I'm gonna skip over the predictions because I kinda feel that sometimes, it's actually quite difficult to predict what we're gonna get from Bachmann. No one probably expected Skarloey back in 2015 in all fairness! Anywho, here are my suggestions and my reasons for them. Bear in mind, I'm only listing suggestions for the HO Range!
Engines:
Diesel 10:
Everyone knows this guy. Whether you love or hate Thomas And The Magic Railroad, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who'd disagree on Diesel 10 being the biggest thing to come out of that movie. A large hulking diesel engine with a menacing face, unique livery and that's not even mentioning the claw. I personally don't see the claw being much of an issue myself, though I do recognise that Diesel 10's RRP would be pretty high. Though again, when it comes to a character this popular and well known, I just don't see the issue. The majority of engines in the current range have all gotten more and more expensive in recent times and yet for the most part, it seems that doesn't really detract people if it's a model of a character they really like. Flying Scotsman is bound to be pretty high price-wise with those two tenders and I still reckon that's gonna do really well. Diesel 10 would be no different. I've advocated for him before like many others and stand by the opinion I've voiced previously. He's the ultimate Thomas & Friends villain and has become as synonymous to the overall franchise just as much as someone like Cranky the Crane. So much so, that I honestly feel Bachmann would be making a mistake in NOT making him.
Lady:
This one's probably less likely and I know it may seem as an odd suggestion to some, but I feel there's a good reason. Again regardless if you like or dislike Thomas And The Magic Railroad, it WAS something that brought the franchise to à larger audience and was made with a lot of love from the people behind it, notably Britt Allcroft herself. Choosing to make Lady would not only mean the tooling would cost less to produce than that of a larger character but more importantly, it would serve as a fitting tribute to someone who made all of this possible. After all, without Britt Allcroft, there wouldn't be a Thomas & Friends, let alone a Bachmann range of it!
Harvey:
The crane engine himself! I've also advocated for him alongside Diesel 10 back when I was invited onto TrainWorld's Thomas Stream a couple of years back. In the past, one of the obstacles in the way of making a Harvey model was the overall size. Something that was changed when the character made his CGI debut. Harvey was made smaller once he returned to the show and the size difference is actually more accurate to the real engine Harvey's based on! In terms of how Harvey's crane arm could hypothetically work, it could function similar to how Bachmann's model of Cranky works. On the right-hand side of Harvey's crane arm is a large wheel cog to lower and raise his hook. This could EASILY be implemented on the model and unlike Cranky, Harvey's crane arm neither raises up nor lowers down so there's no need for an additional cog to move it around. It would definitely be one of Bachmann's most unique Thomas models and would also appeal to those wishing to modify it to resemble the real locomotive. Easily a character I could see selling ridiculously well.
Rolling Stock:
Flatbed with The Chinese Dragon:
This would be fun to see. The flatbed itself is already in the range and has been featured with various loads such as paint cans, logs, oil drums, etc. Having The Chinese Dragon as a new load would not only be one featuring a lot of colour and look good with both Thomas and Percy, but it could also be sold with Thomas in a new train set! Genuinely hope this one gets considered.
Hopper Wagons:
I believe these pop up a lot in the CGI series at places such as the quarry and the docks. These would look particularly nice behind the likes of Paxton for example and could even feature a load like crushed stone from the Blue Mountain Quarry or even a new coal load perhaps.
The Works Unit Carriage:
This could be sold as two variants. One in the classic green we've mostly seen it in or even the orange version that appears in The Adventure Begins. Come to think of it, the orange variant would go quite nicely with either LBSC Thomas or Origins James, both of which already feature in the range and are very popular.
The Sodor Mail Car (Original "Sodor Mail" Lettering):
I'm aware that this is available in the main range with the CGI emblems, but it would be really nice and appreciated if the previous model series variants of wagons like the Mail Car and Tankers could made available again. These go for very high prices on places such as eBay and it would appeal to customers who prefer to model the more classic look of the show! This seems to be the approach with the new HO Tar Tanker and G Scale Tidmouth Milk Tanker, so hopefully we can see more in the not so distant future!
Scenery:
I'm going to be perfectly honest and agree with Christian in regards to the resin buildings released back around 2014/2015. The resin buildings were some of the most top quality products available in HO and I'm shocked that they allegedly sold poorly. Bringing these back would prove popular I feel as they often pop up on eBay for high amounts of money. Christen himself has already made a separate forum post regarding the buildings in particular and I highly recommend you all go check it out!
Narrow Gauge Engines:
Duncan:
As incredibly disappointing as it was to hear of Duncan's cancellation, I do somewhat understand the reasoning for it. That said, I don't think Bachmann should be so reluctant to make a version of a character that isn't CGI. Duncan's large model from Seasons Six to Twelve of the Model Series is one that could not only gel quite well with the already existing offerings in Narrow Gauge, but there's nothing stopping Bachmann from slightly changing or adding small features that can be found on Douglas at the Talyllyn Railway. I believe even Peter Sam's model features details that can be found on Edward Thomas yet don't feature on his CGI Model, same for Sir Handel too!
Smudger:
Yes, Smudger. All this would require is a simple repaint of the existing Rheneas model and a different face. This is no different to when Bachmann took an existing brake van tooling and made The Spiteful Brake Van out of it! This would be a fun and cost-effective way of bringing in another engine into the range without having to worry over the cost or time it would take to make a new tooling.
Narrow Gauge Rolling Stock:
The Green Open Coach:
These would be very nice to see, especially with that smart green and cream livery they wore. They'd go well with literally any engine in the narrow gauge line up and would contrast nicely with the blues and reds of the coaches available in the range.
The Refreshment Lady's Tea Coach:
So this might be unexpected, but I do feel like it would be a fun addition! This coach is virtually the same as the red coach already available, albeit painted in that yellow livery. I know that there's a hatch that opens up on the side so that refreshments can be served, but it appeared in the episode with the hatch closed at some points, so the tooling could be made that way if preferred. Like the Chinese Dragon, this could be a very fun one to see featured.
And I think that's a good enough place for me to leave it. If anyone from Bachmann took the time to read through these suggestions, thank you very much for doing so and I really hope at least some of these are seriously considered! It'd be a win-win for everyone!
Engines:
Diesel 10:
Everyone knows this guy. Whether you love or hate Thomas And The Magic Railroad, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who'd disagree on Diesel 10 being the biggest thing to come out of that movie. A large hulking diesel engine with a menacing face, unique livery and that's not even mentioning the claw. I personally don't see the claw being much of an issue myself, though I do recognise that Diesel 10's RRP would be pretty high. Though again, when it comes to a character this popular and well known, I just don't see the issue. The majority of engines in the current range have all gotten more and more expensive in recent times and yet for the most part, it seems that doesn't really detract people if it's a model of a character they really like. Flying Scotsman is bound to be pretty high price-wise with those two tenders and I still reckon that's gonna do really well. Diesel 10 would be no different. I've advocated for him before like many others and stand by the opinion I've voiced previously. He's the ultimate Thomas & Friends villain and has become as synonymous to the overall franchise just as much as someone like Cranky the Crane. So much so, that I honestly feel Bachmann would be making a mistake in NOT making him.
Lady:
This one's probably less likely and I know it may seem as an odd suggestion to some, but I feel there's a good reason. Again regardless if you like or dislike Thomas And The Magic Railroad, it WAS something that brought the franchise to à larger audience and was made with a lot of love from the people behind it, notably Britt Allcroft herself. Choosing to make Lady would not only mean the tooling would cost less to produce than that of a larger character but more importantly, it would serve as a fitting tribute to someone who made all of this possible. After all, without Britt Allcroft, there wouldn't be a Thomas & Friends, let alone a Bachmann range of it!
Harvey:
The crane engine himself! I've also advocated for him alongside Diesel 10 back when I was invited onto TrainWorld's Thomas Stream a couple of years back. In the past, one of the obstacles in the way of making a Harvey model was the overall size. Something that was changed when the character made his CGI debut. Harvey was made smaller once he returned to the show and the size difference is actually more accurate to the real engine Harvey's based on! In terms of how Harvey's crane arm could hypothetically work, it could function similar to how Bachmann's model of Cranky works. On the right-hand side of Harvey's crane arm is a large wheel cog to lower and raise his hook. This could EASILY be implemented on the model and unlike Cranky, Harvey's crane arm neither raises up nor lowers down so there's no need for an additional cog to move it around. It would definitely be one of Bachmann's most unique Thomas models and would also appeal to those wishing to modify it to resemble the real locomotive. Easily a character I could see selling ridiculously well.
Rolling Stock:
Flatbed with The Chinese Dragon:
This would be fun to see. The flatbed itself is already in the range and has been featured with various loads such as paint cans, logs, oil drums, etc. Having The Chinese Dragon as a new load would not only be one featuring a lot of colour and look good with both Thomas and Percy, but it could also be sold with Thomas in a new train set! Genuinely hope this one gets considered.
Hopper Wagons:
I believe these pop up a lot in the CGI series at places such as the quarry and the docks. These would look particularly nice behind the likes of Paxton for example and could even feature a load like crushed stone from the Blue Mountain Quarry or even a new coal load perhaps.
The Works Unit Carriage:
This could be sold as two variants. One in the classic green we've mostly seen it in or even the orange version that appears in The Adventure Begins. Come to think of it, the orange variant would go quite nicely with either LBSC Thomas or Origins James, both of which already feature in the range and are very popular.
The Sodor Mail Car (Original "Sodor Mail" Lettering):
I'm aware that this is available in the main range with the CGI emblems, but it would be really nice and appreciated if the previous model series variants of wagons like the Mail Car and Tankers could made available again. These go for very high prices on places such as eBay and it would appeal to customers who prefer to model the more classic look of the show! This seems to be the approach with the new HO Tar Tanker and G Scale Tidmouth Milk Tanker, so hopefully we can see more in the not so distant future!
Scenery:
I'm going to be perfectly honest and agree with Christian in regards to the resin buildings released back around 2014/2015. The resin buildings were some of the most top quality products available in HO and I'm shocked that they allegedly sold poorly. Bringing these back would prove popular I feel as they often pop up on eBay for high amounts of money. Christen himself has already made a separate forum post regarding the buildings in particular and I highly recommend you all go check it out!
Narrow Gauge Engines:
Duncan:
As incredibly disappointing as it was to hear of Duncan's cancellation, I do somewhat understand the reasoning for it. That said, I don't think Bachmann should be so reluctant to make a version of a character that isn't CGI. Duncan's large model from Seasons Six to Twelve of the Model Series is one that could not only gel quite well with the already existing offerings in Narrow Gauge, but there's nothing stopping Bachmann from slightly changing or adding small features that can be found on Douglas at the Talyllyn Railway. I believe even Peter Sam's model features details that can be found on Edward Thomas yet don't feature on his CGI Model, same for Sir Handel too!
Smudger:
Yes, Smudger. All this would require is a simple repaint of the existing Rheneas model and a different face. This is no different to when Bachmann took an existing brake van tooling and made The Spiteful Brake Van out of it! This would be a fun and cost-effective way of bringing in another engine into the range without having to worry over the cost or time it would take to make a new tooling.
Narrow Gauge Rolling Stock:
The Green Open Coach:
These would be very nice to see, especially with that smart green and cream livery they wore. They'd go well with literally any engine in the narrow gauge line up and would contrast nicely with the blues and reds of the coaches available in the range.
The Refreshment Lady's Tea Coach:
So this might be unexpected, but I do feel like it would be a fun addition! This coach is virtually the same as the red coach already available, albeit painted in that yellow livery. I know that there's a hatch that opens up on the side so that refreshments can be served, but it appeared in the episode with the hatch closed at some points, so the tooling could be made that way if preferred. Like the Chinese Dragon, this could be a very fun one to see featured.
And I think that's a good enough place for me to leave it. If anyone from Bachmann took the time to read through these suggestions, thank you very much for doing so and I really hope at least some of these are seriously considered! It'd be a win-win for everyone!
