Like Terence said, this is a wonderful post! My interest in getting both N Scale engines was also already strong before, but now it's grown after seeing the pictures and reviews of these two. The range is off to a great start and I'm also hoping for Toby to be announced next year.

Quote from: HO scale Den-liner on November 05, 2020, 08:33:12 PM

Quote from: Falcon the 2nd on November 01, 2020, 02:59:34 PM

Quote from: Chaz on October 31, 2020, 02:15:59 AM
Speaking of N scale, I had a dream the other night that Bachmann announced Hiro... in N scale, not in HO.  Basically making him the equivalent of the large scale Winston by being exclusive to N scale.  The funny thing about that is N scale is especially popular in Japan and making a model of the character who is a huge icon over there would basically have Bachmann sitting on a gold mine.

The popularity of N Scale in Japan actually didn't don on me at first, but now I'm thinking that may be the most appropriate scale to make Hiro in if he were considered anytime. I'm unsure how the side rods would be handled going by the sizes of Thomas & Percy's, but besides that, it may be less a general burden to make him in a smaller scale. By then, every major scale would have at least one CGI character (Winston for G, Paxton for HO and Hiro for N) except for Narrow Gauge if that's considered separate from HO.

But wouldn't having certain CGI characters exclusive to one of the three ranges being alienating? Winston I can understand but not paxton or a potential hiro.

I never said that every GGI character should be exclusive to one scale. I was just pointing out a potential consistency across scales, being that they would have at least one unique character each.

Though I should say that it'd be smart to make certain characters in one line if it works in favor of their complexities:

• Paxton's the easiest of the bunch to make across all scales. Maybe he wouldn't come as soon as other desired characters in Large or N Scale, but he'd still be a viable option after Diesel.
• Winston feels much too small for N Scale and even HO Scale, so Large Scale works best in his favor.
• Though Hiro COULD be made in HO Scale, it wouldn't happen for a long time since his basis would call for high expenses from Bachmann and it wouldn't be any better in Large Scale. N Scale seems to work best in his favor since it's a popular scale in his home country and it's likely less expensive to produce engines for. Some side rod simplification may be called for, but otherwise, I can see him working.

Can't account for any other CGI characters besides them, but you get the idea.

Don't take everything I say as fact - this is all just some insight I have on the limitations that can apply to character manufacturing. It's important to proceed product ideas with caution, especially in this financially troubling day and age.

More shipment windows have been estimated through Bachmann's Twitter. The N Scale Tankers and the HO Scale LBSC Thomas, Busy Bee James & Plank Wagons should be shipping early on in December. The Narrow Gauge Brake Vans and N Scale James are looking to be 2021 items by this time. Currently no word on the HO Scale Origins James.

Original posts:
https://twitter.com/bachmanntrains/status/1324053028400488448

https://twitter.com/bachmanntrains/status/1324376491854073856

https://twitter.com/bachmanntrains/status/1324052324122243075

Bachmann's Twitter account has announced today that Thomas and Percy are now officially available on their website (along with the starter set). They'll most likely be in stock at other retailers soon.
https://twitter.com/bachmanntrains/status/1323341250548895747

If you ask me, both models look utterly fantastic! I don't own much for N Scale besides a bunch of accumulated track, but I would seek either of these out in a heartbeat for my first engine. Many people will almost certainly be hopeful for James next year after seeing these in their final photographing stages.

Quote from: Chaz on October 31, 2020, 02:15:59 AM
The first thing I want to put out there, and I think it goes without saying, but Bachmann will not be using toolings from their UK range to make engines in the future.  If they really did go down this route, Duck and Diesel would have been announced a lot sooner.  To add, it would be difficult for Bachmann to incorporate the moving eye mechanism in these models which has always been Bachmann's main gimmick with their HO/OO and large scale ranges.  While a new tooling would be more expensive to produce, if it captures the character in a way that met Mattel's standards (or even Hit's standards back in the day), chances are they would sell a lot better.  Hornby's Thomas range did not do well not only for this reason but the pricing for their models made them too expensive for what they were.

That's something I was thinking about as well but was hesitant to mention until now. It seems most people have bought Bachmann's Thomas models for being as close to the TV series models as you can possibly get on a reasonable buying budget. The physical accuracy of the engines is a huge part of the line's identity and I'm not sure if it would be worth tapering with now, in the midst of financially difficult times and after so many years of the line succeeding with mainly accurate models.

Quote from: Chaz on October 31, 2020, 02:15:59 AM
Speaking of N scale, I had a dream the other night that Bachmann announced Hiro... in N scale, not in HO.  Basically making him the equivalent of the large scale Winston by being exclusive to N scale.  The funny thing about that is N scale is especially popular in Japan and making a model of the character who is a huge icon over there would basically have Bachmann sitting on a gold mine.

The popularity of N Scale in Japan actually didn't don on me at first, but now I'm thinking that may be the most appropriate scale to make Hiro in if he were considered anytime. I'm unsure how the side rods would be handled going by the sizes of Thomas & Percy's, but besides that, it may be less a general burden to make him in a smaller scale. By then, every major scale would have at least one CGI character (Winston for G, Paxton for HO and Hiro for N) except for Narrow Gauge if that's considered separate from HO.

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

That's honestly a very good point now that I think of it. We may be making conclusions a little too early with just one listing and multiple may be necessary to determine the profitable nature of a character in a particular scale, similar to my post on the Tomix Henry. Custom characters like the earlier shared Boco are more of a special case, but for characters already officially made by other companies, it may be worth looking into several listings overtime before jumping to any conclusions.

Characters with as few appearances as Murdoch are naturally going to have some wealth to them and appeal to a certain competitionist demographic. It may be better for the long run to let other, more well-known characters like Stepney and Ryan be made first in their suitable respective lines before approaching obscure territory. I like Duke as much as the next guy, but I know it's better to let Sir Handel and Duncan have their shots first.

While we're talking about well-known characters, I'm honestly surprised not many have mentioned the possibilities of Hiro and Victor. Both have grown to be recognizable favorites among differing demographics, both have appeared consistently since their debuts and both have potential to be solid sellers for Bachmann.

Concerning Hiro, he would be a fitting and gratifying first choice of a new tender engine in the HO range, after Donald and Douglas way back in 2011. Even though I don't recall many customs for him being made and the costs may be similar to Murdoch in height, children are more likely to know him from the GCI Thomas media. To my knowledge, Japan got their first glimpses of the HO Thomas line this year, so it's all the more appropriate to make Hiro now that the line is being sold in his country of origin. Even though I don't see it happening too soon, I can still see Hiro being easily welcomed by fans.

After the main six Narrow Gauge engines are made, I also feel like Victor deserves consideration. His case is similar to Hiro's in a sense so there's not as much I have to say, though he's appeared a little more often. And if need be for a Narrow Gauge recolor, his yellow paint job from "Blue Mountain Mystery" makes a viable option. Even without a complementary Steamworks building, he would still be a natural addition to the engine selection.

Another character worth briefly mentioning is Glynn. There's a certain novelty to him that is shared by the upcoming LBSC Thomas & Origins James and I think fans would also be welcome to him. The two issues that I think are preventing him from being made are his less frequent appearances (both in the show and merchandise) and his compact size, though the latter may not be as much of an issue if he were made in Large Scale. If Winston was made without a problem, Glynn may have a shot and he may even sell better. Maybe he could be announced alongside an LBSC Thomas in the same scale.

Hard for me to conceive a way to conclude all this, but I do hope the points I made here are taken into consideration by the Bachmann team when thinking about future characters.

I'm now wondering how long it'll take for the N Scale line to have a Christmas-themed set, considering that the other lines got their own sets in the years that followed their beginnings.

That's a pretty nice box. My only nitpick about the set is that no pieces of straight track are included (notice the curved re-railer and the side of the box), but that isn't so much of an issue since they're easy to get separately. It's a good thing I personally bought some track ahead of time.

I was actually wondering when we would get an update on Thomas and Percy now that we're about halfway through the fall season. I'm guessing they're currently doing packaging preparations for the two engines and that set, and they could be shipping around late November or early December if Rheneas' release timing is anything to go by.

Three listings for the long-discontinued Tomix Henry that I just found. Granted, the fromer two are Buy It Now and the latter hasn't gained much traction yet, but the prices between the three of these can still imply that there is great profit potential for an N Scale Henry.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tomix-N-Gauge-93805-Henry-Express-Train-RARE-HARD-TO-FIND/164331947847?hash=item2642f28747:g:lYMAAOSwQwRfMe6c

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tomix-93805-N-Scale-Henry-Steam-Locomotive-Accessory-Set-RARE-LN-Box/392969511539?hash=item5b7ecee273:g:pmQAAOSw4PNfe6-w

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Tomix-93805-Henry-Express-Coach-set-N-Gauge-Thomas-the-tank-Friends/143795218699?hash=item217adce90b:g:RmgAAOSwtYJfaIkj

That's honestly a very good custom Boco. The final price of it was outstandingly close to 1,000 US dollars (including shipping), so there must be some big hidden demand for him. I know I would love to see him made sometime after Daisy.

Mavis remains my first choice of a new engine for a couple of reasons:

• Despite her longtime shortcomings of show appearances and Mattel-made merchandise, she's still relevant as a beloved classic character. She's recently become a staple engine of Strasburg's DOWT events and in general, I feel that fans are likely to buy her.
  
• As said in the past, she'd be one of the less expensive engines to make. Toby could share his chassis with her as a cost-effective move and the most that would have to be handled thereafter is her body shell.
  
• We currently only have both one female engine (Emily) and one diesel engine (Diesel) in Large Scale, so I think it'd be smart to introduce Mavis since she fulfills both criterias and adds some variety to the line.

Knowing that Mattel's next directions with the show will not have any effect on Bachmann, I have at least some hope that Mavis can be made at some point. Though I would personally prefer it if she wasn't made with the distracting headlamp she had in her last appearances.

Bill & Ben would be my next choice. They feel ideal since they're the smaller and less complex options among other engines and two characters can be made with one tooling, which would be financially beneficial. They have potential to be profitable among fans, similarly to Mavis, and I think they'd be worthwhile additions.

Paxton's the only frequent suggestion I'm not completely familiar with, but I'm leaning toward expecting him as the next engine going by the rapid progress that has been made with Diesel. Hopefully, they'll have an easier time with his face on a Large Scale model than they did in HO. It's safe to not expect Arry & Bert in any other scales since they sold poorly in HO alone.

My thoughts are similar to Chaz's in a sense. I don't see this new wave of official content affecting Bachmann as severely or quickly as we may think at first, at least unless complete character redesigns occur. I still understand Terence's point of view, however, and I have my own fears for what could happen to both the Bachmann's catalogue and permission if this content ends up failing hard. From what I've seen, fans are handling this revamp as the ultimate franchise finisher for Thomas & Friends taking into account what it's been through in the past five years. Things look just fine for Bachmann at the moment and it's evident that there's no signs of stopping for them anytime soon, but it's still best to approach the future with caution in all aspects.

If the entire Bachmann run were to hypothetically come to a simultaneous end, all the products that Terence mentioned are very good notes to go out on for their respective lines and each for good reasons. I'm also amazed that they've gotten this far with classic characters and that there's not much left to cover in actuality.

If I were to add anything in an already impressive list of product suggestions, it'd be two for Large Scale - Henretta and maybe one more engine. They'd be long shots considering how many rolling stock recolors occurred lately and how long it took for Diesel to be physically realized, but they're still equally ideal and big notes to go out on for the line as the Red Coaches. Toby's signature coach has amazingly been missing for as long as he's been around and there's plenty of options to choose for a last engine in that line - Mavis, Edward, Duck, Bill/Ben, Oliver, or even a recolor like LBSC Thomas or Origins James. I don't expect either of these to happen for how much they'd cost Bachmann to make and how niche the Large Scale market may have gotten by now, but I still think they'd be worth considering for an end-of-the-line situation.

N Scale's still quite young so I don't see it ending too soon, but if it were to end, having the old Steam Team (Season 1 engines and Emily) at the very least would do itself a service. Maybe at least one diesel character too, most likely Diesel for being a franchise mainstay or Mavis for easy reuse of Toby's chassis.

Absolutely on board with Sir Handel as the next Narrow Gauge character. He's my personal favorite of the bunch and I would reserve him in an instant if announced at any point. All reasons shared by everyone else so far have been valid in all senses. Announcing him alongside the Brown Brake Van and a potential Green Open Carriage would make for a nice set of products themed after "A Bad Day For Sir Handel".

To reiterate myself again, I'm an old-fashioned fan of the show and I would be down for Duncan on the two conditions that he is announced after Sir Handel and the team goes with either the Series 4 or Series 6+ model. To my knowledge, Duncan was the last of the main Narrow Gauge characters introduced in the fourth season and I can see Bachmann following suit here. Both models mentioned have a fair share of accuracy to the original basis and viable referential material (Series 4 has its ruler photos and Series 6+ has been preserved at the Hara Model Railway Museum). Basing Duncan off one of these models would be a compromise of consistency, but to attain better sales for the long run, it'd absolutely be worth it. If Bachmann has measurements of the engines form their real-world counterparts, it'd definitely help too.

Can't say a whole lot about the Narrow Gauge Troublesome Truck myself, but I'd certainly be interested if it were based on an older carnation and had a bigger size than the existing slate trucks. The ones already on the market are too small for most peoples' tastes. Maybe there could be a faceless version of the Troublesome Truck's tooling to serve as a replacement, but I'm not sure if that would end up happening.

Tuned into the TrainWorld stream. I, too, enjoyed Doug's video quite a bit! It served as a good recovery to the previous stream since more content was mentioned and I hope something like it can be done again in a future stream.

I wasn't expecting the N Scale Annie, Clarabel and both troublesome trucks to be available so soon, but they are still welcomed ahead of Thomas and Percy. Same goes for the now-colored tankers. It figures that rolling stock is easy enough to produce.

Large Scale Diesel's showcase was certainly the icing on the cake. Worth noting that his siderods are currently metallic in case any discussion is necessary.

So just to recap, we'll be seeing these for the remainder of 2020:
- HO Scale LBSC Thomas
- HO Scale Origins James
- HO Scale Busy Bee James
- All three HO Scale 1-Plank Wagons
- N Scale Thomas
- N Scale Percy
- N Scale Thomas starter set
- All three N Scale Tankers (Oil, Fuel, Water)
- Both Narrow Gauge Brake Vans (could be delayed)
And these for 2021:
- HO Scale Daisy
- Narrow Gauge Peter Sam
- N Scale James
- Large Scale Diesel

I could be forgetting some items, but this should be most of Bachmann's products to come. A pretty solid lineup, all things considered. It's been quite a while since I personally last saw Bachmann have this many items on the books by the end of a year and next year is already shaping up to be a treat.

Mavis doesn't seem to be discontinued as far as I know. She's still available on the official shop and TrainWorld.