I've been thinking a lot lately about the possibility of Bachmann eventually making a model of Duncan for the Narrow Gauge line, and I have been worried about what they might use as a basis for the model. Duncan has been through a lot of big changes in the TV series, not all of them good - so I wanted to collate my thoughts and share what I think would be the best way to make Bachmann Duncan a reality.
Series 4 Small Scale Model:
Duncan first appeared in the TV series in Series 4. He was based on the Talyllyn Railway's No. 6 'Douglas', though the model makers took some liberties of course. This original Duncan model remains a fan favourite - his faces and general proportions were aesthetically pleasing and have stayed fairly consistent until the CGI series. Personally I'd love to see this version used as a basis for a Bachmann Duncan. There is ample room in the boiler for the motor and electrics (unlike the CGI model, which I will detail later), this version of Duncan is beloved by practically all fans, and he is as close to his original Talyllyn Railway basis as a Duncan model ever got, which would entice some buyers who are looking to recreate the TR's Douglas or another Andrew-Barclay locomotive.
Series 5 Large Scale Model:
This model of Duncan was a bit odd. Some of his proportions changed when the model makers made larger scale models for this season, and his faces were remade to suit the larger size. These faces were not too noticeably different from his Series 4 faces, though I believe many would say they prefer the earlier faces. However, the model makers were clearly not happy with Duncan's proportions on this model, as they felt the need to redesign it for the very next series. Because this model was seen so briefly, it would be difficult (and make little sense) to use this model as a basis for a possible Bachmann model.
Series 6 Large Scale Model:
This was the remade version of the Large Scale model, which had much closer proportions to the original small scale model. I am generally not a fan of the large scale narrow gauge models, however Duncan is an exception. His new model managed to retain most of the charm of the original model, and also remained fairly close to Duncan's basis on the Talyllyn Railway; Douglas. There is still ample room for a motor inside the boiler, and the model had an open cab. The only other thing worth mentioning is that new faces were made for this large model in Series 6, in addition to the few made for Series 5. These newest faces were not as 'Duncan-like' as the previous ones, and while they were used for quite a long time, they were never the strongest aspect of that version's model.
CGI Series Model:
When the Thomas & Friends animation company 'Nitrogen Studios' planned on reintroducing the Narrow Gauge engines into the show, they visited the Talyllyn Railway in order to get accurate measurements of the real-life counterparts for all the Skarloey Railway engines. Because of this, most of the narrow gauge engines in the CGI series were now very accurate to how their counterparts looked in real life. However, one exception was Duncan. Duncan's basis 'Douglas' was away for an overhaul when Nitrogen came to scan the engines, and so when Duncan was eventually brought back into the show as well (after Arc Productions had taken over animation), the animators did not use Duncan's real life counterpart as a basis at all. As a result, Duncan's CGI model looks the least like Duncan or Douglas than any other version. Not only is he overall too small, but his boiler is undersized, his running board is the wrong colour, his lining is incorrect and yellow instead of black, along with several other small mistakes which add up to make the CGI model possibly the worst portrayal of the character seen on screen to date. This opinion is shared by most Thomas fans, and you can be sure that very few narrow gauge modellers will try using a Bachmann Duncan model as a basis for a real-life steam engine if the model looked like Duncan does in the CGI series. The only reason I could see for using this model as a basis would be because children may recognise him a bit more with his CGI face.
Other versions worth mentioning: The character of Duncan was of course first seen in the Railway Series books (where he was painted red). The illustrators of the books used the Talyllyn Railway's 'Douglas' as a close basis for the character, and there were very few liberties taken. I think its safe to say that the Series 4 modellers used the book illustrations as a basis for Duncan, though they evidently had to change a few things in order to accomodate the necessary electrics and eye mechanism. I believe that many people would be interested in using a possible Bachmann Duncan model as a starting point for recreating TR's Douglas or other similar Andrew-Barclay engines, and while it is true that none of Duncan's models are extremely close to the real-life 'Douglas', I think its safe to say that either the Series 4, 5, or 6 models are the closest in that regard.
My Recommendation
The way I see it, there are three groups of people who want slightly different things. The corporate voices at Mattel most likely want a version of Duncan who is current to the CGI series and most recognisable to children, with little regard for the history of the character's design. Then there are the real-life Narrow Gauge modellers, who would most likely be interested in buying a Bachmann Duncan to use as a starting point for making engines like the Talyllyn Railway's Douglas or other Andrew-Barclays, and Railway Series modellers who want a RWS-accurate Duncan model. Finally, there are TV series fans, who I believe generally agree that the CGI model is not up to scratch and would much prefer a model series era version of Duncan.
In my opinion, the best way for Bachmann to please the corporate voices at Mattel, as well as pleasing those who want to use a Bachmann Duncan to model other real-life engines, AND keep the TV series fans content, would be to use either the Series 4 or Series 6 model as a basis for Duncan's body (which is as close to his real-life counterpart as he ever got) while using the CGI era face, which would make Duncan more recognisable to the children who have now grown up with the CGI era of the show and keep Mattel reasonably happy.
Of course, the beauty of model railways is that everything is customisable, and I'm sure railway modellers of all sorts will enjoy modifying their Bachmann Duncan to suit whichever era or version they like, but for those who want nothing more than to buy an accurate toy of Duncan, this model-era/CGI-era hybrid seems the most appealing option in my eyes.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'd love to know other people's opinions on this, and I would really like Bachmann to produce the best version of Duncan they can, which is why I decided to get my thoughts down on paper for them to see.
I've attached a photo of the different models and their pros and cons, to better illustrate my argument. Hope that helps! Thanks again!
Series 4 Small Scale Model:
Duncan first appeared in the TV series in Series 4. He was based on the Talyllyn Railway's No. 6 'Douglas', though the model makers took some liberties of course. This original Duncan model remains a fan favourite - his faces and general proportions were aesthetically pleasing and have stayed fairly consistent until the CGI series. Personally I'd love to see this version used as a basis for a Bachmann Duncan. There is ample room in the boiler for the motor and electrics (unlike the CGI model, which I will detail later), this version of Duncan is beloved by practically all fans, and he is as close to his original Talyllyn Railway basis as a Duncan model ever got, which would entice some buyers who are looking to recreate the TR's Douglas or another Andrew-Barclay locomotive.
Series 5 Large Scale Model:
This model of Duncan was a bit odd. Some of his proportions changed when the model makers made larger scale models for this season, and his faces were remade to suit the larger size. These faces were not too noticeably different from his Series 4 faces, though I believe many would say they prefer the earlier faces. However, the model makers were clearly not happy with Duncan's proportions on this model, as they felt the need to redesign it for the very next series. Because this model was seen so briefly, it would be difficult (and make little sense) to use this model as a basis for a possible Bachmann model.
Series 6 Large Scale Model:
This was the remade version of the Large Scale model, which had much closer proportions to the original small scale model. I am generally not a fan of the large scale narrow gauge models, however Duncan is an exception. His new model managed to retain most of the charm of the original model, and also remained fairly close to Duncan's basis on the Talyllyn Railway; Douglas. There is still ample room for a motor inside the boiler, and the model had an open cab. The only other thing worth mentioning is that new faces were made for this large model in Series 6, in addition to the few made for Series 5. These newest faces were not as 'Duncan-like' as the previous ones, and while they were used for quite a long time, they were never the strongest aspect of that version's model.
CGI Series Model:
When the Thomas & Friends animation company 'Nitrogen Studios' planned on reintroducing the Narrow Gauge engines into the show, they visited the Talyllyn Railway in order to get accurate measurements of the real-life counterparts for all the Skarloey Railway engines. Because of this, most of the narrow gauge engines in the CGI series were now very accurate to how their counterparts looked in real life. However, one exception was Duncan. Duncan's basis 'Douglas' was away for an overhaul when Nitrogen came to scan the engines, and so when Duncan was eventually brought back into the show as well (after Arc Productions had taken over animation), the animators did not use Duncan's real life counterpart as a basis at all. As a result, Duncan's CGI model looks the least like Duncan or Douglas than any other version. Not only is he overall too small, but his boiler is undersized, his running board is the wrong colour, his lining is incorrect and yellow instead of black, along with several other small mistakes which add up to make the CGI model possibly the worst portrayal of the character seen on screen to date. This opinion is shared by most Thomas fans, and you can be sure that very few narrow gauge modellers will try using a Bachmann Duncan model as a basis for a real-life steam engine if the model looked like Duncan does in the CGI series. The only reason I could see for using this model as a basis would be because children may recognise him a bit more with his CGI face.
Other versions worth mentioning: The character of Duncan was of course first seen in the Railway Series books (where he was painted red). The illustrators of the books used the Talyllyn Railway's 'Douglas' as a close basis for the character, and there were very few liberties taken. I think its safe to say that the Series 4 modellers used the book illustrations as a basis for Duncan, though they evidently had to change a few things in order to accomodate the necessary electrics and eye mechanism. I believe that many people would be interested in using a possible Bachmann Duncan model as a starting point for recreating TR's Douglas or other similar Andrew-Barclay engines, and while it is true that none of Duncan's models are extremely close to the real-life 'Douglas', I think its safe to say that either the Series 4, 5, or 6 models are the closest in that regard.
My Recommendation
The way I see it, there are three groups of people who want slightly different things. The corporate voices at Mattel most likely want a version of Duncan who is current to the CGI series and most recognisable to children, with little regard for the history of the character's design. Then there are the real-life Narrow Gauge modellers, who would most likely be interested in buying a Bachmann Duncan to use as a starting point for making engines like the Talyllyn Railway's Douglas or other Andrew-Barclays, and Railway Series modellers who want a RWS-accurate Duncan model. Finally, there are TV series fans, who I believe generally agree that the CGI model is not up to scratch and would much prefer a model series era version of Duncan.
In my opinion, the best way for Bachmann to please the corporate voices at Mattel, as well as pleasing those who want to use a Bachmann Duncan to model other real-life engines, AND keep the TV series fans content, would be to use either the Series 4 or Series 6 model as a basis for Duncan's body (which is as close to his real-life counterpart as he ever got) while using the CGI era face, which would make Duncan more recognisable to the children who have now grown up with the CGI era of the show and keep Mattel reasonably happy.
Of course, the beauty of model railways is that everything is customisable, and I'm sure railway modellers of all sorts will enjoy modifying their Bachmann Duncan to suit whichever era or version they like, but for those who want nothing more than to buy an accurate toy of Duncan, this model-era/CGI-era hybrid seems the most appealing option in my eyes.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I'd love to know other people's opinions on this, and I would really like Bachmann to produce the best version of Duncan they can, which is why I decided to get my thoughts down on paper for them to see.
I've attached a photo of the different models and their pros and cons, to better illustrate my argument. Hope that helps! Thanks again!
In any case, good luck!