Quote from: Falcon on November 14, 2017, 06:45:49 PM
I forgot about that post in page 17. Thanks for reminding me, Terence.

Are you worried that Hiro's longer length would require too much detail for his model? Bachmann has made a few inaccuracies with their engines in the past, including three of their first models made. They've also dealt with having more details than usual with some engines like Oliver, but it must've been a little easier with him because of his smaller length. Skarloey has tons of detail too and he's shorter than Oliver.

You're welcome Falcon.

Yes, that is it for the most part. The main point is that if Bachmann decides to make Hiro, the tooling costs would be so expensive to the point where there would not be enough money to invest in other products with great economic potential such as resin buildings and large scale red coaches. Take his side rods for example. A lot of money of money would have to go into that, and I'm sure that the price of medal has gotten incredibly expensive, which is why Bachmann has been using plastic for Rosie, Skarloey, and Rheneas. In stark contrast, Daisy will not need metal side rods and her overall shape is box. 
She's an incredibly popular character among fans young and old, and deserves much more merchandise.

Now, I really apologize for taking up so much space on this thread due to the countless times I have elaborated on Daisy. I'm going to try to make sure that this is the last time I do it.

I personally agree with TrainFan97 and Falcon. Stanley would be a welcome addition to the Bachmann Thomas range. However, he really hasn't had enough significant roles in order for him to have booming sales. In fact, his sales would probably be about the same as Rosie's (whereas Daisy's would be about the same as Oliver's). Although, if Bachmann were to make Stanley, they could save money by using Thomas' chassis.

Regarding Hiro, my thoughts are posted at the bottom of pg 17 in this thread.

Considering that it has now been about three days since Alex posted the resin buildings poll (shown on the previous page of this thread), I must state that I am surprised and happy to see that 9 people have already voted (including myself who voted for Neptune Refreshments ) I'm even more surprised to see Elsbridge Station and Neptune Refreshments currently in the lead, and to see no votes for buildings such as the castle ruins, but hey. It has only been three days, so plenty of changes could still happen as more people vote.

However, even if Elsbridge Station ends up with the most votes, I do not see think that Bachmann will make it. The biggest problem I see with it is the footbridge. When looking at it, the footbridge rests on two parallel platforms. No problem there. The problem is the extra piece that connects over to the road (on top of the hill). To sum up, an "uneven footbridge" does not seem like something that Bachmann would do. That's just my take on it.

http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Elsbridge

What do you guys think?

Quote from: AJW98Productions on November 07, 2017, 09:10:50 AM
Oh darn, I must've forgotten the fish and chips building when making the poll! I also didn't realise that the castle ruins had a different design in Seasons 9-11. However, I did remember the trackside station, I just didn't phrase myself well at all. I meant a station with a platform designed specifically for Narrow Gauge. Yeah, I mixed up my terminology here, I apologise. I also probably should've put an option on for a centre platform for a station with OO scale on one side and OO9 on the other.

I think Neptune's Refreshments or a Fish and Chips shop aren't bad options, by any means. I just think they're a little less likely. I'd still like to see them though!

EDIT: Unfortunately it seems I can't edit that poll now, so the options will stay as they are I guess...my bad.

~Alex

No worries! Thank you again Alex  .

Quote from: AJW98Productions on November 07, 2017, 03:56:24 AM
Well I didn't expect to be posting again here so soon, but hopefully this post may add something to this conversation.

My thoughts on a castle ruins? I love the idea! Granted members who've been around for a while may recall I built a Ruined Castle kit a few years back, painted it and posted photos on here of it sitting on my layout (at the time)...so I'm probably a little bias...as I rather like Castle Ruins as scenery items. Moving on though, we saw one that appeared in the background of shots in the second season (I seem to recall it appearing in background shots of Woolly Bear and Breakvan, possibly more).

Then we one that appeared on the castle causeway in Season 4 - which is the same design as the castle ruins that were in Season 18's Duncan and the Grumpy Passenger, which makes it the most likely candidate. Finally there is the one like in that image from Rheneas and the Roller Coaster you provided, on the same part of the Skarloey line, just a diffrent design. But with that in mind, I would say the most likely one is the one we saw in Seasons 4 and 18, not the one from Seasons 7 - 11.
Here is an image of the fourth season design: http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Sodor_Castle/Gallery?file=YouCan%27tWin20.png

Something I find interesting about the image from Rheneas and the Roller Coaster, however, is that it contains a building that looks just like Bachmann's Black Loch Folly (already in the resin range) in the background of it. Which might give this specific design some kind of edge if they were considering a castle ruins...still, I imagine it'd be upscaled a bit, unless the perspective is throwing me. Because I don't imagine it'd look that big next to the standard gauge engines if it weren't. My bets would still be on the earlier/current design, however - if it were to appear.

Also, just in case someone is thinking it, I am aware it is being shot next to the larger scale model of Rheneas used post-season 4, which means it does appear smaller than it would otherwise. However, if it were scaled the same to Bachmann's Rheneas, I feel it would still look a touch too small. So scaling it up a little may be the wisest choice. Again though, the perspective could just be messing with my sense of size.

As for the Sodor Inn, it's always something I forget about as soon as I finish any episode it appears in. It's an odd thing, but I guess it blends into the background really well! Which is good...mostly for people who don't mind a building that doesn't stick out too much. But since the range does also have to appeal to children...I can't say I see this one doing too well with them...especially since I don't remember it appearing in any other episodes besides the one provided. Also, if my own experience is anything to go off of, the fact it's a little...forgettable (in my opinion anyway), could stifle sales. It's a bit of a shame really, because it fits in well to the background of Thomas and Friends. But since Bachmann is a company that does need to prioritise money above all else, I can't say that I particularly see this one making an appearance in the range, granted I'd be happy to be proven wrong. But if anyone disagrees. Feel free to give me reasons...and (possibly) prove me wrong. (Unsubtle song reference is unsubtle, I know )

Now, the Fish and Chips shop does seem like a more natural candidate for the range. But again, I feel it shares a lot of the problems with the Sodor Inn, so I won't repeat myself. I will say that I'd consider this a more likely candidate. As I somehow could see kids (Bachmann does need to satisfy this demographic too) gravitating towards something they'd possibly relate to more, like a fish and chips shop, than an Inn. But again, I'm happy to be wrong, if I see a convincing argument against any of my points.

The Ticket Office has a decent chance, in my opinion, merely because it fits in as a very generic building that probably wouldn't seem too out of place on any kind of layout, but I don't see many people going out of their way to buy this one...

As for Neptune refreshments, this place was the centre of one episode that I've always enjoyed from the Classic Era (Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady), and I do recall in a later season it appeared as well. Unfortunately here's where I think the chances for that building could fall apart: it didn't appear all that much, and it was transferred to a coach in a later season, so I think if we were going to see it, we would see it in the form of the coach. Then again I don't think either the original building or the coach has reappeared since the model era, and since we're so far into the CGI era now, it's hard to see Bachmann releasing Neptune's Refreshments as either a coach or a building. That is, unless they made a surprise reappearance at some point (granted I stopped watching the show for most of seasons 13-16 (couldn't stand the writing) and I've even missed some of seasons 17-21 so I might have missed it if it did reappear).

Now, as for Toby's shed...I think Chaz and TerrencetheTractor55 got all of that spot on. I can't really add anything that you guys haven't to that conversation. Good work guys!

I'm really liking the suggestions all you guys have come up with, I honestly wish I'd thought of these myself, but oh well

EDIT:
I created a Strawpoll for what building people would like to see next. I think JLK2707 stated Elsbridge as a possibility a few pages ago (just mentioning as it didn't seem to be commented on at the time), so I included it on there, I don't think it's all that likely, but hey, I was trying to include every possibility put forward that I could think of that was suggested here.
http://www.strawpoll.me/14346400
One vote only though guys, so vote for your favourite option, if you choose to vote.

~Alex

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply Alex! Just two things that I must mention are that the Fish and Chips building is not currently on the poll and that the castle ruins actually had a third version from Season 9 to Season 11. This one would definitely be the least likely. Nevertheless, I thought that it would be important for me to point that out. In addition, what do you mean by a narrow gauge trackside station? There is one currently in the range.

Moreover, I personally still think that the Season 7 version of the castle ruins will be the most likely candidate as it would blend in perfectly with the Black Loch Folly, but that's just me. Regarding town buildings, even though buildings such as Neptune Refreshments were not specifically seen in the current television series, if someone wanted to recreate the Fishing Village, Arlesburgh Harbor, or just simply any town on Sodor, town buildings would of course be essential, and would give more variety to the Bachmann resin building range. I apologize if I sound overly redundant, but anyways, thank you so much again for your thorough analysis Alex!  

Quote from: Chaz on November 05, 2017, 10:51:05 PM
Even though just Peter Sam and a brake van wouldn't be a large lineup of announcements, I would be pretty content with getting just those two next year.  Better than just one engine like this year.

The more I think about it in regards to HO, the more I would like to see them do another lineup of resin buildings.  Another I personally would be fond of is Toby's shed for HO.  A standard small shape, but should be fairly easy for Bachmann to make compared to some of the other buildings in the range:

I feel exactly the same way. Toby's shed is another nice option; and when considering how many locos there are in the range, there could never be too many sheds. Although, I do believe that if they make Toby's shed, it will be the one from Season 1, as seen in the posted photo. When comparing it to the post Season 7 version, the Season 1 version has a simpler design and is smaller overall. In my opinion, it also has more charm. The post Season 7 version comes across as too bulky, in my view, and it would probably retail for an incredibly high price because of that. Additionally, the Season 1 version has a similar "texture" to the Trackside Station which may help with the expense of the tooling. All in all, the shed is Toby's which means that it does not need to be as long as the Engine Shed that is currently in the resin building range. It just needs to be big enough for Toby  .

On a different note, as I too am thinking of other resin building ideas. One that popped into my head is The Sodor Inn, which was seen at the Fishing Village during Season 5. It's another option for a town building and would add color diversity to the range.
http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/The_Sodor_Inn?file=MakeSomeoneHappy1.png
http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/The_Sodor_Inn/Gallery?file=SomethingInTheAir1.png
http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Norramby_Fishing_Village/Gallery?file=MakeSomeoneHappy42.png

The other is the Fish and Chips Building. Just like Neptune Refreshments and the Ticket Office, it has been seen in multiple locations...
http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Harold_the_Helicopter/Gallery?file=MakeSomeoneHappy41.png
http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Mind_that_Bike/Gallery?file=MindthatBike14.png

What do you guys think?

Lastly, I concur with announcing one narrow gauge loco with only one new rolling stock tooling. It is certainly the most realistic option since many of us would really love to see some new resin buildings for 2018.

So tonight I took the time to observe all of the projects regarding narrow gauge and ooz, and I must state that I was amazed from what I saw in this thread. Thank you Chaz, grandpuff, BassTbone, and ThomasFan247 for posting some spectacular work! I cannot wait to see more from all of you!

Quote from: AJW98Productions on November 05, 2017, 04:21:18 AM
I feel like this is going to be a long post, but I've been meaning to post a lot of thoughts these last few months, but due to my personal life taking precedence over posting, I've been merely browsing for a while, as I haven't had so much time for structured, well-reasoned, cohesive posts. With that said, here goes:
Resin Buildings:
Ffarquhar Station is probably my favourite idea. Especially in it's Season 1-8 appearance. I don't really think this one needs much elaboration, it appeared in the openings of Seasons 1-7 and is one of the most iconic stations on Thomas's branchline, only really taking a second place (in the TV series, anyway) to Knapford Station. Whilst not my favourite station on Thomas's branchline in the TV Series (I still really like Ffarquhar though), I probably prefer Elsbridge and Dryaw. However, Ffarquhar is the terminus of the line, and to me, it is clearly the best nomination for next station in Bachmann's line-up. Though I think Mattel would prefer Bachmann to produce Ffarquhar in its current appearance, and whilst I really do understand the reasoning for that. I feel like it'd be a cost saving measure for Bachmann to just produce the 1 platform and station. It'd also work great for people with small layouts who don't have much room for a station.

I really like the idea of the Signal Junction Gantry, I particularly like the 4-track version. The 3-track version just looks a little odd to me, but maybe that's just me. I feel like maybe this particular building could have a surprisingly large chance, if you think about it, these featured heavily in the HiT era (for better or for worse) and would go great with Bachmann's Knapford Station (given the way it's laid out in the current television series). I feel like it could be used on a lot of layouts anyway, especially if the 4-track version were released, but that's just my opinion.

The suggestion of the shunting yard shed, whilst not my favourite, does seem like a pretty good idea, I could see Bachmann making one, as it does seem like a versatile shed, and I could possibly even see some using it as a generic engine shed. Even though I personally wouldn't.

I touched on some Narrow Gauge sheds in another post, however I will say here that this is probably my favourite idea for how I'd like to see them designed:
http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Duncan_Gets_Spooked/Gallery?file=DuncanGetsSpooked40.png
Now, I understand that all of these aren't possible for next year. That is a given, it is just my thoughts on some really good suggestions I've seen put forward.
Narrow Gauge:
Now, I've touched on my thoughts for HO engines and Large Scale stock briefly in another post, so I'll try not to repeat myself. I don't think I've talked much about Narrow Gauge in a while though, so I figured I'd take some time out to talk about it.
Let's start with engines, we have a prototype image of Rheneas, but no confirmed release date, and no image of Rusty. In my opinion, there's maybe a 50/50 chance we'll get another engine announced next year, but we might not. If we do though, I would like to see Peter Sam.

Peter Sam's usage throughout the series has been highly consistent, his personality has changed little even during the HiT era, he's also had a lot of lead roles, even in the CGI series, which is important to bear in mind. His render resembles his basis well, which is more than can be said for Duncan, and some Thomas modelers may even buy a second model, just so that they can have one model with his original funnel, before he got the Giesel variant.

Duncan may have better usage, but I feel like Peter Sam holds the advantage in how closely he resembles his basis. I don't really see Mattel approving a model of Duncan that doesn't resemble the CGI design for him, but I could be wrong there. And if so, Duncan may prove a better seller, but if he would resemble his CGI model, I think Duncan wouldn't be as good of a choice as Peter Sam is.

Since I'm not expecting much in the way or Narrow Gauge stock next year, I will say that one thing I would like to see, is the Brown Brakevan. Since that will be a new tooling, I don't expect we'd see any other rolling stock announced in the same year as it. I could be wrong though, especially since Rheneas isn't yet available, and we have not seen a prototype photo of Rusty yet.

I will quickly add in here that a while ago, I believe someone asked for thoughts regarding a Bachmann Hiro, and whilst I personally don't think it would happen, not in the current market anyway, I wouldn't be opposed to Bachmann releasing him if it were financially viable. He's one of my favourite characters from the HiT era, and feels like he belongs in the universe of Thomas and Friends, he actually does have character depth unlike many characters from the HiT era, and does seem to satisfy the itch Mattel has for internationalism in the series. I don't see him coming in HO, but if he did, I would welcome him with open arms. I feel like some modelers (if they could afford it) might buy two and create the "patchwork Hiro" that we saw in Hero of the Rails.

Overall I feel like that's really all I can add to this discussion, unless I think up something more, or someone puts forward a suggestion that I feel my thoughts could maybe add something to.

Anyway, have a good day everyone and sorry for how long this post was.
~Alex

Great suggestions Alex! No worries for how long the post was as I enjoyed reading every bit of it! Although, regarding resin buildings, what is your personal opinion on the ruined castle http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Rheneas_and_the_Roller_Coaster/Gallery?file=RheneasandtheRollerCoasteralternatetitlecard.png
or some town buildings such as Neptune Refreshments and the Ticket Office
http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Peter_Sam_and_the_Refreshment_Lady/Gallery?file=PeterSamandtheRefreshmentLady27.png
http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Peter_Sam_and_the_Refreshment_Lady/Gallery?file=PeterSamandtheRefreshmentLady30.png
http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Peter_Sam_and_the_Refreshment_Lady/Gallery?file=PeterSamandtheRefreshmentLady29.png
I'd love to see what you think  .

In regards to Bulgy, even though I would personally prefer Trevor, I'd be all for Bulgy due to his, as already mentioned, simple shape  .

http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Standard_Gauge_and_Narrow_Gauge_Viaduct?file=NightTrain1.png

I can't get over how astonishing this shot is! This is what Thomas was all about! Breathtaking visuals with wonderful background music that would enhance the shot to the highest extent. The Ticket Office from Lakeside (that I mentioned at the very bottom of Page 16 of this thread) is shown as well. I'm sure that we can all agree that any of these town buildings would be welcome additions to the Thomas Resin Building Range.

Simply beautiful.

They look fantastic! I will definitely get a few fruit & vegetable vans. I'm still deciding on the other. Nevertheless, thank you very much for the update!

Another thing I thought that I should elaborate on is why I put Trevor on my initial predictions list back in late March. I would say that the rest of what I put at the time is pretty self-explanatory. Yet, Trevor may have seemed like the odd one out considering that there has not been that much discussion on him. To start, it has been a while since Bachmann has announced a non-rail character, and Trevor would certainly be the best choice for that sector. Trevor is a very popular character for both young and old fans (very similar to Daisy in that regard).

However, Trevor does require a complex tooling. Because of this, I think that if Trevor is announced for 2018, he would take up the room for a new HO loco. But, at the moment, Daisy seems to be getting many more leading roles on T.V. than Trevor (especially after watching Season 21). That's why Daisy would still be the best pick for 2018. Even so, if Bachmann decided to announce Trevor for 2018, I would still take him with open arms  .

All in all, in my opinion, Daisy and Trevor are the two classic characters that are essential to the Bachmann range. Once again, since they both require new toolings, I would only expect one of the two for 2018.

Quote from: Metal on October 29, 2017, 06:19:06 PM
Since we're talking about characters I thought I might bring this topic up.
Since the show is being 'air-quote' culturally diverse now. (Even though the show was already was since the start of CGI).

I thought I might as well bring up this character.

Compared to Nia the African Engine, cultural diversity works well with Hiro because he's very organic and unlike many of the S8-16 characters, he actually has depth, considerably a gem that shines in the rocks. The problem with Nia, Rebecca as well as the rest of the material from BWBA is that it seems to be created through political motive. I could be talking about the current events of politics but I'll probably go overboard here, especially on this board.
The cultural trend of political correctness is already dying out.  The producers behind the show are already late for the party.

On a side note; you also have Victor the Steamworks Engine, who's Hispanic, and Millie the French Engine, who also feel natural into the Thomas universe. But since they're narrow gauge that's a completely different story

Moving on

A Bachmann Hiro would be expensive model no doubt, but so are the NG engines and that didn't stop consumers. 
Sounds like a long shot, but there's very few CGI characters to choose from, considering the most of the characters have gimmicky designs. I will talk about other CGI characters that have potential another day.

Hiro is a very popular character was both older/younger fans, as well as one of the most marketable. He's NOT a politically driven character, and regardless of Mattel's cultural diversity, I'd happily welcome this gem of a character, and Bachmann would pull off such and extraordinary model.

Any thoughts?

Perhaps, I'll talk about female characters another time.

Hiro is one of my favorite "CGI-Born" characters because of his unique design, persona, and every other reason you mentioned. However, I personally do not believe that 2018 is the time to announce him. Of course, the main reason is the expense. Hiro would probably be one of the most expensive locos to make due to all of his fine details. Plus, when considering that the large scale range needs something fresh such as the red coaches and considering that we are hoping that there is at least one HO resin building announced for 2018, I still think that Daisy would be the best choice. Yet, I can definitely see Bachmann making Hiro in the future. He was definitely worth the mention.

Quote from: TrainFan97 on October 29, 2017, 01:36:25 AM
Yeah, I think it's a better idea to announce Sidney a little later than 2018, because having two engines of the same tooling released back-to-back could lead to poor sales. Daisy is far more popular. I'd be willing to wait two years for Daisy like I did with Oliver.

It took Bachmann two years to get Oliver out there, but I was patient, since I knew he was coming sooner or later. Oliver turned out to be a huge success for Bachmann, and he even outsold Duck! Daisy will certainly do the same. She will be one of the best models Bachmann would ever make. She's a classic character in the CGI series, with more starring roles than any other returnee character. She will be popular by both kids and adults alike.

Bachmann made Duck and Oliver by popular demand. There's a very good chance they'll do the same for Daisy: Making her by popular demand. We just need to wait 3 1/2 more months to see if she gets announced. Bachmann is far better off announcing Daisy, and saving Sidney for another time.

That's exactly right! I'm very delighted and relieved that you agree with me on this since I know how much time and effort you have put into previous posts regarding an HO Sidney!

As I stated before, I am 100% sure that an HO Daisy will be one of the best investments that Bachmann has ever made. Hopefully, they will announce her for next year  

I know that I stated that I would leave the large scale predictions to the large scale people. However, this is a specific topic that I just had to partake in. I must agree that making the Large Scale Red Coaches would be a very wise investment for every reason that Plow Bender mentioned. In addition, as much as I too would love to see a Large Scale Mavis get announced, if Bachmann decides to announce Paxton instead of Arry and Bert for 2018, I personally think that announcing the red coaches along with him would be a fair compromise.

Regarding an HO Sidney, I never shared my opinion on it. However, I think that now is the time since, as Chaz mentioned in the "Large Scale Mavis de-confirmed" thread, Bachmann may be deciding on what to announce for 2018 at this very moment. To get right down to it, I don't believe that 2018 would be the smartest time to announce an HO Sidney for one main reason. Paxton, another diesel of the same class, has not been released yet. It may seem that this reason contradicts the point I am making since Sidney would be the least expensive loco to produce. However, what my mind is thinking is that releasing two locos of the same tooling back to back (especially the second one being less popular than the first) would lead to poor sales. Even so, I do believe that an HO Sidney would be a good idea for every reason that TrainFan97 mentioned. Yet, I think that announcing him a little further into the future would lead to better sales as long as he continues to develop his character in future episodes.

As I mentioned previously, the best decision for a new HO loco would be Daisy for every reason in the pasted link. http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,34031.0.html If this means that we have to wait for two years just like Oliver, I'm all for it. When thinking long-term, it is the wisest thing to do.

Overall, I may be seen as a hypocrite since I suggested Paxton for the 2018 Large Scale Range, and Diesel was announced for the 2017 Large Scale Range. However, the difference is that at the moment, Paxton is much more popular than Sidney.

Hi again! I made one mistake that I wanted to mention. The building to the left of Neptune Refreshments actually says "Ticket Office", not "Post Office". I apologize for the confusion.

http://ttte.wikia.com/wiki/Peter_Sam_and_the_Refreshment_Lady/Gallery?file=PeterSamandtheRefreshmentLady30.png