It's great to hear that n-scale Henry will finally have his unpainted sample presented for the next Thomas Thursday. Much earlier than expected, but a welcomed development. Hopefully his painted sample could be shown before the year ends. I still believe Mainland Diesel and Sidney will make an appearance in the stream to wrap up the remaining items from the 2024 announcements.

Something tells me that the next Thomas Tuesday livestream in August will be focused on the summer announcements, item packaging and possibly Flying Scotsman's unpainted model. Only time will tell when Bachmann has updates for this anticipated character.

I noticed that the nw brakevan and troublesome truck #7 have their listings on the Bachmann webpage which indicates a late 2026 release to coincide with the holidays.

Expected Releases for late '26
N
- Diesel
- Paxton
- Lbsc Thomas
- Origin James
- Red open wagon
- Scrap wagon
- Express coaches

Ho
- China clay load Car
- Diesel fuel load
- Troublesome truck 7
- Nw brake van
- Bulgy

G
- Lbsc thomas

Though I'm not certain, I received an email from the Bachmann UK webpage after submitting an inquiry into n-scale Henry's release date. They responded with March/April 2027 as the current expected arrival time. It's possible that the arrival time might be later due to possible ongoing logistical issues.

In addition, only n-scale Henry and HO Flying scotsman are the only items that have yet had their "full" unpainted samples revealed. As Sidney and Mainland Diesel are due to have their models shown for the next Thomas Tuesday livestream, I have every reason to assume that repainted items will be presented over the coming months.

If all goes to plan, Bulgy, Origin James, LBSC Thomas (G & N scale), Diesel, Paxton, express coaches, troublesome truck #7 and others are expected to be on the shelves in time for the holidays. It seems like things are going in the right direction based on development progression.

Here is my amended prediction list for the NMRA convention in 2 months. With only Flying Scotsman and Henry being the only products without painted samples, this year could Bachmann's chance to make a comeback with better new projects. The backlog has cleared significantly which means that other scales will have products to introduce, rather than just HO. Feel free to some leave feedback as this will be the last post I'll make about the NMRA train show in August.

HO Scale
- Whiff
- Hiro
- Troublesome Truck 8
- Quarry Hoppers

Narrow Gauge
- Duncan
- V-Tipper Wagons
- Brown Brake Van

N Scale
- Edward
- Duck
- Mail Car (Red)
- LNER 20-Ton Brake Van

G Scale
- Origin James

Though I missed the stream, I was impressed to finally see n-scale Diesel's painted example. I'm not certain about Paxton since he's a copy of Diesel with a different face and paint scheme. It appears all of the 2023 NMRA products have their models completed. To quote Matt, n-scale Henry's unpainted sample could be revealed at some point during the summer season after some minor fixes. Definitely excited to see Henry's model and possibly Edward and/or Duck's announcement for the NMRA train show in August. I include both as the backlog is being cleared for potential new projects.

My opinion of Bulgy is mixed due to the lack of interior design.

Forgive me if these questions have been answered, but I have a few questions for the Yard Master.

- What are n-scale LSBC Thomas and Origin James' projected release dates?
- And will the NMRA brochure in August have more Thomas announcements in other scales besides HO? (I don't want a repeat of last year's where only HO scale were announced.)

I agree, Duck is still highly requested character like Edward. If Toad and the GWR van were able to get added to n-scale, what is preventing Bachmann from announcing Duck?

Also, has anyone noticed how long HO Duck has been sold out from Bachmann's webpage? Maybe that could be the reason for Bachmann to introduce Duck to N-scale. Hopefully he'll be added soon.

I think that if Bachmann wants to be consistent with announcing new tooling announcements, they would bring Edward into the lineup for this year's NMRA. If that happens, Edward's price tag is likely to be on par with Gordon and Emily due to tooling configuration, making him one of the most expensive models.

I somewhat agree that if the reintroduction of Salty is possible, so can Arry and Bert. These modifications are minor which should not prevent them from returning to the shelves. That said, I don't think it's a good idea for Bachmann to announce 008 shunters back to back with Sidney and Mainland Diesel possibly releasing later this year.

Fortunately, I was lucky to obtain Arry and Bert at retail value ($80 USD) 2 years after their discontinuation at my nearest hobby shop.

Since the old thread has been deleted, I'll share my predictions. It hasn't changed as progress has been made from Bachmann's end.

I agree with Chaz that Hiro is long overdue given his popularity across different eras. He could surpass in terms of sales than Rebecca, which I still don't understand they did her over Hiro in summer '22. Whiff is a character I wouldn't mind should they choose to take on an easier project. One rolling stock Bachmann could consider adding would be the quarry hoppers.

There's not much I can comment about Narrow Gauge as the gunpowder wagons should be in the packaging phase by this point. If Bachmann were to make any additions to the range, Luke may seen as the most likely character to be announced over the summer. I can't think of any unique rolling stock to add to HOn30. 

For N-scale, the consensus is that the potential next engine should be Edward or Duck. Edward's announcement will be met positively by fans and complete the original steam team. If not Edward, then Duck is another highly requested character that will be welcomed by likeminded fans. As all previously announced engines could have their painted samples ready before the NMRA, both are possible. I agree that the rolling stock selection feels lacking and that the variety of new toolings are needed drastically. Mail trucks, coal loaded wagons, and the 20 ton brake vans would be great additions to the lineup. Percy shouldn't have to wait this long do his favorite job of pulling the mail train.

Quote from: Kemptown Branch on February 24, 2026, 09:18:53 PMHe's looking really good so far! I can't wait to see how the painted sample and Henry look!

Interesting how they decided to only present Diesel considering that he doesn't require a ton of painting besides the wheels, side rods, buffer plate, and the face. With the n-scale backlog finally clearing, Bachmann certainly has a reason to introduce a new engine tooling such as Edward, Duck, and/or Oliver. It does bother me a bit about the lack of brake vans in the line up, where Graham Farish is the alternative for the time being. All the same, Henry's unpainted sample will be an exciting moment to witness within a few streams.

Though I haven't shared my collection, here are the engines.

[ i m g ]https://photobucket.com/share/e660f049-9271-4b9d-ac65-ef42fa80ec40/media/c9646576-a386-49e5-acc1-3458c4a971e2[ / i m g ]

I'll provide a rating of each engine out of 10.
Thomas: 6.5/10
Percy: 9/10
James: 7/10
Toby: 9/10
Gordon: 9.5/10

Thomas and James are a bit underwhelming because of the facial shapes and molded whistles, how unfortunate. I believe Gordon is the best looking (as of this time, imo). Can't wait to see Henry's painted sample soon.

I did purchase a Graham Farish Class 42 Warship since it's Diesel 10. The space between Gordon and the diesel are for the remaining 3 to my collection. Henry, Edward, and Duck. It'll take a while for these three to make it to the shelves. Please don't ask me about the obvious. I'm skipping on some engines due to recent price hikes. As model trains have become expensive over the years, it's best to stick with the characters you'll be committed to buying. The next review will be Henry once he releases. I hope it gives everyone a peace of mind with more reviews to come in the future.

As soon as Trainworld added Flying Scotsman, did anyone notice a sudden price hike for a number of items for preorder? Diesel and Paxton's price increased twice from $99.99->$119.99->$129.99. Similarly, Origin James and Henry had a $10 hike. I understand that tariffs are still an issue today, but markets fluctuate frequently due to various economic problems. It does concern me how expensive Edward would cost since he's a new tooling with most of elements already available for him to initiate development.

Fortunately, it's likely trainworld will honor the original price tag once the product becomes available. Also, the express coaches look fantastic. Looks like Gordon won't be waiting for too long.

Let's hope that the postponement of Thomas Tuesday could bring other great news for products in development.

I welcome the response Bachmann has made to address the issues regarding productivity and canceled items. Had a feeling that's the reason for implementing the quarterly announcements to ensure that future cancellations will be avoided. Glad to learn the prices will be paired along with the item so that consumers will have an idea of the cost before any potential problems arise. Lastly, I'm happy that the delays in production has improved to ensure that they release in a timely manner. There's a chance that Flying Scotman's price will appear at some point within the next 6 months.

I honestly thought the cancellation of Duncan back in Oct '24 was a one-off. But, it is slowly becoming frequent as the months go on. Learning that Knapford station will not happen did come as a surprise even though the Bachmann webpage still has it listed. I do share the same feelings that it is never a good idea to announce items without committing to it. This make me concerned about future new toolings not materializing due to these factors. If it becomes a habit, then it begins to alienate certain consumers. To this day, I still find it hard to understand the reasons for releasing Rebecca, a product with a $300 msrp. I think the new timeline of releasing products will happen 3 years following its announcement, rather than the 24-27 months from past releases.

I'm trying to stay positive upon these revelations, but I cannot become numb to the bad news. Let us hope the implementation of quarterly announcements put some of our disappointment to rest by a degree.

Update 1/31: The listing of Knapford Station has been removed.

I agree with some, that this is shocking. All but one of the new products announced feel underwhelming as they comprise of repaints. But, I'll let it slide due to the complexities of the world. Besides that, the catalog feels exactly what we saw from last year's catalog with few differences. Flying Scotsman's inclusion and the prices of '24-'25 products such as Henry.

On the positive side, it's great to see Gordon's express coaches painted weeks after the reveal of the same products.

I'm sure that the NMRA convention in August will not be HO only like last year. There's a chance that Bachmann will shine later this year with newly tooled items. We may at last witness the release of Salty after what feels like a student about to graduate from high school. (Time flies)

I apologize for sounding negative, but I needed to share my reflection of these announcements. Many in the forum have mentioned about this year being a catch-up year for Bachmann, how many consecutive years has it been?

Happy new years everyone!

After watching the Thomas Tuesday stream on Wednesday (Korea's timezone is 14 hours ahead of EST), I would like to share my thoughts.
- I was most impressed to see the unpainted samples of Gordon's express coaches. Glad to learn that it'll be based on season 2 with the CGI livery (I don't mind that part). I wonder if they'll announce the red express coaches at some point in the future. Towards the end, Matt mentioned that he has more painted samples saved for next month (Don't know if Bachmann will update the images on the catalog before the next stream). Hopefully Henry, Diesel, or Paxton. We'll find out once we enter February.
- Bulgy looks great, though the price is a bit off-putting.
- I think that most, if not all of the remaining HO products could release by the end of the year, including Salty (Surprised that Salty hasn't been cancelled after being reintroduced 4 years ago, time flies).
- Interesting to see the painted samples of Sir Haydn.
- Now that almost every narrow gauge item has released, I hope Bachmann considers reintroducing Duncan.
- Good to know that the catalog will be out before late January. I wonder if they'll add products originally planned for the NMRA announcement last year. This time, it has to be the year Bachmann adds N-scale Edward with a new item number like #58901 along with a couple newly tooled rolling stock.

It gives me hope that '26 will get more announcements than the previous year.