrow gauge engine request, Sir Handel.

(https://i.gyazo.com/23b276406b79fdff6e42072764bd09fc.png)
So, why should Bachmann introduce Sir Handel as the next narrow gauge engine?  Well to make the first point simple it comes right down to his design.  Out of all the narrow gauge engines that are in CGI that Bachmann hasn't announced yet, Sir Handel has the best design, proportion and detail wise.  In addition, he offers a nice dark blue color contrast compared to the rest of the other engines in the range, in addition to filling the infamous gap between the first 5 narrow gauge engines (being #3).

(https://i.gyazo.com/4277a5058b634404e9bdeecc640657fa.png)
In addition to that, Sir Handel is also a safe character for Bachmann to make since recolored engines for narrow gauge are not out of the question based on Yellow Rheneas' announcement.  The best choice out there would be "Falcon" which would only be Sir Handel with a different nameplate.  They wouldn't even need to change the face either.  It would not only take less effort than Yellow Rheneas since the paintwork wouldn't need to be updated.  But odds are, more people would buy that than Yellow Rheneas, thus making Sir Handel's inclusion all the more welcome if Bachmann wants to make characters they can reuse toolings for.

(https://i.gyazo.com/a213965a3f8ffc94ca5111f58a5f4c24.png)
Finally (and this really is more speculative), if there really is a "mandate" from Mattel that companies like Bachmann can't invest in new toolings of characters that aren't from the CGI era (which I can sort of see that also being a reason why Bachmann picked Ryan over Stepney (hopefully we can still see Stepney happen regardless)) then I would argue that Sir Handel should be the top priority for the next new engine tooling Bachmann should consider above all their other ranges.  Especially when their HO and N scale ranges both have two new engine toolings we are waiting on.  And while a lot of people are on the fence with Duncan and there's no real interest in any of the newer CGI styled narrow gauge engines, I think it goes without saying that Sir Handel really would be their safest and most well-received option for their next new engine tooling.  

(https://i.gyazo.com/7d693eb247ba89b728ba346877473600.png)
Overall though I think it's suffice to say that once Bachmann is able to pull off a new narrow gauge engine, regardless if it's a new tooling or a recolor, no narrow gauge engine deserves the honor of being announced/made next than Sir Handel.  The demand and following for him is definitely there, and he easily one of the few remaining narrow gauge engines that has a wide all-around appeal.  If he's announced either at the NMRA, or even 2022, I think that it would make up the disappointment/lackluster response from Yellow Rheneas.

(https://i.gyazo.com/adc5d74f89d95887c20089b9a15796f8.png)
So now that I'm talking about Sir Handel, I wanted to talk about the next rolling stock suggestion for narrow gauge, a new open wagon.  

(https://shop.bachmanntrains.com/images/HO_Scale/77201.jpg)
While Peco rolling stock recolors may have been a good idea at the time (minus the stupidly high prices), it's fair to say that after seeing how Bachmann's introducing new box vans while replacing the Peco ones respectively that Bachmann does the same with their open wagon.  

(https://i.gyazo.com/6471f42a8abd1a28af8d0ee25ee51c17.png)
Clearly using new toolings would not only be a lot cheaper but these will sell a lot better long term, similar to that of the slate wagons and the coaches.  Especially with all the different recolor possibilities they could come up with.

(https://i.gyazo.com/5be8fdf76ee0fdd1351346eb2e854ea0.png)
The great thing about introducing these wagons is they can either be released with or without a load or be a great possibility for future recolors once a new tooling is invested in these.  Either way, combine this with the cheaper production and cost it would take to make these, I feel like this is almost a shoe-in to be added next in the narrow gauge range.


Anyway, what are everyone's thoughts on these suggestions?  Would you buy Sir Handel and also agree that no other narrow gauge engine should take priority over him?  Would you be interested in buying the new open wagons as well?

Let me know your thoughts and I'll talk about HO and N scale in future posts.

Indeed, and seriously guys, do you ACTUALLY expect them to make Smudger? Cause there's a long long list of reasons why they won't.

I definitely agree that Sir Handel is the best choice for the next Narrow Gauge announcement.  Like Chaz already mentioned, he offers contrast to what we have in the range already and fills the number gap between Rheneas and Peter Sam.  I can also say I'm for the idea of Bachmann reusing the model to make Falcon, as it does seem like this would be a great piece of nostalgia for those who want to model their layouts after the Mid Sodor Railway.  I do wonder if Bachmann would consider this though as a nameplate change seems very minor, but at the same time it's so simple to do.  Regardless, I think Sir Handel should definitely take priority for the NMRA or 2022 announcements.  Same for the wagons as well.

Now I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes by saying this, but I do think we need to take a few steps back on the whole Smudger topic.  Considering people were literally on this the day of announcements, I think it just shows ignorance.  Yes yellow Rheneas wasn't something anyone asked for, but it makes sense why he was announced over a new engine like Sir Handel or even a recolor like Smudger.  What people don't seem to understand is that significance also plays a factor into a character getting announced.  Stepney is another example people have been knocking down the door to see get a model in HO, but he honestly doesn't have any significance because he is not a character from the CGI era.  If it's true that Mattel doesn't want Bachmann investing into characters that aren't CGI based, then it's pretty clear Stepney isn't going to happen.

Smudger on the other hand has even less significance than Stepney.  He only had a small appearance back in Season 4, and because of that his character is very much forgettable.  He hasn't even received any merchandise in the last 10 years, so clearly Mattel doesn't see him as a marketable character either.  I understand people think he has a chance from Bachmann just because his tooling is already there with Rheneas, but this same argument can be made with characters like Splatter and Dodge.  Bachmann has the tooling there from Diesel, but those characters are not going to happen because they hold no significance today.  The same thing applies to Smudger being made from Rheneas.  Bachmann still has to make a new face tooling, which they would already be doing for something like Sir Handel anyway...

Again, I don't want to sound like I'm putting down those who are asking for Smudger, but if someone wants to get upset with me for being realistic, then so be it.  There certainly seemed like far more demand for Sir Handel back in 2020, and Smudger was hardly mentioned.  Now we suddenly have people who would rather step back and see another minor recolor get announced, rather than a new tooling/character.  These sort of discussions aren't necessarily a bad thing, but when people constantly want to discuss items that clearly don't have a chance of being made rather than something that would actually be considered, that's how we end up with announcements that no one wants...

-Rusty

Quote from: Plow_Bender on February 07, 2021, 08:52:29 PM
There certainly seemed like far more demand for Sir Handel back in 2020, and Smudger was hardly mentioned.  Now we suddenly have people who would rather step back and see another minor recolor get announced, rather than a new tooling/character.  These sort of discussions aren't necessarily a bad thing, but when people constantly want to discuss items that clearly don't have a chance of being made rather than something that would actually be considered, that's how we end up with announcements that no one wants...

THANK YOU!

Sir Handel rightfully deserves priority over Smudger regardless of the latter being a recolor, Sir Handel will be the better seller and more people would be excited for him
than Smudger in a landslide.  So prioritizing Smudger over Sir Handel is honestly kinda silly.  It's no different than prioritizing Splatter and Dodge over Stepney.

I was not prioritizing Smudger over Sir Handel, but I guess asking for Smudger is like asking for Splatter and Dodge. I'll have to update my list of predictions then.

HO Scale:
Sidney
Gordon's Special Coach
Ventilated Van - Explosives
Chocolate Syrup Tanker
Toffee Tanker

Narrow Gauge:
Sir Handel
Open Wagon
Brake Van - Brown

N Scale:
Henrietta
Tidmouth Milk Tanker
Open Wagon - Red
Coal Wagon with Load

Large Scale:
Bill
Ben
Red Coach
Red Brake Coach

People are still pushing for Stepney in HO Scale, and Bachmann has acknowledged his demand, but what if he never DOES get made? We should have something to fall back on, like other likeable CGI characters. Examples include Hiro, and Porter. We need a backup in case Stepney can't happen. Otherwise, we'd get products nobody asked for, like Busy Bee James, and Yellow Rheneas.

If Bachmann can reintroduce Salty to HO Scale, they should make Porter, so we can have the Brendam Docks duo.

Quote from: Plow_Bender on February 07, 2021, 08:52:29 PM
I definitely agree that Sir Handel is the best choice for the next Narrow Gauge announcement.  Like Chaz already mentioned, he offers contrast to what we have in the range already and fills the number gap between Rheneas and Peter Sam.  I can also say I'm for the idea of Bachmann reusing the model to make Falcon, as it does seem like this would be a great piece of nostalgia for those who want to model their layouts after the Mid Sodor Railway.  I do wonder if Bachmann would consider this though as a nameplate change seems very minor, but at the same time it's so simple to do.  Regardless, I think Sir Handel should definitely take priority for the NMRA or 2022 announcements.  Same for the wagons as well.

Now I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes by saying this, but I do think we need to take a few steps back on the whole Smudger topic.  Considering people were literally on this the day of announcements, I think it just shows ignorance.  Yes yellow Rheneas wasn't something anyone asked for, but it makes sense why he was announced over a new engine like Sir Handel or even a recolor like Smudger.  What people don't seem to understand is that significance also plays a factor into a character getting announced.  Stepney is another example people have been knocking down the door to see get a model in HO, but he honestly doesn't have any significance because he is not a character from the CGI era.  If it's true that Mattel doesn't want Bachmann investing into characters that aren't CGI based, then it's pretty clear Stepney isn't going to happen.

Smudger on the other hand has even less significance than Stepney.  He only had a small appearance back in Season 4, and because of that his character is very much forgettable.  He hasn't even received any merchandise in the last 10 years, so clearly Mattel doesn't see him as a marketable character either.  I understand people think he has a chance from Bachmann just because his tooling is already there with Rheneas, but this same argument can be made with characters like Splatter and Dodge.  Bachmann has the tooling there from Diesel, but those characters are not going to happen because they hold no significance today.  The same thing applies to Smudger being made from Rheneas.  Bachmann still has to make a new face tooling, which they would already be doing for something like Sir Handel anyway...

Again, I don't want to sound like I'm putting down those who are asking for Smudger, but if someone wants to get upset with me for being realistic, then so be it.  There certainly seemed like far more demand for Sir Handel back in 2020, and Smudger was hardly mentioned.  Now we suddenly have people who would rather step back and see another minor recolor get announced, rather than a new tooling/character.  These sort of discussions aren't necessarily a bad thing, but when people constantly want to discuss items that clearly don't have a chance of being made rather than something that would actually be considered, that's how we end up with announcements that no one wants...

-Rusty

Yellow Rheneas has no relevance whatsoever. Even Mattel doesn't give a crap about Yellow Rheneas.

People are saying that since Bachmann is making a recolor, they should've went with Smudger, which now makes him more desirable since recolors are now happening. And everyone is still saying they want Sir Handel. Both are being suggested to cover all the bases. It's right there in front of everyone's faces that people are saying "If were getting a recolor, it should be Smudger. If we're getting a new tooling, it should be Sir Handel".

I never saw proof that Mattel are forcing Bachmann to only do characters that appeared in CGI. And why would Mattel have approved of The Spiteful Brakevan or, to a lesser extent, Toby's Museum Coaches, in that case? They may be repaints of rolling stock, one with a newly tooled face, but Mattel didn't create those. And it's very clear at this point that Mattel flat out hates anything and everything they didn't make. It wouldn't surprise me if they make Bachmann do that, but I never saw proof of this claim.

It's ludicrous and absurd to say that making a character people would have wanted anyway is less realistic than making a recolor of an existing character no one wanted.

None of this makes any sense, it just seems more like excuses made from misunderstanding what people are saying.

Quote from: TrainFan97 on February 07, 2021, 09:30:08 PMPeople are still pushing for Stepney in HO Scale, and Bachmann has acknowledged his demand, but what if he never DOES get made?

Also, this. If Bachmann knows Mattel won't let them make anything that didn't appear in CGI, then why look into him, or even get our hopes up by saying they're looking into him? I think that rule is a lie.

Quote from: Plow_Bender on February 07, 2021, 08:52:29 PM
I definitely agree that Sir Handel is the best choice for the next Narrow Gauge announcement.  Like Chaz already mentioned, he offers contrast to what we have in the range already and fills the number gap between Rheneas and Peter Sam.  I can also say I'm for the idea of Bachmann reusing the model to make Falcon, as it does seem like this would be a great piece of nostalgia for those who want to model their layouts after the Mid Sodor Railway.  I do wonder if Bachmann would consider this though as a nameplate change seems very minor, but at the same time it's so simple to do.  Regardless, I think Sir Handel should definitely take priority for the NMRA or 2022 announcements.  Same for the wagons as well.

Now I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes by saying this, but I do think we need to take a few steps back on the whole Smudger topic.  Considering people were literally on this the day of announcements, I think it just shows ignorance.  Yes yellow Rheneas wasn't something anyone asked for, but it makes sense why he was announced over a new engine like Sir Handel or even a recolor like Smudger.  What people don't seem to understand is that significance also plays a factor into a character getting announced.  Stepney is another example people have been knocking down the door to see get a model in HO, but he honestly doesn't have any significance because he is not a character from the CGI era.  If it's true that Mattel doesn't want Bachmann investing into characters that aren't CGI based, then it's pretty clear Stepney isn't going to happen.

Smudger on the other hand has even less significance than Stepney.  He only had a small appearance back in Season 4, and because of that his character is very much forgettable.  He hasn't even received any merchandise in the last 10 years, so clearly Mattel doesn't see him as a marketable character either.  I understand people think he has a chance from Bachmann just because his tooling is already there with Rheneas, but this same argument can be made with characters like Splatter and Dodge.  Bachmann has the tooling there from Diesel, but those characters are not going to happen because they hold no significance today.  The same thing applies to Smudger being made from Rheneas.  Bachmann still has to make a new face tooling, which they would already be doing for something like Sir Handel anyway...

Again, I don't want to sound like I'm putting down those who are asking for Smudger, but if someone wants to get upset with me for being realistic, then so be it.  There certainly seemed like far more demand for Sir Handel back in 2020, and Smudger was hardly mentioned.  Now we suddenly have people who would rather step back and see another minor recolor get announced, rather than a new tooling/character.  These sort of discussions aren't necessarily a bad thing, but when people constantly want to discuss items that clearly don't have a chance of being made rather than something that would actually be considered, that's how we end up with announcements that no one wants...

-Rusty

OH MY CHRIST, FINALLY. Someone else who gets it.

Quote from: Rodimus Supreme on February 07, 2021, 10:44:00 PM

Quote from: Plow_Bender on February 07, 2021, 08:52:29 PM
I definitely agree that Sir Handel is the best choice for the next Narrow Gauge announcement.  Like Chaz already mentioned, he offers contrast to what we have in the range already and fills the number gap between Rheneas and Peter Sam.  I can also say I'm for the idea of Bachmann reusing the model to make Falcon, as it does seem like this would be a great piece of nostalgia for those who want to model their layouts after the Mid Sodor Railway.  I do wonder if Bachmann would consider this though as a nameplate change seems very minor, but at the same time it's so simple to do.  Regardless, I think Sir Handel should definitely take priority for the NMRA or 2022 announcements.  Same for the wagons as well.

Now I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes by saying this, but I do think we need to take a few steps back on the whole Smudger topic.  Considering people were literally on this the day of announcements, I think it just shows ignorance.  Yes yellow Rheneas wasn't something anyone asked for, but it makes sense why he was announced over a new engine like Sir Handel or even a recolor like Smudger.  What people don't seem to understand is that significance also plays a factor into a character getting announced.  Stepney is another example people have been knocking down the door to see get a model in HO, but he honestly doesn't have any significance because he is not a character from the CGI era.  If it's true that Mattel doesn't want Bachmann investing into characters that aren't CGI based, then it's pretty clear Stepney isn't going to happen.

Smudger on the other hand has even less significance than Stepney.  He only had a small appearance back in Season 4, and because of that his character is very much forgettable.  He hasn't even received any merchandise in the last 10 years, so clearly Mattel doesn't see him as a marketable character either.  I understand people think he has a chance from Bachmann just because his tooling is already there with Rheneas, but this same argument can be made with characters like Splatter and Dodge.  Bachmann has the tooling there from Diesel, but those characters are not going to happen because they hold no significance today.  The same thing applies to Smudger being made from Rheneas.  Bachmann still has to make a new face tooling, which they would already be doing for something like Sir Handel anyway...

Again, I don't want to sound like I'm putting down those who are asking for Smudger, but if someone wants to get upset with me for being realistic, then so be it.  There certainly seemed like far more demand for Sir Handel back in 2020, and Smudger was hardly mentioned.  Now we suddenly have people who would rather step back and see another minor recolor get announced, rather than a new tooling/character.  These sort of discussions aren't necessarily a bad thing, but when people constantly want to discuss items that clearly don't have a chance of being made rather than something that would actually be considered, that's how we end up with announcements that no one wants...

-Rusty

Yellow Rheneas has no relevance whatsoever. Even Mattel doesn't give a crap about Yellow Rheneas.

People are saying that since Bachmann is making a recolor, they should've went with Smudger, which now makes him more desirable since recolors are now happening. And everyone is still saying they want Sir Handel. Both are being suggested to cover all the bases. It's right there in front of everyone's faces that people are saying "If were getting a recolor, it should be Smudger. If we're getting a new tooling, it should be Sir Handel".

I never saw proof that Mattel are forcing Bachmann to only do characters that appeared in CGI. And why would Mattel have approved of The Spiteful Brakevan or, to a lesser extent, Toby's Museum Coaches, in that case? They may be repaints of rolling stock, one with a newly tooled face, but Mattel didn't create those. And it's very clear at this point that Mattel flat out hates anything and everything they didn't make. It wouldn't surprise me if they make Bachmann do that, but I never saw proof of this claim.

It's ludicrous and absurd to say that making a character people would have wanted anyway is less realistic than making a recolor of an existing character no one wanted.

None of this makes any sense, it just seems more like excuses made from misunderstanding what people are saying.

Dude, you do know when it comes to rolling stock? Mattel REALLY don't care, it's why in the NG range the TR slate wagons Bachmann tooled for the range can and are sold in 3 packs under the UK branch's 009 range. Mattel only cares when it comes to engines, that's why things like the spiteful brakevan and the museum coaches get through and get made.

Quote from: Rodimus Supreme on February 07, 2021, 10:50:59 PM

Quote from: TrainFan97 on February 07, 2021, 09:30:08 PMPeople are still pushing for Stepney in HO Scale, and Bachmann has acknowledged his demand, but what if he never DOES get made?

Also, this. If Bachmann knows Mattel won't let them make anything that didn't appear in CGI, then why look into him, or even get our hopes up by saying they're looking into him? I think that rule is a lie.

Because A) It shows that they are listening to the community, even if it won't get made B) Shuts people up, at least a little bit and C) refer back to A and B, just because they say they'll pass it on to the development team, doesn't mean anything will come of it?! This isn't hard to understand

Quote from: Rodimus Supreme on February 07, 2021, 10:44:00 PM
Yellow Rheneas has no relevance whatsoever. Even Mattel doesn't give a crap about Yellow Rheneas.

People are saying that since Bachmann is making a recolor, they should've went with Smudger, which now makes him more desirable since recolors are now happening. And everyone is still saying they want Sir Handel. Both are being suggested to cover all the bases. It's right there in front of everyone's faces that people are saying "If were getting a recolor, it should be Smudger. If we're getting a new tooling, it should be Sir Handel".

I never saw proof that Mattel are forcing Bachmann to only do characters that appeared in CGI. And why would Mattel have approved of The Spiteful Brakevan or, to a lesser extent, Toby's Museum Coaches, in that case? They may be repaints of rolling stock, one with a newly tooled face, but Mattel didn't create those. And it's very clear at this point that Mattel flat out hates anything and everything they didn't make. It wouldn't surprise me if they make Bachmann do that, but I never saw proof of this claim.

It's ludicrous and absurd to say that making a character people would have wanted anyway is less realistic than making a recolor of an existing character no one wanted.

None of this makes any sense, it just seems more like excuses made from misunderstanding what people are saying.

Well that escalated quickly...  ::)

-Rusty

If Mattel only allows engines that appeared in the CGI series, regardless if they're recolors or not, why would they let Bachmann make Busy Bee James? Nobody asked for Busy Bee James, but that's an engine recolor that appeared in the model series, and yet we still got that, so the argument that Mattel doesn't approve of engines (at least recolors) that didn't appear in the CGI series holds no water.

Just because Bachmann acknowledged Stepney's demand doesn't guarantee he will be made, but if he never does, we need other ideas that are more likely.

HO Scale rolling stock ideas:

I thought of a Sodor China Clay wagon with the "SCC" logo on it. It can have a load, which would be like the coal load, except colored cream to look like china clay. This loaded open wagon would be great for Bill and Ben, or Timothy if he ever gets made.

I also thought of a ballast wagon, which would be an open wagon with a ballast load. Basically the coal load colored white to look like ballast.

Ideas for CGI characters:

If we really can't get Stepney, we should discuss more likeable CGI characters for the HO Scale range.

Porter - If Bachmann can reintroduce Salty, Porter would be a great addition. He would complete the Brendam Docks duo.

Timothy - A great choice for your clay pits layout. Timothy would be a great engine to go with Bill and Ben. He's a small engine with not too many details. Though, I don't see Marion happening because she's a gimmicky design.

Norman - This one's a tough choice. Unlike Timothy, Norman never had an episode dedicated to him, and he only spoke every three years. His design doesn't look too complicated, and he has an interesting red-orange livery. Once we get him and Sidney, we'll have the Day of the Diesels trio in HO Scale.

Den and Dart - Both of them would require completely different toolings. Den seems like a great choice, but the only issue with Dart is his notably small size, so he may need to be scaled up a little bit. What would you think of getting the Dieselworks duo?

Hiro - Arguably one of the most popular characters from the CGI series. Also amazingly popular with the Japanese audience. He can be the first tender engine since Donald and Douglas. The only issue would be his size and details, and he would be the largest engine in the HO Scale range, even more than Spencer.

Stanley - A minor character, but he does have a unique white livery. The only one on this list to have also appeared in the model series

Stafford - Also a minor character, but he would be the first electric engine in the range.

The CG show is being tossed aside for some 2D cartoon, so Mattel might as well not care what era Bachmann makes Thomas models from anymore

I sure frickin' hope so. The only main classic series characters we're missing in HO Scale are Stepney, BoCo, Duke, Arthur, Murdoch and Fergus, who all happen to be exclusive to this era as well. I likely wouldn't buy Fergus because I hate his character or Duke because I don't collect the SR ones, but I would jump on the three others ASAP.

Hello, this is my first post on the Bachmann Forums!

Given that Bachmann appears to value it's fans and customer support and suggestions, which I really appreciate given the current times, I wanted to get my opinions out there on some models I would like to see, and some that might work for other reasons. Some of these probably won't happen, but I at least want to put these suggestions out there for a chance.

Gordon's Special Composite and Brake Coaches-Made from the regular Express Coaches tooling WITH the corridor I have wanted to see these blue coaches in merchandise since 2006, despite how obscure they are. Given the recent announcement of the obscure Museum Coaches, this gives me hope that we could potentially see these some time in the future! These would be great recolors to make, however I would really hope that they are made from the tooling for both the Express Coach and Express Brake Coach as there were two coaches in the episode, as opposed to just using the tooling for Spencer's Special Coach, which do not have the corridors on the front and back. If these coaches were released in both Composite and Brake coaches, I would definitely begin buying Bachmann Express Coaches again!

Sidney Sidney would be easy to make given that he is a Class 08 Shunter with red side-rods, with both the body being the same as Diesel and Paxton, and the Side rods being the same as Paxton's side rods, all that would be needed would be a new face. An easy to make model.

Green and Yellow Old Coaches This would require a new coach tooling, but would definitely be worth it. Given that these coaches appeared in the early seasons of Thomas and Friends, they are popular cult favorites among the fanbase, with both many model railway repaints and virtual versions in Trainz Railway Simulator being used, this would be a great chance to cash in on a classic and sell-loved set of coaches. A great time to introduce them would be after a few years of recolored rolling stock, as it would introduce some fresh new tooling's.

Arthur This would also require a new tooling, but given that there is already a Bachmann LMS 2MT 2-6-2 tooling, this could be relatively easier to design. Not necessarily just repaint the tooling, but rather use the dimensions and design of the model to as a starting point to help create a new tooling. Despite not appearing as often as some other characters, Arthur is still a Model Series Season 7 cult favorite among fans, including EnterprisingEngine93, and is not overly big, but not overly small either, rendering him a good size to make.

Murdoch This one will probably won't happen anytime soon, but given the price and how rare Hornby Murdoch go for, there is indeed a big demand for Murdoch. It might take a lot for a new tooling of Murdoch's size, This would be a good chance to appeal to the many fans who were unable to get a Hornby Murdoch. Especially when prices go as high as:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OO-Hornby-Murdoch-Locomotive-and-Tender-DC-034-Thomas-the-Tank-Series-034-/324438204484?hash=item4b8a062044%3Ag%3A2xQAAOSwr6Bf7rg0&nma=true&si=Q9cIuTG5zcfjvXVuerzz0PLRbEQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

And:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Hornby-00-Thomas-And-Friends-Murdoch-Locomotive-Boxed-New/164691004035?epid=1605265390&hash=item2658594a83:g:KoMAAOSwey5gIAXQ

And even the price of fan-made replicas:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HORNBY-OO-GAUGE-MURDOCH-REPLICA-FOR-THOMAS-THE-TANK-LAYOUT-VGC-/224325220175?hash=item343ad3374f%3Ag%3AWv0AAOSwaQdfwn-k&nma=true&si=Q9cIuTG5zcfjvXVuerzz0PLRbEQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Sonny This one is probably not going to happen anytime soon either, but I would personally love to see it! Indeed, there are a few arguments for the model that could work. For one thing, Sonny appears to be popular in his own right, and given that not much high-quality merchandise of Sonny is being made, Bachmann could market Sonny based on the lack of said merchandise, given that some fans will want to get at least some merchandise of Sonny. In addition, I have been unable to find any models of the iconic Haydock Foundry Bellerophon, Bachmann could consider that modelers may want to repaint the Sonny model into a Bellerophon model. Indeed, Bachmann should also consider how well Thomas items may do as repaints, given the many repaints of Bachmann Engines and Rolling stock, particularly Skarloey and Rheneas into Tallylyn and Dolgoch I have heard of, and that Hornby now has the ability to sell their Thomas models in the UK.

Hannah Not really much here, but a suggestion if Bachmann needs a recolored item quickly. Just re-paint the Henrietta model yellow, no need for a face.

These are my suggestions and hopes for future Bachmann Thomas Models. I understand that some of these items seem unlikely, but I figured I would at least put the idea out there. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Bit of a delayed response, but a huge thank you to everyone else who responded positively to my Sir Handel post from earlier!  Here's hoping we can still see him produced at some point in the future.  

As far as future HO candidates for Bachmann to pick in HO from the CGI era go from Trainfan97's post, Sidney does seem to be the most obvious choice, especially with two new engine toolings in HO/OO in production.  But new tooling wise, it's a little hard to say on my end personally.  Hiro would be the one I could see happening if they were able to pull off a new tender engine tooling, but considering how much Ryan is going for it does have me worry what kind of price we would see for Hiro.  But unlike Ryan, I feel like Hiro has a much bigger following, both as a character and icon, so I feel he would be one of the few characters I could see a lot of people willing to spend the extra money on him.

Otherwise, your guess is as good as mine as far as any of other CG era characters go.

I'm hoping HO Scale Sidney could finally be announced this NMRA, since we currently have two new toolings in the works for this range. The best choice for another recolor is Sidney. Using Diesel's tooling, and the same red siderods as Paxton. He would have a painted border around his face like Paxton. It's a surprise that Sidney hasn't been announced already for HO Scale. After Grumpy Diesel's announcement, people were starting to get sick of the Class 08 diesel shunters, but now that it's been a good few years, we're finally ready for Sidney. The forgetful blue diesel is due at this point. Definitely one Bachmann must look into as their next engine recolor for the HO Scale range. Just change the face and paint scheme on Diesel's tooling.

Once Sidney finally gets made, we can have him pulling a Steamworks crate wagon, bringing Percy his new wheels, like in the episode "Sidney Sings".

In my last post, all the CGI character ideas I listed were new toolings.

As far as new toolings from here on out go for the main range, it's anyone's guess really. While personally, even as a RWS modeler, I wouldn't mind seeing Timothy or Norman, if only due to the former's potential with his outside framed design and the fact that Norman's basis is only available as a very rare brass kit. Hell, I wouldn't mind Stanley for similar purposes.
I can't see Hiro being made, the cost would likely be VERY high.

If we really can't get Stepney, then the next new tooling for HO Scale is anyone's guess.

I think the best choices would be Timothy and Norman, since there's nothing else like either of them on the market. I could definitely see Norman being popular among modellers to turn him into Dennis, or his basis. Like Diesel, Timothy also has outside frame siderods, but there's no model of his basis out there. Both Timothy and Norman would be very unique additions to not just the Thomas line, but the model train world itself. Two unique engines, and they're not gimmicky in terms of design. To add to that, there's almost no models of Norman's basis out there.

As popular as Hiro is, the cost for him could be astronomical, and he may never happen because of how expensive he would be to make and sell.

Both options mentioned by TrainFan are pretty good picks. Both have near-even appearance counts and both have pretty much no models of their basis on the market, so I can imagine either of them being fairly successful based on the latter alone.

If I personally had to pick one, it'd be Timothy mainly since he's generally had more merchandise appearances than Norman and he's been a more crucial character in his appearances. I've only seen Timothy in Tale of the Brave, but I did like him in it, so I'd be open to seeing an HO Scale model of him. I've hardly seen Norman in the modern Thomas media I've watched, so I'm not as sure about him.

My issue with Sidney is whether Bachmann is willing to take the time to perfect his face, primarily with how it's shaped - it's not a complete square/rectangle like Diesel and Paxton's are, and I'm not sure how difficult it would be for Bachmann to change the shape of it. I know for sure that fans outside the forum wouldn't want to buy Sidney if he had an inaccurately-shaped face.

I'll admit that Hiro is a bit of an ambitious suggestion. Taking his potential manufacturing and sales prices into consideration, I wouldn't anticipate him anytime soon.

So, Timothy or Norman would be ideal for the next new tooling in HO Scale in case Stepney can't happen. I feel Bachmann is going to save Porter for when they reintroduce Salty. Hiro would be too ambitious because of his size and cost.

Timothy could be more likely, since he's shown more personality than Norman, and he's had a few episodes dedicated to him. He would go great with Bill and Ben, especially if you have a Clay Pits set. He's a small engine with a simple design, but not too small. He would be the first oil burning steam engine in the Thomas line.

As for Norman, not only did he never have an episode dedicated to him, but he got very little merchandise. He could definitely use more merchandise. Like I said before, Norman would be very popular among modellers to turn him into Dennis, or his basis, as there are virtually no models of his basis out there. Not even Hornby or Bachmann UK made a model of Norman's basis, so he will be a very special addition to the HO Scale range. Diesel was popular among modellers. Norman would certainly be the same. People will buy Bachmann Norman models to turn him into Dennis, or his basis through modelling.

For the N Scale range, if Bachmann is still not ready to tackle the big engines like Gordon or Henry yet, another medium-sized engine is possible, like Edward or Emily. I feel Emily is most likely next. If Bachmann finally does announce N Scale Gordon and Henry (hopefully simultaneously), that will open up the possibility of another big engine; Spencer.

Bachmann please catalogue some HO/00 scale people from the Thomas series

Quote from: TrainFan97 on February 10, 2021, 03:01:44 PM
For the N Scale range, if Bachmann is still not ready to tackle the big engines like Gordon or Henry yet, another medium-sized engine is possible, like Edward or Emily. I feel Emily is most likely next. If Bachmann finally does announce N Scale Gordon and Henry (hopefully simultaneously), that will open up the possibility of another big engine; Spencer.

As much as I would like to see them tackle a fifth engine in N scale, I can see Bachmann taking a break from adding an engine next year and instead focus more on rolling stock since we are still waiting on James and now have Toby joining the range too.  Once they add more rolling stock, then I could see them add a new engine.  If they can afford the tooling and production cost, hopefully Gordon and Henry will be next.  If not, I'd be very happy with an N scale Edward.

Quote from: plas man on February 15, 2021, 04:26:39 PM
Bachmann please catalogue some HO/00 scale people from the Thomas series

The Bach-man responded to this request on this thread here:

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,35707.msg263572.html#msg263572

Quote from: the Bach-man on March 07, 2019, 09:31:59 PM
Dear All.
Since we want younger fans to be able to have the
Thomas characters, the figures have to be large to
avoid being a choking hazard.
Happily they work great with Large Scale!
Have fun!
the Bach-man

Well seeing as how my thoughts on Sir Handel and some new open wagons went really well with everyone I wanted to share my thoughts on N scale range suggestions for NMRA/2022.  My ideas are only going to consist of rolling stock and a Christmas set.  I'd really like to do a post on another engine, but given that James and now Toby are in production and we only have S.C. Ruffey on the way, I would rather expand on rolling stock ideas for now before jumping on the next engine suggestion.

Let's start with the easiest first before moving onto the new tooling which is working with the toolings Bachmann has currently in their Thomas range.

(https://images.hattons.co.uk/products/98005_27658_Qty1_1.jpg)
With the Graham Farish tankers being used in their previous tankers, I'm genuinely surprised that the milk tanker wasn't considered for their first batch tankers (especially since the water tanker got thrown in first).  The milk tanker is arguably the most iconic tanker in the entire brand, it's almost ridiculous how this has not been considered in N scale yet considering how it was introduced early on in the HO and large scale range.  Even the UK range got the milk tanker out early.  Again, the tooling is clearly available and I hope Bachmann can use this to make a milk tanker in N scale.

(https://i.gyazo.com/e8fdc84dddabb7a019ddfc82beada377.png)
Another candidate I think would work would be the tar tanker.  Considering it has appeared in the CGI series with the classic seasons 1-5 decals, I think introducing the tar tank alongside the milk tanker would also be a good move.  It's almost as iconic as the milk, fuel, and oil tanks and should also be thrown up for consideration.

(https://images.hattons.co.uk/products/98003bach_27655_Qty1_1.jpg)
Now for the next tooling wagon wise, the most obvious choice is the coal wagon with load (please, please, please don't pick the Sodor Coal Co. wagon over this one).  S.C. Ruffey was a very obvious and welcome choice, and the coal wagon with load has always been popular in the HO and large scale ranges.  It would definitely be worth Bachmann's time and effort to introduce one of these in N scale as well. 

(https://images.hattons.co.uk/products/377527_1.jpg)
As for Graham farish toolings Bachmann haven't used yet, the most obvious would be a brake van. 

(https://images.hattons.co.uk/products/98008_1047647_Qty1_1.jpg)
Just like the tankers, all this would require is removing some of the detail off of this tooling while painting it in the same colors as the large scale one. 

(https://images.hattons.co.uk/products/98021BAC_3348875_Qty1_1.jpg)

This tooling could also work for a spiteful brake van in addition to standard one, as that one has proven to be a popular recolor in large scale and especially HO, and it would be no different here too.

And finally time to talk about the one entirely new tooling I want to suggest to Bachmann for their N scale range... Henrietta.

(https://i.gyazo.com/eb7807e99358c24f51c3ad686d673e98.png)

Henrietta, again like the milk tanker has always been very popular and iconic to the brand.  In fact, she's become more of an actual character in CGI since the 18th season with a new face and voice in the show.  She goes hand-in-hand with Toby as she seems to be popular in both HO US and UK ranges.  She's still a popular request in large scale, which does make me a little nervous that we will be going down the same slippery slope again.  However, considering that tooling costs for N scale is a lot more minimal than large scale, I'd argue that Henrietta is more likely in the N scale range.  Best of all, after doing some research I want to propose that Henrietta's tooling is viable for the range as it opens the door for other recolor possibilities. 

(https://i.gyazo.com/bf00d31c30b494e52565d628dee6681d.jpg)
The most obvious one is Hannah, she's been in CGI and would only require a new face, different paintwork and some additional lamp details.

However, there is one more recolor possibility out there I really want to touch on as an option for Henrietta which ties into my big suggestion for Bachmann... a Christmas set! 

(https://images.hattons.co.uk/products/90087-LN_3237014_Qty1_2.jpg)
(https://images.hattons.co.uk/products/90087-LN_3237014_Qty1_6.jpg)
The set would include Thomas with a Santa hat and a snowplow (hope we can see this sold separately too like in large scale!), a circle of track, an open wagon (troublesome truck tooling) with a Christmas tree/presents load, and a recolored Henrietta as a Christmas coach!  I took this idea as an inspiration from some of the Christmas LGB coaches as an inspiration for an additional Henrietta recolor seeing as how there is a slight resemblance.  I got into contact with Justin (theNighttrain3) and I asked him to make a photoshopped image of what a Christmas coach recolor of the Henrietta tooling could look like if Bachmann wants to look into this:

(https://i.gyazo.com/0fa4cf6b205f571bae2dad21370a9c60.jpg)

Just for variety here's a second one:

(https://i.gyazo.com/80272a9f5fdb9c101730e9ad3cc7101f.jpg)

Which do you prefer?

I'll admit I was never too wild about the Emily's coach recolor that was used in the past HO and large scale sets, but I feel that a design like Henrietta's looks a lot nicer for a Christmas train set.  Again, it really shows just how much you can do with Henrietta's tooling.


So my closing thoughts are this.  I think the tanker and wagon recolors and self-explanatory, but I do hope we can have brake vans and especially Henrietta join the range as it shows how much you can do with these toolings and why they are worth the investment.  These would also make up for the lack of rolling stock announcements as while there's nothing wrong with introducing S.C. Ruffey in N scale, I feel Bachmann could have easily made room for more additions in the range.  I really hope all of these additions will be considered in the future, and maybe as time goes on I'll talk about another engine and possibly some more rolling stock to go along with it too.

But what are your guy's thoughts?  Would you buy any of these pieces of rolling stock?  Would you be open to buying Henrietta in addition to some of the recolor suggestions with her tooling?

This will be my last in-depth post in a while but I really wanted to get these N scale rolling stock suggestions and my narrow gauge post out there a lot sooner in hopes to have these being considered sooner in the future.  In the meantime, discuss.

Great rolling stock suggestions, as always, Chaz! As someone who models in HO, I will most likely not purchase these. Even so, with the N scale line off to a strong start, I am certain that these pieces of rolling stock would be well received from fans young and old. The idea of a Christmas Carriage, using the Henrietta tooling, is particularly unique. Great work, once again!

Henrietta is definitely a welcome addition with Toby coming out!! I don't really buy the Christmas sets, but I agree with Terrance that using Henriettas mould as a Christmas coach is unique. Also, I think Hannah would do pretty good if it's a limited run. The tar wagons are great for fans of both the cgi and model series.

I think the red 4 wheeled coaches would be a welcome addition for both Thomas and British railway modelers like myself. James is often associated with these coaches and all they need is a repaint to be on prototypical British railway sets. While I'm fine with waiting, I think Gordon is another good choice for Bachmann to make in n scale, if they're willing to put in the effort. I'd rather him in proper scale and accurate look than have him out next year. He's always been a central character like Thomas, Percy, and James so I bet he's be really popular (though bias as he's one of my three favorites). I dread them making those super thin cgi express coaches though. They were some of the worst cgi models IMO. I'm even thinking of modifying Dapol maunsell coaches to be like the model series accurate express coaches, though maybe I should wait first to see if they'd for one use the model series basis. Finally, I'd suggest Percys mail coaches since Percy is already out.

On a slightly separate topic, does anyone mod their n scale Thomas models to be more like the model series?

Another great post with intriguing analysis! :)

The Milk Tanker and Brake Van have been two of my most hoped-for pieces of rolling stock for quite some time now, so I'm hoping for them to be confirmed for this year's NMRA. I'm also hoping that Bachmann is willing to let the standard Brake Van come first and be sold for a few years before introducing Spiteful Brake Van - I don't want them to immediately skip a regular version of it for this scale in favor of a recolor.

The Tar Tanker and Coal Wagons are also great options to go by. They're easy to make and they would be easy sellers, both likewise with the Milk Tanker.

Henrietta most certainly seems more likely in N Scale than Large, all things considered. I would love to see her sometime soon and released alongside Toby, at least if he were to release in 2022.

I'm personally not a fan of Hannah so I'd rather not see her, but I would still like to see Henrietta's basis reused as a unique coach for this scale's Christmas set. Both depicted concepts look good and I'd gladly buy a Christmas set if either option was used.

The Red Coaches suggested by GigaPK are also a good option. I can see these coming sooner to N Scale than Large likewise with Henrietta, though their basis are less complex in this case. Regardless, they're a good idea worth considering within the next few batches of announcements. They'd be cheaper and more appropriate to announce and produce at the moment than the Express Coaches, with James coming to the line and neither Gordon nor Henry confirmed yet.

The Mail Van may be a bit difficult to handle compared with other options, but I can see it happening sooner than the Express Coaches as well with Percy already released. It could easily be the first piece of N Scale rolling stock with bogie wheels.

It's safe to assume that most people have gotten tired of seeing the 'Sodor' wagon recolors within the past few years, so I hope that they can be simmered for a long time. Bachmann is better off making more iconic and regular pieces of rolling stock first (Express Coaches, Mail Van, etc)

I'm honestly surprised that Bachmann didn't have a Box/Ventilated Van in N Scale among the latest announcements. A Graham Farish tooling of it likely already exists, so I can see Bachmann recoloring it in blue and Great Western coats to start out.

So in summary:
Rolling Stock I'd Like For NMRA 2021

• Milk Tanker
• Tar Tanker
• Coal Wagon
• Brake Van

Rolling Stock I'd Like For 2022

• Henrietta
• Red Coaches
• Blue Ventilated Van
• Great Western Ventilated Van
• Mail Van (maybe?)

There is not much that I am anticipating out of this year's NMRA, but I do hope that it can make up for the relatively low list of new N Scale rolling stock from the latest batch of announcements. Besides the Break Van, I'm anticipating a few easy and reasonable recolors to be announced this summer. We might get more unique pieces of rolling stock next year.

Suggestion for some upgrades to existing models, maybe Emily's model Tender could be updated with her new Number 12?

I like the Henrietta red coach with the white snowflakes.

If I was into the N Scale line. I would purchase a few of the old tank wagons like TAR, MILK, FUEL and OIL.
If in the future I DO get into the line I'll be waiting for a brake van. No reason to purchase freight cars without a caboose.

I really appreciated all the feedback on all my N scale rolling stock suggestions!  

I was never a fan of Hannah and I wouldn't buy a model of her, but I figured it would be worth the mention as a recolor possibility since it seems that whenever Bachmann announces any form of a new rolling stock tooling they always need to find a recolor option either during or after it gets announced, hence why I mentioned Hannah and the Henrietta Christmas coach recolors.  

I would definitely buy the red coaches if those came out in N scale too.  Don't know if they would jump on them right away though, but I wouldn't rule them out for the future either.  Same can be said for the vent vans or even a mail car.

I'd be very curious to see how they would tackle express coaches if they go ahead and announce Gordon next.  Graham Farish did announce some decent express coaches too, even if they're not the most accurate to the show, they'd still look decent enough if painted in the express colors.  I could see them going down that route for express coaches if they're able to pull off Gordon and Henry anytime soon.

(https://i.gyazo.com/b7d3f0da261f6404f8dda6ea32212153.jpg)

(https://images.hattons.co.uk/products/0633-PO_3383167_Qty1_1.jpg)

I think if they used new ends for those coaches without the corridor and a nice little repaint, those coaches would work splendidly!

Although I have Toby, I've been holding off on getting Henrietta because I know that they're going to release with a face soon enough. Whoever gave her a face was smart, because it gave her far more character, even if it did start in a terrible episode. I've never really cared for Hannah, but I wouldn't buy a model of her. The Christmas coaches using Henrietta's moulding instead of Emily's coaches' is smart, and I would be slightly more inclined to buy a Christmas set if that was the case. However, ever since I was little, I've hated the idea of Christmas trains, because it results in many more unrealistic-looking locomotive and rolling stocks designs and liveries than there are without Christmas trains. Moving on, the only N scale rolling stock I would expect in the near future are the Spiteful Brake Van and Milk Tanker, as well as Gordon's express coaches if they make him too. I would expect Emily and Diesel to be the next two n engines. Emily is probably the most iconic non-RWS Thomas character out there, and Diesel's model could be reused for Paxton pretty soon. If they made Gordon, they could reuse his chassis for Henry and Spencer (removing the trailing wheels for Henry, of course) and Edward would likely follow Henry. Duck, Oliver, Donald, Douglas, Bill and Ben would sell pretty well IMO as all are fan favorites, but I doubt they will make Salty, Mavis, Arry or Bert, because all four are discontinued in HO, likely because they weren't good sellers. Daisy and Ryan may come, but probably not for a decade or so, once they've tackled the two sets of twins, GWR engines, Spencer, and of course, the rest of the Steam Team. The only classic series engines we are missing in HO are BoCo, Stepney, Harvey, Murdoch, Arthur and Fergus. All of these characters are about as likely to come as any other except Fergus, because his moulding would be very hard and expensive to design and produce, and I wouldn't buy him because I've hated him my entire life. Harvey is also not very likely because of his crane arm, but popular demand may bring the others. The most likely candidates for HO are Gator, Sidney, Stanley, Timothy and Whiff. All have appeared in the last 5 years or so, but haven't had many appearances in total. Gator is an interesting design, which would intrigue many buyers, and they would also have more space to work with the motor and eyes and things than with most other engines. Sidney is just a quick recolor of the Class 08, but they would need to design a newly-moulded face. Stanley is personally my favorite new series character, mostly due to nostalgia with the Great Discovery. I'm kinda disappointed that he only got one focus episode, and especially that it was during the monstrosity of season 12, but he has made cameos in just about every season since then. Timothy would be interesting, because, like Gator, he has an interesting design, but it would be pretty complicated, unlike Gator who's practically a slightly-streamlined box on wheels. I also like Whiff due to nostalgia purposes, but he hasn't had many recent appearances, and his last focus episode was in season 16 (Actually, that was one of the only episodes in the Miller era that I like, automatically making it one of my favorites). His design is fairly simple compared to others, and it would be interesting to see how they tackled the glasses. (Speaking of his glasses, why the heck does he need them? It's not like engines have to go through eye tests to see if they need glasses or something. Furthermore, they never even addressed in the series! That's his most defining characteristic!) Rolling stock options are simple. They can just rip a hopper off a hopper car, stick it on a flatbed, repaint it, slap a face on it, and call it Hector. Simple as that. Hector is also one of my favorite new series characters, which also has a little bit to do with nostalgia, because I was afraid of him when I was little. Anyway, they can also make Oil Tanker Troublesome Truck #7, except this time have it be based on one from Toad Stands By, and T. Truck 8 could be a ventilated van. I'm kinda surprised that they have made Jeremy but not Jack, Alfie, Oliver, Max & Monty, Bulgy, or Trevor. All of these characters would sell great in my opinion, and Jeremy is such a stupid character with a stupid design and stupid everything. The 5 characters I mentioned have all returned very recently and Bachmann models of them would sell well with the kids pretty well as long as their wheels roll, and the Pack's buckets and beds are posable. Well, that's it from me for now.

Mavis is not discontinued, she is still present in the 2021 catalog.  If anyone's going to be dropped anytime soon my bet is on Rosie (at least in her lavender livery).

Otherwise those are definitely some interesting points on future engines for the N scale range.  The more I think about it, the more I'm really leaning towards Gordon and Henry being picked as their next engines now that the express coach tooling is out there and the market for them is clearly open if the Tomix Henry and various custom Gordon models are anything to go off of.  That being said, I can't imagine they would be announced until, at the earliest, 2023 after they release James and Toby and expand their rolling stock options with hopefully some of the suggestions I shared earlier.

That rumor of Mavis being discontinued has honestly gotten annoying. There really isn't much evidence that she is a 'poor seller' and she's managed to stick around for the longest time between catalogs, which may indicate that sales are at least decent enough for her to be maintained. If she were introduced in either Large or N Scale, I imagine her sales would also be good, especially for the factor of a new engine in either line.

I'm still not 100% sure about introducing Diesel or Emily so soon. Giving both the Large and N Scale lines similar lists of items would alienate the average consumer, and one line would undermine the other based on its price points. One of the advantages of N Scale is that certain ideas can be made that were previously deemed impossible or too expensive for Large Scale. That being said, I hope that there can be enough introductions of engines (and rolling stock) that aren't already in Large Scale before at least Diesel is introduced. I'd be open for Emily since she's part of the Steam Team, but I'd also want her to come a little later.

Characters like Mavis, Edward, Gordon or Henry being introduced within the next few years would help the N Scale line stand out, as the former two haven't been made in Large Scale yet and the latter two are highly unlikely for the same scale. Others like Duck, Oliver or Bill & Ben would also be good options, but I imagine they'd come later and it's better to complete the original Steam Team first.

Relevance aside, Mavis would be one of the easier choices to make after Toby if a new engine is absolutely needed in 2022. She'd be generally less expensive to make in N Scale than Large, and Toby's chassis can be reused to save money. It's hard to say whether she would happen that soon, but the factor of an engine as potentially easy to produce as her is still something to think about. Hoping that they'll base her body off the original Model Series design that they used for HO Scale instead of the GCI one with its tacky headlamp.

Edward is somewhat similar in shape to the currently in-production James and is a smaller engine than Gordon, Henry and Emily, so I can see him being made based on the factor of lower costs despite what he's been through in the show recently. Likewise, he'd be much cheaper to produce in N Scale than Large.

I feel moderately convinced Gordon and Henry could come next along with the Express Coaches. They'd be much welcomed in the event they are introduced, but depending on how much longer the pandemic is still active, the one thing that can possibly prevent them from being made are potentially hefty costs that may be challenges to overcome. Part of me imagines that Bachmann would want to err on the side of caution and introduce the Express Coaches first while holding off on Gordon and Henry for about a year.

To reiterate myself, I'm personally hoping for a regular Brake Van to be made first. It wouldn't be much fun to go through the hassle of importing one overseas as a result of it being skipped immediately for Spiteful Brake Van. And again, I don't want N Scale offerings to just repeat what is already present in Large Scale.

It's generally very difficult to determine what direction the N Scale line may go in for the future. - there wasn't much rolling stock in the latest batch of announcements and the pandemic is still complicating manufacturing processes. I'm guessing that Bachmann may mainly focus on expanding their rolling stock for a certain period of time before introducing a new engine. If they just had to make someone new, I'd recommend Edward or Mavis since both are only in HO Scale right now (and have been good sellers in that line), and their manufacturing costs may be less severe. Pretty much any engine can come next, but I hope that Bachmann can provide at least one that isn't already in Large Scale.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bif748mK9ek

Looks like the user Trains Tsar Fun got around to uploading a video showing off all the sounds that Bachmann included for their DCC/sound system including the characters made in HO.

With Bachmann adding DCC and sound to their HO Thomas and Percy models, hopefully they can add DCC and sound to some of their other characters since the whistle/chuff sounds for the characters are available and Bachmann does have models of Gordon, Henry, Edward and Spencer in HO.  If their DCC/sound line in HO proves to be as popular as I hope they are I will happily look into some of these and replace my current analog ones as I feel it's a great way to show Thomas fans how great it is to own models with DCC and sound.

At least in terms of what might be off the market next year, my bets are gonna be on the analog sounds Thomas as he's been in the market longer than original Rosie (I'm hoping they're keeping her as I prefer that livery over the recent one and that she was just in the market for less than 5 years. Plus Bachmann still has both Happy and Grumpy Diesels). But the main factor is that with the DCC stuff coming out, Bachmann would make more than likely to push that out as they only made Thomas in that range. Another factor I feel like that would be out of the market is that I see that they haven't updated the packaging with the CGI one (though I might be wrong about that as I don't see that much listings that show the box).

Yeah, the deal with the Analog Sound Thomas is interesting. I would expect them to either discontinue him or make other engines with analog sound a couple years after release, but neither of those things have happened. I would bet on his discontinuation soon though with the release of the DCC Sound Thomas. I would expect one of the Rosie's to get kicked off the market in the next 3 years or so, depending on which one makes more profit, same with the two Diesels. As for rolling stock, any truck/wagon that was made before 2015 or so that doesn't have a face is likely to get discontinued soon. I'm just surprised that the cream tanker was discontinued before the raspberry syrup one, as, to my knowledge, the raspberry syrup one only appeared in one episode, while the cream one appeared in many New series and Miller era episodes.

An idea if they reintroduce the Tar Tanker, instead of it being just a generic re-release, maybe they could update it's livery, as is the case with Gordon's Express Coaches

The Tar Tankers have reappeared in the series with the words TAR on the front and back of the tanker, as well as on the sides:

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Tar_Tankers?file=CGITarWagon.png

They have actually appeared this way briefly way back in Dirty Objects/James in a Mess for one shot, right before James has his crash.

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Tar_Tankers/Gallery?file=DirtyObjects28.png

A great opportunity for an update that fits both the CGI series and the Classic series at the same time!

Not sure if the image links will work...

I have given this a lot of thought, I'm still not 100% sure what to think we could get next, but here are my predictions for the NMRA.  I'll be sticking with HO since that's usually all they've announced at NMRA.

-Sidney: I see Sidney being a very likely candidate for the next locomotive since we'll be getting two new toolings in HO scale, even though we've gotten three new repaints in the last two years.

-Rolling Stock: I would like to see some of the different vans and tankers that have been in Large Scale but not HO like the explosives van and toffee tanker.

My hope for the future is that we get Stepney and BoCo, then we would be very close to having all the standard gauge characters seen from seasons 1-4 in HO scale.   If I had to pick another CGI character I would really like to see Hiro, even though he would probably be the first HO scale engine to break the $200 price point.

The only thing I'm really expecting and or hoping to see at NRMA that'll be "new" is a painted sample of Daisy, that'll be enough for me to sleep at night

Here's hoping for any further to be announced at all in Large Scale... so grateful for Diesel and Paxton but we always want more!!!!

Hiro may be a fan favorite, but we can't forget how expensive he would be to produce and sell. He would be much more expensive than Spencer because of his sheer size alone.

Earlier on, I did bring up a list of other possible CGI characters for HO Scale. Porter would be best for if/when Salty gets reintroduced. The list got narrowed down to Timothy and Norman.

Timothy because he's had a few starring roles, would go great with Bill and Ben, and no model of his basis exists. Timothy would be the first oil-burning steam engine in Bachmann's Thomas line. He's not gimmicky in design like Marion is.

Norman because neither Bachmann UK nor Hornby has ever made a model of his basis, and Norman could be a popular seller for that reason alone. Even though Norman never had an episode dedicated to him, and almost no merchandise, he has a unique red-orange livery that stands out. Norman would be popular among modellers who would turn him into his basis. Norman had quite the potential as a character; a friendly diesel who has problems with breaking down, but Mattel just treated him as a background character who rarely spoke. The way Mattel treated Norman is no better than how they treated Edward and Henry. Unlike the latter two, which had been long-established and beloved since the beginning of the franchise, Norman never had a chance to shine at all, and he's from 2011, when the CGI series was new. It's amazing the CGI series went on this long without giving Norman an episode.

Hopefully at this NMRA, Sidney finally gets announced for HO Scale. He's the last major Class 08 character Bachmann has yet to make in HO Scale.

I have recently started to model Thomas in HO/00 as living in the UK

and familiar with Bachmann N and Ho scale split gears - are these still

common in the Thomas range of engine's ?

If Bachmann does another Class 08 retool, the only contenders left are Sidney, Splodge (Splatter and Dodge) and the diesels that appeared since "The Great Race". I'll explain whatever pros and cons that each of the engines might have.

Sidney
Now I think he would be a good one as he's more recent recent and like with Paxton became more utilized after his debut. Plus if he is made, Sidney would be the first blue character Bachmann made since 2008. The only issue I do is how are Bachmann gonna handle his face? Unlike most of the other Class 08s where they have rectangular faces, Sidney's face on the top is curved and I'm kinda worried how they would handle it considering how Paxton was badly made. The only way they can fix this is that they would go back with the body and rework it (I saw in the recent livestream they fixed Paxton's face for G Scale, so makes me wonder if they would do the same for later versions of the HO/OO version?) to fit with Sidney's structure. But that's even if they would have the money to do that.

Splodge
With Arry and Bert off the market, I think putting Splatter and Dodge would be another way on trying to sell the ladder-less Class 08 tooling. There are few pros for this one. For 1, they have different colors and their names are painted contrast to Arry and Bert where they're just the same with no way to differentiate. Plus because they never appeared in the CGI series, another benefit is that Bachmann could try giving the two different faces (similar to how they did with Bill and Ben back in 2010) as they haven't done this with model series characters for a while. If they do, they can try 2-3 of the faces.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgrmaO1XgAIMwMA.jpg)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgrmaO_X0AA-7wi.jpg)

Now there's a lot of drawbacks some might have with these (and I would play devil's advocate for these cons).
The first thing is that they only appeared in one story. But if you look at Bachmann's backlog, they had quite a bit of characters that are still in the market that only had 1-2 appearances (Jeremy, S.C. Ruffey, Spiteful Brake Van) and a lot of people wanted Bachmann to do Smudger as he was retooled from Rheneas. You can argue that both wagons and Smudger are Awdry characters, but Jeremy isn't so you can't argue with that. But the elephant in the room is because of the story they are in, which is Magic Railroad. For those unaware, it was one of the biggest flops that a lot of fans say that caused the show to go downhill. Now whenever or not you want to argue that the movie shouldn't been made, the point is that it's still part of the show's history and we can't go back and change. However, there are still fans who still like the movie no matter which cut we have (Me being one of those). Plus, if Bachmann can't do Diesel 10, at least they can try out those two.

The Mainland Diesels
I think these ones will be the least likely to be made (unless Mattel forces). While they have very cool color schemes, the main issue with them is that they don't have names aside from a few and the fact that the faces are slight retweaks of Diesel's and Paxton's. Nonetheless Bachmann would just use the coloring as claim it as a repaint of Diesel, but even then I feel like that would be too cheap for them. I understand we are still in a pandemic, but I feel like the repaints are starting to be a lazy way to get around. Plus because of the recent reception of Troublesome Truck 6, I don't know if Bachmann would risk trying to do that and that is most likely we won't get any new engines from the BWBA era. As much as I like to see Bachmann try out Rebecca and Nia, I doubt they would tackle them due to the one tweet they made over a year and from looking at their track record, at least in HO/OO they only do characters after a certain amount of years (eg Paxton was in the show 2011 and Bachmann made him in 2018, Ryan was in 2015 and Bachmann announced him 2021). I know they did Winston for G Scale three years after he was made, but I think they may've contributed to why that range is failing between that year to now.

I've always wanted Bachmann to make Splodge, and I had hoped they'd consider doing so since last was TATMR's 20th anniversary.

Quote from: MrNormalDraws on April 11, 2021, 06:58:36 PM
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EgrmaO1XgAIMwMA.jpg)

And if Splatter and Dodge were made, I could see faces 1 and/or 4 being used to help differentiate them (like Bill and Ben, as you mentioned).

I think after Sidney, I'm personally done with the Class 08s.

Personally I'm pretty much done with Class 08s now. If Sidney ever gets released I'd pick him up but I'm not dying to own him. And I wouldn't even think about buying Splatter and Dodge as I have zero interest in them

I would be fine with Splatter and Dodge. I would personally love to have them for my headcanon where they work with Mavis at Anopa Quarry instead of 'Arry and Bert.

All they would have to make new would be the faces, as they already have the ladder-less body. Works well if they need to release some new models on short notice.

I'm basically done with the Class 08 locomotive. After they re-released Diesel with a angry impression.
I like Sidney and Paxton but I'm not getting them. It's the same with Arry and Bert.

I think photo number 2 , it looks like the typical hobby shop owner  ;D

I've been looking through this and I love the Sir Handel idea. Hes pretty much a triple whammy as with Sir handel you can make Falcon and Proteus too with very little effort. I also love the Smudger one,  as it
a) is a much better recolour than yellow rheneas, and
b) can lead the way into possible Duke and Bertrum releases.
Sorry that I didn't bring much new to the table 

Still think they should've just made Duncan and smudger instead of a yellow rheneas. And duke is definitely a legend in the narrow gauge

News has been really dry lately. I'm not even sure if this year's NMRA announcements would be any better than last year's, when Origin James was the only one. Maybe it will be better.

I'm still hoping for Sidney to finally be announced for HO Scale, since he's the only major Class 08 recolor left for HO Scale. They managed to get Paxton's face right on his Large Scale model. Hopefully, they could do the same for Sidney's HO Scale model.

Anytime now, N Scale James and HO Scale Daisy should be revealed fully painted. Origin James and Troublesome Truck #6 will most likely be available this summer. Still no update on Peter Sam yet.

It's fairly normal to not hear updates on new products for months at a time, nothing new there.

So one thing I noticed from Bachmann is that most of the coaches are in pairs with the expectation of Spencer's, which is weird as Bachmann recently did a composite coach on Toby's Museum Coach, even though it never had one in the show. And since it's still in the market, I would like to see if Bachmann can try do a brake coach on Spencer's as there are a few episodes before and after he appeared that there was a pair of them.
(https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/9/9f/Emily%27sRubbish54.png/revision/latest?cb=20150923162403)

Since a lot of people were talking about Diesel 10 in the Daisy thread, it made me think if Bachmann could try either Judy and Jerome or Rocky as quite a few people wanted some sort of breakdown crane in the line after Hornby stopped the Thomas line a few years ago.

Rocky would be interesting as he's been in the show for 10+ years and has a very big design. The only issue is that even without the NMRA, he would be a bit too outlandish due to the basis.

If he's a bit too much, the second choice would be Judy and Jerome as they're more simple and because Bachmann is doing both Ryan and Daisy, I think they would be the next choice to complete the Harwick line. Plus, they're in the show for 5+ years, as I think Bachmann's gonna be safe on doing less recent characters in the line. One thing I would like to see if Bachmann could make the nameplates be a separate molding rather be stuck in the model as I feel like some model makers would just want to remove it to repaint them as a regular breakdown cranes if they want to do model series versions.

Here's my next updated predictions:

HO Scale:
Sidney
Stepney (most wanted)
Ventilated Van - Explosives
Chocolate Syrup Tanker
Toffee Tanker

HOn30 Scale (Narrow Gauge):
Sir Handel

N Scale:
Edward
Milk Tanker
Henrietta
Brake Van

Large Scale:
Bill
Ben

Some of these may be put off until later. Hoping we do get an update on Peter Sam soon. The next Narrow Gauge engine must be Sir Handel. With James and Toby on the horizon, the next N Scale engine announced must be Edward. Bill and Ben would be great additions to the Large Scale range, since they're two small engines that use the same tooling, and would be very popular sellers.

Funnily enough, my predictions are just about the same as TrainFan's, although I'm not so sure if we'll get a new Large Scale engine immediately after Diesel and Paxton. Bill and Ben are still a good idea worth continuing to mention if we don't see any new Large Scale engines announced this summer.

I think I'll jump on the "list" ordeal too.  Not a lot that's really new to say but I figured I would get it out there anyway.  While I could see some of these making it to the summer announcements I feel that the rest of these are reasonable requests for 2022 (or maybe 2023 to an extent depending on production).  Anyway, here's my list:

HO:
More DCC and Sound engines - honestly, I hope that the Thomas and Percy models take off and more characters get the upgrade.  The rest of the first 7, Emily and Spencer already have sounds for large scale, so expanding DCC and sound with these engines should be a safe way to go if tooling costs are becoming too expensive (especially looking at Ryan's).  However, if Bachmann wants to wait and see how the Thomas and Percy models do first then that's completely understandable.  I do think adding DCC and sound to the models is a great way to help Thomas fans get into DCC and might bring something new to the table with Thomas modeling too since it's rarely talked about, but that's just my opinion.

Stepney:
(https://i.gyazo.com/b86f968cac25cc391f98129d2370a793.png)

Stepney is really the only engine with a new tooling left that I would be excited for and buy day 1 like the upcoming Daisy and Origin James models.  I do think Stepney is the only character pre-CGI that has a good chance of happening because of how much of a following he has.  Everything else that supports Stepney being made has been said already, so no need to repeat it from there. 

James' express coaches:

(https://i.gyazo.com/4fad8efac5c8c6e9434ca9b263c2c5b7.jpg)

For the next set of rolling stock in HO I think it would be wise if Bachmann brought their red express coaches back.  Similar to the reintroduction of Gordon's express coaches, the red express coaches would also need an updated paint job.  In addition, if Bachmann wants to label them as a new products, then I'm going to vouch for them to be called James' express coach and James' express brake coach since they were not only the names Hornby called them but it may also help these coaches be more marketable.  James was often seen pulling these in both the model and CGI series too. 

Narrow gauge:
Sir Handel:
(https://i.gyazo.com/23b276406b79fdff6e42072764bd09fc.png)

New open wagon:
(https://i.gyazo.com/adc5d74f89d95887c20089b9a15796f8.png)

I already talked about both of these here, if you want reasons why all I'm for these:

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php?PHPSESSID=6q44ums4sruu237ldmnv0p9oc0&topic=37564.msg276101#msg276101

N scale:
Edward:
(https://i.gyazo.com/6914417eb08d6afdbfd9e42f9a8669ff.png)
Edward has been a pretty hot topic for N scale as of late!  Although while I would personally prefer Gordon and Henry, Edward would be a very welcome addition.  Being another classic character Tomix never made and not being terribly large or expensive to produce.  He wouldn't be too much more difficult to make than James and he was very popular in HO and those same sales would mirror in N scale too.

I did a post on N scale rolling stock earlier too but the top 5 I'd like to see the most would be:
Henrietta
Milk tanker
Coal wagon with load
Tar tanker
Brake van

Once again if you want further details on N scale rolling stock, please check out this post:

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php?PHPSESSID=6q44ums4sruu237ldmnv0p9oc0&topic=37564.msg276401#msg276401


For large scale, it's really hard to say and I don't collect the range so I'll keep it brief.  They've been going for recolors as of late in addition to new toolings that offer recolor options.  I don't collect the range but my moneys on LBSC Thomas and Origin James models for the next engine announcements.  Even though I personally think Henrietta should be made next, I could see the red coaches getting picked next. 

For HO Scale, BoCo may be unlikely, but I wouldn't go as far as to say he has a snowball's chance in hell of ever being made. At least he wasn't a one-off character. I definitely see Stepney being made first, since he has way more demand. Stepney being announced would help to open the window for BoCo.

For N Scale, as much as I'd love for Bachmann to get Gordon and Henry out of the way, Edward is the best choice, since he isn't a big engine, and wouldn't be that expensive to produce. If Bachmann can make James, they can make Edward. Emily should be saved for after Edward. If Edward gets made before Emily, that would help to make the N Scale offerings more unique from Large Scale.

N Scale rolling stock I really want to see are a Coal Wagon with Load, Red Open Wagon, Brake Van, Milk Tanker, and to make the offerings more unique from Large Scale, Henrietta, Red Coaches, and a Mail Car. We could certainly use Henrietta for Toby, and a Mail Car for Percy.

For Large Scale, if we can't get Bill and Ben just yet, other recolors like LBSC Thomas and Origin James would also be welcome.

please mr Bachmann , we need a DCC (or DC with included controler) a talking Sir Topham Hat .

he would suit any scale .

I just want to see:

HO Scale:

1. Stepney
2. Sidney
3. Explosives Van
4. Chocolate Syrup Tanker Wagon
5. Toffee Tanker
6. Troublesome Truck #7 as a TAR tanker wagon
7. Troublesome Truck #8 as a CGI oil tanker wagon
8. Old Coaches
9. BoCo
10. Stanley
11. Old shape Henry
12. Arthur
13. Troublesome Truck #9 as a Standard Gauge Slate Wagon
14. Troublesome Truck #10 as a ventilated van
15. Troublesome Truck #11 as a non-ventilated van
16. Troublesome Truck #12 as a utility van
17. Orange Branchline coaches
18. Season 1 Troublesome Truck
19. Troublesome Brake Van
20. Winston
21. Bulgy
22. Trevor
23. Standard Tanker Wagon
24. CGI Milk and Fuel Tanker Wagons
25. Hannah
26. Updated Henrietta

Narrow Gauge:

1. Smudger
2. Sir Handel
3. Duncan
4. D Fusit Gunpowder Van
5. Old funnel Peter Sam
6. Luke

Large Scale:

1. Bill
2. Ben
3. Edward
4. Red Branchline Coaches
5. Orange Branchline Coaches
6. Old Coaches
7. Henrietta

N Scale:

1. Henrietta
2. Spiteful Brake Van
3. Edward
4. Emily
5. Emily's Coaches
6. TAR tanker wagon
7. Milk tanker wagon
8. Standard tanker wagon
9. Hannah
10. Raspberry syrup tanker wagon
11. Cream tanker wagon
12. Chocolate syrup tanker wagon
13. Toffee tanker wagon
14. Ice Cream Van

That's a mighty long list there, JLK!

As for plas man, I don't think Bachmann would ever make a talking Sir Topham Hatt, as it doesn't seem like their thing. A DCC Thomas set isn't out of the question, though. Bachmann does make more expensive sets with DCC engines and controllers. Maybe they can make a DCC HO Scale Thomas set with Thomas and Percy, so it has two engines, like some other DCC HO Scale sets. It would be a DCC Thomas and Percy set, and the first set in the Bachmann Thomas range to have two engines. The DCC Thomas and Percy set can also include Annie and Clarabel, plus two Troublesome Trucks. Maybe Bachmann can make that set once the DCC models are available.

We probably won't get an N Scale Christmas Thomas set until more rolling stock options are available.

As much as I would love one, we may never get a Skarloey set solely because of the fact that all sets with other characters are discontinued, mainly because they didn't sell very well, as Thomas is the only character that actually sells sets.

Quote from: plas man on June 01, 2021, 03:59:09 PM
please mr Bachmann , we need a DCC (or DC with included controler) a talking Sir Topham Hat .

he would suit any scale .

This king is thinking outside the box

19. Troublesome Brake Van

Didn't Bachmann already made this as the Spiteful Brake Van? Or is there's a different one that I'm totally missing.

The runaway train in a close shave had one on it, but even that was only for a few shots

I don't have expectations for much this summer, although if they're gonna focus on repaints, Sidney would be more reasonable than most other repaints such as Busy Bee James or Yellow Rheneas.

For the NG range, I might be the minority here, but don't think Bachmann would lose much if they skip out on Smudger. Even one new piece of rolling stock for the time being would be satisfying enough, if they announce the open wagons, at least we have more complete Skarloey Railway goods trains.

Quote from: Metal on June 10, 2021, 12:45:01 AM
For the NG range, I might be the minority here, but don't think Bachmann would lose much if they skip out on Smudger. Even one new piece of rolling stock for the time being would be satisfying enough, if they announce the open wagons, at least we have more complete Skarloey Railway goods trains.

Yes, more rolling stock is what we need for the NG range!  Hopefully we can get some iconic Season 4 rolling stock like the D. Fusit Gunpowder wagon.

I can't see much happening this summer, besides some updates on Peter Sam and maybe Ryan. I'm hoping we get some new HO or NG rolling stock, but I'm not holding my breath.

Even if we don't get much, there should be an update on Peter Sam.

I know some people weren't happy about Ryan being chosen over Stepney, but considering the fact that Ryan and Daisy both share a line, at least it actually made sense for Bachmann to make Ryan after Daisy.

I wouldn't bet on Stepney being announced just yet, but it would be a miracle if Bachmann actually does pull it off. They just need the OK from Mattel, and they're off.

Bachmann should also just recolour the cream tanker to yellow or cream as it was on tv.

Sir Handel is all I ask. Thank you.

I'm really hoping we get a Bachmann Diesel 10. I mean the demand is there so it is possible. I would buy that right away if they made that.

Quote from: TrainCollector on June 23, 2021, 07:19:16 PM
I'm really hoping we get a Bachmann Diesel 10. I mean the demand is there so it is possible. I would buy that right away if they made that.

Again, his claw breaches NMRA standards so he can not be made. It's against the NMRA's rules.

Ummm there is a solution. Bachmann makes cranes that breach NMRA standards and Diesel 10's claw can be removable. Problem solved it's that simple!

Quote from: Rodimus Supreme on June 25, 2021, 12:54:56 PM

Quote from: TrainCollector on June 23, 2021, 07:19:16 PM
I'm really hoping we get a Bachmann Diesel 10. I mean the demand is there so it is possible. I would buy that right away if they made that.

Again, his claw breaches NMRA standards so he can not be made. It's against the NMRA's rules.

Weren't you banned?

And I thought we've already established that NMRA standards really don't have much to do with how Thomas models are chosen.  It's profit my friends. Let's move on.

Quote from: Rodimus Supreme on June 25, 2021, 12:54:56 PM

Quote from: TrainCollector on June 23, 2021, 07:19:16 PM
I'm really hoping we get a Bachmann Diesel 10. I mean the demand is there so it is possible. I would buy that right away if they made that.

Again, his claw breaches NMRA standards so he can not be made. It's against the NMRA's rules.

Don't start your bull again, or you might as well march your rear end back out the door...

Are you saying I was banned? No I'm still here. I haven't broken any rules and did nothing wrong. Quit being a troll.

Quote from: TrainCollector on June 25, 2021, 08:55:35 PM
Are you saying I was banned? No I'm still here. I haven't broken any rules and did nothing wrong. Quit being a troll.

He was responding to Rodimus, since he got banned a few weeks ago, yet he managed to make a new account under the same name.

Anyway, the NMRA is in less than two weeks so the summer announcements are coming very soon so that's something to look forward to.   

Uh-oh. Looks like someone's ban-evading.

Guys, we only have around 2 weeks left until we find out about the new announcements if there are some!

Can anyone remind me when NMRA is supposed to be hosted? I'm eager to see what's in store for this year, but I don't know when exactly it's going to take place.

It's most of next week, and I think there might be Trainworld's Thomas Tuesday on top of that, unless it was canceled for the show. Either way, I think we'll know the announcements by Friday. That seems to be the day they're always announced.

Great, thanks for the response. I actually almost forgot about Thomas Tuesdays for a little while! :P

The NMRA is almost here. It will either be exciting, or a letdown like last year when literally the only thing announced was Origin James.

I won't bet on Stepney being announced while HO Scale Ryan is currently in the works, but it would be a miracle if Bachmann pulls it off.

As for N Scale, we still need the Milk Tanker, and Henrietta to go along with Toby.

Well the NMRA PDF is up, we are getting a new Christmas set and large scale red coaches!

https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/nmra-2021/html5/index.html


The Christmas set is a bit random since we just got a new one, what two years ago?  But the Santa sleigh load and Santa figure do look nice and I think it's somewhat of an improvement over the previous set.

The red coaches on the other hand are really exciting! It's nice that we are finally getting coaches outside of Annie Clarabel and Emily coaches.  I can see these being very hot sellers in the range.  

So, the NMRA announcements weren't really much more exciting than last year's. All that got announced was yet another HO Scale Christmas Thomas set with Santa's sleigh, and Large Scale Red Coaches. Still no N Scale Milk Tanker or Henrietta yet.

I understand no new engines being announced just yet, considering we have Ryan coming to HO Scale, and Toby coming to N Scale. I guess this is it until early 2022.

Given the large amount of Thomas products that were announced in February of this year, I was very pleasantly surprised to see more additions for this year's NMRA!

The HO Christmas set was somewhat odd to me at first glance, mainly since the previous one was announced only two years ago. Yet, after looking more closely, it does look interesting with a festive Toad Brake Van, sleigh, and HO Santa figure.

The Large Scale Red Coaches are fantastic! I know that many Large Scale Thomas modelers have wanted Bachmann to announce these for years. Thus, it is nice to finally see them added to the line. I could see Toby's Museum Coaches as an additional recolor for the future too.

As always, I would like to thank Bachmann for thinking of us Thomas fans with these new product announcements, and I look forward to viewing Thursday's presentation very much.

It was wise for most of us to keep our expectations low all things considered, but what we got this year are still very much nice and welcome .

I haven't been a big fan of Bachmann introducing so many HO Christmas-themed Thomas sets within the last several years, but I will say that I like how they always make each one different and interesting in some way. The inclusion of Toad's basis is cool pun intended and I look forward to seeing that sleigh wagon in physical form.

At long last, the Red Coaches are coming to Large Scale! I had a strong feeling that they would come next and I'm certain they will make many Large Scale modellers happy. The range has had a fair share of remarkable announcements recently - between Diesel, Paxton and the Red Coaches - and I hope to see it continue to thrive in its offerings in the foreseeable future. Though I cannot account for potential other rolling stock, it would be great to see LBSC Thomas or Bill and Ben join the range as its next engine offering(s).

Cool. I just cannot wait to see the large scale red Branchline coaches. I also heard from Insidertrack that the reason bachmann have not done Henrietta in large scale is because it is too expensive or costly for them to manufacture.

Not gonna lie, those were pretty disappointing for me. As someone who doesn't care for Christmas trains and or do large scale, these are very boring. I had a dream recently that Bachmann announced Stepney, BoCo, Sir Handel and Duncan, but I knew that not all of them would actually happen be announced at once, so I was expecting 1 or 2. I guess I put my hopes too high this time

While it would have been nice to see engines like BoCo, Stepney, Sir Handel, etc., I'm not displeased with the updates. I think it's really cool that they're reusing Toad's tooling (GWR toads are cool brake vans), though, as others have stated before, we have had quite a few Christmas-themed sets before, so if they could make just a standard brake van with Toad's tooling, I'd be satisfied.

I'm not too surprised that the Red Coaches are being made in LS. With Annie & Clarabel already a part of the LS range, it only makes sense to make the Red Coaches (what with the similar tooling and all).

Also, on a somewhat non-Thomas related subject, I was very surprised to hear that Bachmann is making track cleaning brake vans! I wasn't expecting that at all. And I think they would make nice additions to any Sodor or British-inspired layout, without the need to order a Bachmann Branchline brake van from across the pond, or turning to eBay, etc.

Does anybody know if there were any updates on Thomas stuff in the presentation today?

I personally feel like it's better than last year's as I felt kinda disappointed with just the Black James repaint (which I don't know why that's taking a a long time to get release, unless the updated James might have to do with the delay). I'm not into the large scale stuff at the moment, but I'm glad they're adding more rolling stock in it.  The Santa set looks very good and I like they recolored the Toad tooling, though I kinda wish they can add some extra details on Thomas as the problem with the Christmas sets is that I already have the same Thomas and I only want the wagons to add into my collection. I would like it if they can add some details on the engine, as this is based on the S17 episode, maybe add those branches he had on the side or least a red nose if they don't want to deal with pointy objects on the model.