Like what GordonPacific04 said, I believe Matt is trying to make the final Thomas Tuesday/Thursday livestream as exciting as possible. It's best not to jump to conclusions and cause distress among the community. They did reveal Scotman's face, so it's unlikely they will give up when they're that far in progress. I don't recall Bachmann showing anything about Duncan like a face reveal before his cancellation. Best to remain optimistic and patient when November rolls around. While they're attempting to create suspense, I do prefer a clear and affirmative response rather than jumping around question.

Quote from: Chaz on September 28, 2026, 01:53:22 AMDid anyone else happen to receive a box with the Lilliput logo on it by mistake? Just to be clear, these coaches use completely new body shells and are not made from Lilliput tooling. However, two of my coaches came with boxes featuring the Lilliput logo, while the other coach came in a box with the correct Bachmann branding. I'm curious if this was just an isolated packaging error or if anyone else ran into the same thing.

Matt from Thomas Tuesday stream briefly went over the slight mix up of the packaging. A small mistake, but it happens from time to time. My express coaches came in full bachmann packaging. They look good visually but I wished there were details on the inside for the price that we paid for...

I'm definitely looking forward to the release of Diesel and Henry over the next 9 months.

The image for n scale Mr Jolly's box van was unveiled a few weeks ago on the bachmann webpage. This is the first time seeing the blue open wagon in full. Was hoping for n scale Henry after they teased his tender a few weeks ago, guess that wasn't the case this time. Surely they have to generate excitement before going into 2027.

I'm assuming they haven't started shipping Paxton, Diesel, LBSC Thomas and Origin James which could be why they haven't been shown in packaged samples yet. With so much of the previous announcements releasing over the next 6-9 months, they have to include much needed additions to keep up with the growth of all 3 scale. Edward is an engine that people can agree has been long overdue in n scale and next year must be his time, definitely Duck too (if two engine announcements, 1 in winter and the other in summer).

When Matt mentioned the 2027 catalog, the patterns of announcements have not been consistent in recent years. There has not been much new tooling announcements besides HO. From one catch up year to another, they ought to make the announcements more appealing since large and n scale have been somewhat dry.

Quote from: Chaz on August 03, 2026, 10:21:14 PMThis is where I'm going to be more direct.


I understand why Bachmann hasn't announced another N scale engine this year. Henry only just had his engineering sample shown, and there are already several engines awaiting release dates. When the time comes, however, Edward and/or Duck should be at the top of the list based on their consistent popularity in fan requests, the sales of their HO models, and their continued relevance to the brand throughout Mattel's various rebrands, including the new 2026 series.

N scale rolling stock is where I have considerably more concerns.

Bachmann has made N scale rolling stock choices that seem to go against what fans have consistently requested. This is regarding the the brake van and coal wagon.


If another brake van is introduced, I strongly believe it should be the LNER 20 ton brake van. Fans have repeatedly expressed a preference for this over the LMS brake van, and Bachmann already has experience with this type in HO and large scale. With very limited brake van options currently available in N scale, this seems like the obvious choice, especially with the several liveries and variants that could be offered to help justify the tooling cost, including the Spiteful Brake Van.  With the LMS brake van thankfully getting cancelled, this does leave the door open for a LNER brake van to be reconsidered. 


That said, I'm even more disappointed that the original coal wagon with load was skipped in favor of the Sodor Coal Co. car and mining wagon. Fans have repeatedly asked for the original coal wagon, which was actually used on the show and continues to be a popular seller in HO. Many fans have also specifically said they would prefer it over the other two options we actually received, including on this forum. This alone speaks high volume of how much this was a poor decision.

This isn't simply a case of Bachmann choosing something different from my personal preference. Fans have been unusually consistent about what they wanted here, which is why I hope the original coal wagon with load is prioritized if another N scale repaint is considered. At this point, I would personally put it ahead of virtually any other repaint, regardless of whether it's a wagon repaint or a different tooling.



My third request is a new tanker tooling. The existing tankers inherited from Graham Farish have never been particularly accurate compared with the show, and Bachmann hasn't introduced a new tanker in N scale since 2020, more or less implying that they were not good sellers.  It also doesn't help that these are the most expensive freight rolling stock currently in Bachmann's N scale lineup.  A new N scale tanker tooling would give them plenty of options, not only allowing them to reintroduce the same three from earlier, (fuel, oil, and water), with an accurate tooling, but also finally giving them the opportunity to add new tanker variants to N scale that could sell very well in the future including milk, tar, toffee, and several others.

I share the sentiment, Chaz. I was very disappointed on the announcements of this year. The only redeeming announcements of the year were the red express coaches and Diesel 10. As for the newly tooled Thomas and Percy, I feel them cannibalizing the older models make sense so that it doesn't take up too much space. The fact that no engine had an announcement this year for n-scale is a first. I wonder how many times Bachmann have to keep postponing Edward. There's still a chance that Edward and/or Duck could be included in the catalog in early 2027 at the latest. Also, the coal wagon should've been the simple green truck without any lettering. That's definitely a letdown after numerous requests for years. A brakevan is ideal as we haven't gotten a single brake van since Toad's release in 2023. I find it hypocritical that the Graham Farish tooling for the tar tankers are still being used while cancelling the lms brakevan. This feels like another catch-up year for both HO and n-scale with most products being mere repaints. I'm looking forward to the red express coaches once they go up for preorder.

I'm going to take a break on the forum until more n-scale items arrive such Diesel and the express coaches. Sorry about that, I needed to vent to preserve my sanity. 

About that. Just because Diesel 10 will be part of the lineup, doesn't mean that Splodge will be added to the range. They're one-off characters that never returned after TATMR. Like, hardly anyone in this current generation knows who they are and I'm quite tired of seeing these 08 shunting diesel being reused with jacked up prices.

PS: I already have Splodge. Just kidding, it's Arry and Bert.

So the Bachmann webpage added images of HO Sidney and Mainland Diesel to their respective listings. They did the same for Bulgy a few weeks back. I wonder when the listing for n-scale Henry will be up and running as the NMRA announcements are coming in a week.

Quick question for the Yard Master:
- What are the current status of N-scale Mr Jolly's chocolate van and blue open wagon? Since they're repaints.

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.