It is wonderful to see more modelers who are interested in recreating locations from Sodor!

For an N Tidmouth Sheds, I would recommend the Heljan 6-Stall Roundhouse & Turntable, as the shape & size of both are very similar to what is seen on screen:





What other locations do you hope to implement into the layout? I can certainly help with finding more specific buildings for it
.

Wonderful post, Chaz! After reading your thoughts and seeing the pics of these models from multiple angles, my interest in purchasing the N Scale Thomas & Percy for the future has grown significantly. The only issue that I have with these models is the chunky side rods, as they make them look more toy-like than they should be. Hopefully, this will not be an issue for the upcoming James model as well as other engines that get announced down the line.

Wonderful post, once again!

Looks like the official images of the three 1 plank wagons with crates have been posted on the Bachmann website. I like that three images were posted for each one. Very thoughtful!

https://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=756_772_775&products_id=7199

https://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=756_772_775&products_id=7198

https://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=756_772_775&products_id=7200

I really love the look of the tankers! Since they are using the Graham Farish tanker tooling for N Scale Thomas tankers now, I wonder if they will use more Graham Farish toolings for other types of rolling stock.

https://www.bachmann.co.uk/product/category/163/8t-ale-wagon-br-bauxite-%28early%29/373-262b

https://www.bachmann.co.uk/product/category/163/br-12t-ventilated-plywood-fruit-van-br-bauxite-%28early%29/377-625b

https://www.bachmann.co.uk/product/category/163/br-20t-brake-van-br-grey-%28early%29/377-526d

I would specifically like to see them use the Cattle Wagon tooling, Single Vent Van tooling, and Brake Van tooling to make the Spiteful Brake Van.

Quote from: jbray on October 26, 2020, 01:06:11 PM

Quote from: TerencetheTractor525 on October 25, 2020, 04:16:12 PM
On a separate note, the auction for the Hornby Murdoch model just ended a few minutes. The final price is nearly 3,000 USD, plus shipping :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-Hornby-THOMAS-THE-TANK-AND-FRIENDS-R9684-MURDOCH-Locomotive-DCC-Ready/264904270320?hash=item3dad8661f0:g:nD0AAOSwZbhfjHTf

Talk about demand interest...

A sample size of one is not indicative of demand. Given that model railroading has an expense barrier, this seems like it is more indicative of a tiny subset of enthusiasts with enough money to spend whatever they like to complete their roster. 'Arry and Bert prove that when you get down to the level that only completionists are buying the product, it is no longer viable for the manufacturer to produce. Do you really think that Hornby would pull out of the Thomas market if it was making them money hand over fist? They weren't even making unique tooling for their locomotives and it wasn't enough money for them to continue.

At the end of the day, this is a case study of which we need multiple case studies to indicate larger demand.

It is fair to state that one sample size is not indicative of demand. I stand corrected there. However, at this point, with over twenty engines to choose from in the HO line, I do believe that every engine Bachmann considers for the future should be based on requests from older fans, as we are the ones who are interested in purchasing every engine.

It really says a lot when the last time we got an large engine with a complex side rod configuration was in 2006 (Spencer). That's why I brought up Murdoch, as Hiro (who has made more appearances) does not seem like a realistic option (as there is unfortunately no Bachmann UK basis for him), and it would be much too expensive to make one entirely from scratch these days.

Additionally, I am trying to speak out for fans who unfortunately missed out on purchasing a Hornby Murdoch, just as I was with Stepney. For years, fans have asked me through YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter where I purchased my Murdoch & Stepney models, and if I will ever sell them. When stating no, I feel sorry for them.

With the Thomas television series going through a major revamp, the new CGI characters are going to be considered as outdated characters in due time too. Daisy will not be out until 2021, after all, which means that the next HO engine with a new tooling will not be out before 2022 at the earliest; we will be well into the new revamp at that point.

With all of this stated, I do agree that the announcements for next February will most likely consist of existing toolings, due to the ongoing pandemic. In a perfect world, an HO Stepney would be announced, but the only new tooling that I really expect is an N Scale Toby. Hopefully, we will see some nice new HO rolling stock announced at the very least.

Thanks for posting your thoughts, Chaz! Great to see that you are on board with my rolling stock suggestions.

On a separate note, the auction for the Hornby Murdoch model just ended a few minutes. The final price is nearly 3,000 USD, plus shipping :

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-Hornby-THOMAS-THE-TANK-AND-FRIENDS-R9684-MURDOCH-Locomotive-DCC-Ready/264904270320?hash=item3dad8661f0:g:nD0AAOSwZbhfjHTf

Talk about demand...

With the three 1-Plank Wagons with Crates revealed, and Troublesome Truck #6 most likely not far from completion, I am confident that we will see some new HO rolling stock announced in 2021. Even though most fans have stated that they would like to see rolling stock such as the explosives van, circus train, and return of the red express coaches, I wanted to bring up some ideas that have been suggested much less frequently.



Starting with Toby's Museum Brake Coach, this piece of rolling stock appeared throughout the late model series, most notably at the end of the episode Toby Feels Left Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGpdUfGm1s8&ab_channel=ThomasHDClassics. This coach would be an excellent way to reuse the Bachmann Red Brake Coach tooling, and it is a unique paint scheme: primarily dark brown with cream lining and a white roof. A standard coach would go wonderfully with the brake coach as well, even though the standard coach did not appear in the show.



The next rolling stock suggestion is Gordon's Special Coach. Two of them appeared throughout the late model series, specifically in the episode Emily and the Special Cars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbLoOebXyks. Gordon's Special Coach is also a recolor of an existing tooling in the line: Spencer's Special Coach, and it is one of my favorites, as the dark blue paint scheme with red and gold stripe looks very smart. Would definitely purchase two of these.



Finally, I would love to see one of Thomas' New Troublesome Trucks as well as one of James' New Troublesome Trucks from the episode Thomas' New Trucks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh90y7iNTHc. While these are technically standard troublesome trucks, they are exclusive to the episode Thomas' New Trucks. Thus, calling the Bachmann models "Thomas' New Troublesome Truck" and "James' New Troublesome Truck" would be more than acceptable to me. What's more, considering that Thomas and James each received eight new trucks in the episode, I know for fact that many avid Thomas fans would buy more than one of both.

If we are lucky enough to see these announced, I have suggested the faces that I would like to see for Thomas' New Troublesome Truck & James' New Troublesome Truck below as well:

Thomas' New Troublesome Truck Face:



James' New Troublesome Truck Face:



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

I agree that what makes Bachmann special is that all the current engines are made with new toolings that matched the television series models. I also agree that Stepney or BoCo should be considered before Murdoch or Arthur, as Stepney and BoCo would fit the budget as far as completely new toolings are concerned. However, with a listing of a Hornby Murdoch at approximately $1,360 USD at the moment with multiple bidders, and seeing that Bachmann has made many unique additions to the Thomas line altogether: Narrow Gauge, Resin Buildings, etc. I do not see this as out of the question. To me, saying that Murdoch & Arthur cannot happen is like saying that Bachmann would have never been able to do Narrow Gauge or N Scale because moving eyes would have not been able to be incorporated within those models. Yet, they still surprised us.

Agreed! I would love to see Bachmann make BoCo in the future as well. Here is another stunner:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-Hornby-THOMAS-THE-TANK-AND-FRIENDS-R9684-MURDOCH-Locomotive-DCC-Ready/264904270320?hash=item3dad8661f0:g:nD0AAOSwZbhfjHTf

Has not even been one day yet...

Edit: Check out my recent Twitter post.

https://twitter.com/TerencetheT525/status/1318310215796797440

Hopefully, it will spark some new and exciting ideas for Bachmann.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BoCo-Custom-OO-HO-Thomas-and-friends-Hornby-Bachmann-Heljan/353231307067?hash=item523e3a013b:g:B28AAOSwuoZfgCPO

For anyone who thinks that characters who only appeared in the model series do not have demand .

With the release of the Bachmann Narrow Gauge Peter Sam model postponed to 2021, I thought it would be appropriate to make a new thread on Peter Sam. Hopefully, this thread will provide some interesting suggestions for Bachmann to consider (just as other threads have such as the Daisy Thread: https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,35957.0.html, Troublesome Truck #6 Thread: https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,35970.0.html, and Narrow Gauge Brake Vans Thread: https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,36574.0.html.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/d/d2/SamsonatYourService91.png/revision/latest?cb=20180713172627

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/7/7f/ABadDayForSirHandel24.png/revision/latest?cb=20170530173032

In terms of overall design, I have zero doubt that Bachmann will base Peter Sam on the CGI render, especially when it comes to the face and rivet detailing. However, one thing that I have recently noticed is that the CGI Peter Sam consists of doors that cover the low window at the rear, which is a square shape, whereas all the Peter Sam props that were utilized throughout the model series consist of a low window that is exposed, without the doors, and in the shape of a circle.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/14581588@N05/15449545996/

https://thetransportlibrary.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=127958

It is also interesting to note that both rear styles have been seen within the real life basis of Peter Sam. As a result, it will be interesting to see which path Bachmann will take, as this is something that only avid fans will notice.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/e/ec/Trucks31.png/revision/latest?cb=20170531185051

Personally, I like the look of the exposed low window at the rear because none of the other narrow gauge engines had it throughout the model series. I like the circular shape of it too. In fact, as a young child, I saw that window was a defining mark of Peter Sam because of how unique it looks.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/b/b9/PeterSamandtheRefreshmentLady33.png/revision/latest?cb=20190717220933

I would love to read everyone else's thoughts as well. What rear style would you prefer? Please feel free to also bring up other factors regarding Peter Sam.

Sounds great! I look forward to seeing that very much.

Mattel has done it again. For those who were not yet aware, Mattel is revamping the Thomas brand once more. Thus, there is concern about the direction of new products for the Bachmann Thomas line again, as Bachmann is one of the only companies that still continues to produce Thomas products of high quality to this day.

My hope is that Bachmann can make Stepney and one more long diesel (Boco, Derek, or Diesel 10) for the HO line, as well as Sir Handel, Duncan, and possibly Duke for the Narrow Gauge line. These are the main classics that are still missing, and it is amazing to know that there are not many left.

As for rolling stock, the only piece with a new tooling that I would really like to see is a Narrow Gauge Green Open Carriage. I would be very interested and happy with creative repaints such as the Explosives Van and Circus Train too, as long as they can be announced alongside the missing classic engines.

One more batch of resin buildings would be nice to see as well, especially with the Thomas line now entering markets overseas.

In terms of Large Scale, it would be nice to see the Red Branch Line Coaches finally announced, and while the N Scale line is still new, I would imagine that previously announced products from the HO and Large Scale lines would eventually be announced in N Scale.

Just as we did when Mattel made the controversial change to Big World Big Adventures, it is important that we express our thoughts on the Bachmann Forum. After all, we know that the admins read our posts with great care and consideration. That's why Daisy and Peter Sam were previously announced .

While looking closely at Daisy's prop from the model series that now resides at Drayton Manor, it seems that Daisy's eyelashes are drawn on. This is a change from the original model (which included separate eyelashes) that I did not notice until someone posted a close-up pic of the model on Twitter. After looking at this pic, if separate eyelashes are not feasible for face of the Bachmann Daisy, I hope that it will at least consist of drawn eyelashes.

On the subject of items to be discontinued, I definitely agree with Chaz. Specifically, there is no doubt that the amount of HO rolling stock that is currently available in the line is more than enough. Therefore, it makes sense to discontinue the worst sellers when announcing new pieces. For instance, if the Green Mail Car were to be discontinued, I would like to see a Brown Mail Car take its place. Perhaps a Silver Tanker could take the place of the Cream Tanker or Raspberry Syrup Tanker as well? It baffles me that the plastic switch tower is still in the line Thomas line too.

Regarding resin buildings, I also agree that it would be beneficial to announce one more batch of four new buildings after discontinuing one more building that is currently available, as resin buildings typically sell better in the UK. Personally, I would discontinue the resin storage shed, as it does not resemble anything memorable from the television series. As for the new batch I would love:

Ffarquhar Station
Retaining Wall
Narrow Gauge Double Engine Shed
Neptune Refreshments



With Maithwaite Station discontinued, Ffarquhar Station could technically be its "replacement" as it is a station that is pretty much the same size as Maithwaite. However, I can see Ffarquhar Station selling much better than Maithwaite Station because of how memorable it is, as the station that Thomas always stopped at in the Classic Thomas Intro.



I could see the Retaining Wall with Arches as the "replacement" for the Signal Box, and think that it will sell even better, as these walls have always been seen throughout the show, especially the ones with arches. I would sell the walls as 3-4 Arches per pack.



The Narrow Gauge Double Engine Shed could be the Storage Shed's "replacement" as they are similar in size. However, the Narrow Gauge Double Engine Shed would sell better due to its function and memorable look.



Finally, Neptune Refreshments could be the "replacement" for the Black Loch Folly, as both are very small structures. While I cannot say with confidence that I can see Neptune Refreshments selling as well as my three other new suggestions or even the Black Loch Folly, it is a small, iconic structure that would go wonderfully with Peter Sam, the blue narrow gauge carriages and the blue narrow gauge brake van.



Peter Sam and the Refreshment Lady, anyone? .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY66BzRYWR4&ab_channel=ThomasHDClassics



To go even further, they could discontinue the current resin single engine shed and replace it with Toby's Shed. And with Toby's Shed as a very memorable shed and the classic version smaller in size (since it just needs to be long enough to fit small engines, like Toby), I could see it selling better than the current engine shed in the line.

Additional suggestions for the resin building line have been stated in this thread:
https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,34707.0.html
Hopefully, we will see one more batch of new buildings down the line .