Lionel has Halloween train stuff, as seen on Trainworld:

https://www.trainworld.com/model-trains/trains/halloween.html

But, Bachmann has never done their take on a Halloween train set before. I think it's about time that Bachmann should make one for HO Scale. They have several Christmas train sets, including a few Thomas ones, but they've never done Halloween before. I have an idea for a Halloween set.

A USRA 0-6-0 or GP40 in spooky colors, or could even have glow-in-the-dark paint, as an idea. Rolling stock can include a vampire coffin flatbed, a witches' brew tank car, or maybe a spooky-themed box car and caboose. Monster passenger cars are another idea.

Just something I thought of.

I normally stick with the Thomas & Friends board, but as we get closer to the holiday season, I do have some ideas for non-Thomas products that can use existing toolings, including more Christmas-themed locomotives and rolling stock. A wider variety of separate sale North Pole & Southern locomotives and rolling stock. Currently, the only locomotive under that roadname is the USRA 0-6-0. Here's a list of others that I think would look great Christmas-themed:

Steam:
American 4-4-0
Baldwin 4-6-0
2-6-2 Prairie
USRA 4-6-2 Light Pacific
Russian Decapod (Might be the most expensive)

Diesel:
GP40
GP7
FT-A
44-Ton Switcher
70-ton Switcher

For rolling stock, NP&S passenger cars would be a great idea, including the old-fashioned 1860-1880 era, as well as heavyweight passenger cars, caboose, and maybe a flatcar loaded with a Christmas tree.

Hopefully, some of those ideas could possibly get made at some point. Any of them would expand the Christmas variety and you would get to create whichever Christmas train you want. You might have ideas yourself that you'd like to share.

Now that the Harwick duo exists in HO Scale (both Ryan and Daisy), what should be the next duo of engines to be made in HO Scale? There's the Waste Dump duo which has Whiff and Scruff, and the Dieselworks duo which has Den and Dart. All of them require new toolings.

Whiff would be about as long as Ryan, and they would have to make his front wheels powered; a similar thing to Emily. If Whiff's glasses were to have lenses, they can be clear plastic, like windows. The glasses being a feature unique to him. If we do get Whiff, Scruff would become inevitable to complete the Waste Dump duo. If rubbish trucks were to be introduced as rolling stock, they can have a new trash bag load.

Den would be a great choice for the next newly-tooled diesel in HO Scale, who originated from the CGI series. Has had considerably more speaking roles than Norman, another diesel that would require a new tooling. Dart would have Natalie (a one-off character like Beau from the same film) as a potential recolor. The only issue with Dart would be his small size, but he could be scaled up just a little, like Oliver was.

With the Harwick duo now out of the way, should we have trash pickup or diesel repair next? I know the demand for Hiro has skyrocketed since Rebecca's announcement, and he definitely should be the next tender engine for HO Scale. Definitely one of, if not the most popular character to originate from the CGI series. This post is about which pair of characters should be next. If Hiro isn't feasible at this time, there are other options.

In the Bachmann Daisy thread, I had been talking about BoCo and Diesel 10 a lot, so I thought I should just give this topic its own thread.

Here, we can discuss who the next long bogie diesel in HO Scale range should be, since Bachmann Daisy brought those engines into the picture. I've narrowed the choices down to BoCo and Diesel 10, since they seem the most possible, while Class 40 and Derek were one-off characters, and the Chinese Diesel and Noor Jehan were international engines from the infamous "Big World Big Adventures" era.

Regarding Diesel 10, I know what you're thinking. Many people, including myself, have pointed out countless times that his claw breeches NMRA standards, but we never had the time to really THINK about it. I now have a counterargument for Diesel 10's claw. Bachmann has done non-Thomas breakdown cranes and electric engines with pantographs that stick out the top, and the NMRA didn't stop Bachmann there. I'm sure Bachmann could figure out a way to get Diesel 10's claw incorporated. Of course, the claw would have to be manually operated, but that's no problem. Bachmann making Diesel 10 could also open up the window for Harvey, but Diesel 10 is big enough to have both the claw and eye mechanism. Diesel 10's claw could even be removable if it has to. He would be the first engine in the Bachmann Thomas range to have a movable part other than eyes. I heard Bachmann did consider Diesel 10 many years ago, but it never actually came into fruition. Now that we have Daisy, Bachmann should reconsider Diesel 10, and see if he ever will get made. Apart from Daisy, Diesel 10 is the only other long bogie diesel to appear in the CGI series who isn't international. He's also the only Magic Railroad-originated character to appear in the CGI series. Though, he would need a completely different chassis from Daisy. The claw could also make Diesel 10 a little more expensive, but high prices didn't stop Skarloey from being a huge hit. Diesel 10 would be a huge seller if he is possible. If not, there is another option...

...BoCo! I know he never appeared in the CGI series, nor the show itself in over two decades, but he is a nostalgic character. BoCo's rear bogie could be modified slightly from Daisy's, but he would need a six-wheeled bogie at the front. BoCo would be Bachmann's first ever diesel to have a "Co-Bo" configuration. At this moment, the pre-CGI character with the most demand is Stepney, and if Stepney does get announced, it should really help to raise BoCo's chances. If fans are vocal enough about wanting BoCo, and the demand is high enough, Bachmann could acknowledge his demand like they did for Stepney. Both of them are characters that have been requested for many years. BoCo shouldn't be too hard for Bachmann to make, since his overall shape is a box, and he's not too terribly detailed either. BoCo would also be a huge seller from Bachmann.

I decided to make a thread dedicated to the upcoming recently-announced Ryan for HO Scale.

It's good that with both Ryan and Daisy on the horizon, we can have the Harwick duo in HO Scale. Ryan will be the largest steam engine in the HO Scale range in quite some time. He also has a unique livery that makes him stand out from the other models Bachmann has made. He's one of those CGI characters that's actually likeable. I do plan on picking him up once he's available. Daisy for sure I'll be picking up once she's available.

You now have the perfect place to discuss Ryan.

The fans have been going nuts over this topic lately, so I decided to make a separate thread regarding this reboot.

The decision to remove Edward and Henry from the Steam Team did raise questions, but that doesn't mean they're gone from the show. I myself would've preferred them to stay, but this is beyond our control. We're gonna have to get used to it. I get why everyone is upset about Edward and Henry not being main characters anymore. You can't always get what you want. At least Bachmann Edward and Henry sales are still strong.

Also, 13 episodes will have Thomas traveling the world, while the other half will be episodes taking place on Sodor. It's just like Season 4, where literally half of it was focused on the Narrow Gauge engines. This is the first time since Season 12 where the actual episodes are seven minutes long.

This isn't the first time the show made a drastic change. Season 13 was when the show became full CGI, and that also raised questions, but I got used to it. There are many things they can't do with models, plus the budget is lower. CGI made the Arlesdale engines possible. I can get used to the bouncing engines. I'll say that Journey Beyond Sodor had way too much, but what can you do? Season 21 had significantly less bouncing.

Mattel has both the older and younger fans in mind. Who knows? Maybe they'll still bring back classic characters. For example, if BoCo doesn't return this season, he might return next season. They did bring back Terence and Bulgy this season. Characters like Duke, BoCo, and Stepney still have a chance to return, so I wouldn't kiss their chances goodbye of getting Bachmann models sometime in the future.

Like everybody else, I myself wasn't calm about it at first, and I was shocked that Edward and Henry got dropped from the Steam Team, but I've been calming down. I want the show to live on, and I don't want to see it cancelled. Mattel NEEDS to make money, or there will BE no show.

Mark Moraghan isn't narrating anymore, but he's not really leaving the show.

Everyone just needs to stop grumbling. It spreads bad atmosphere in the yard. I'm trying to get everyone else to calm down.

Now that the first trailer is out, here is the official thread to discuss your thoughts on Journey Beyond Sodor!

However, there is a rumor that BoCo is supposed to return in this special, when there's no actual proof of it happening. I'll believe it when I see it. If that doesn't happen, then maybe someone was trolling us. There is always Season 21 though. We haven't seen returnee characters reintroduced in a season since Season 18, excluding Daisy's minor cameo in Thomas the Babysitter from Season 19.

This is the first time we see tankers with faces since Season 4, excluding Philip's fantasy of a tanker with Gordon's face in the last special.

Oliver and Duck appear to be in there for the fanservice, once again... which is really getting old...

Looks like the engines now move their bodies around when talking, like from Chuggington.

Here's the official thread to discuss your thoughts on the upcoming HO Scale Paxton model.

They used to announce at least two engines in HO Scale a year, but lately, they've only been announcing one a year. I think we can blame economics for that. Not just that, but they haven't made any tender engines since Donald and Douglas. Nowadays, we just get tank engines and diesel shunters. We still have yet to get a diesel who ISN'T a shunter, like Daisy. Not saying the announcements were bad though. No no no. They were good.

I think choosing Paxton was an economical decision, for obvious reasons. They could be saving Sidney for the next time they need to do something like this.

I'm not against Paxton at all. I'm actually really looking forward to him. Paxton fans can finally get their hands on a model of him without going through the trouble of modelling. Paxton is one of those NON-antagonistic diesels. After Paxton, the only Diesel clone left would be Sidney. I don't see them making Splodge anytime soon, due to the fact that they're one-offs, but, Bachmann sometimes surprises us, after all, we're getting the Spiteful Brakevan in Large Scale, a Season 2 character, only speaking in one episode. I still wouldn't really expect the Splodge pair anytime soon.

Share your excitement, and your thoughts.

The official thread to discuss returnee characters in the show.

In Blown Away, Duck doesn't even mention the Great Western, for once.

Daisy has been having much more screen time than she's EVER had in the model series. Having THREE starring roles in the same season, although Ryan and Daisy focused mostly on Ryan.

Oliver still has yet to get a starring role since his return. Toad has enough.

Love Me Tender was the first time Donald and Douglas had starring roles since Season 7, Bad Day at Castle Loch.

Bill and Ben have been well-developed and they can really make an episode funny with their pranks and occasional bickering.

Can't wait to see more of Duncan's stubbornness.

Harvey had some decent roles, though he could use more.

BoCo still has yet to return. Seriously, it's taking forever. We just want BoCo back already! He hasn't appeared since Season 5. I have an idea. If they make a new episode about BoCo, they can bring up the fact that he hasn't been seen in such a long time, like how Duck greeted Donald and Douglas in Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, or Judy and Jerome in The Missing Breakdown Train with the fact that they hadn't been used since Rocky arrived.

Here is the official thread to discuss your 2017 wishlists. Never too early for wishlists. Here's my 2017 wishlist:

HO
Paxton, Sidney, Daisy, or Stanley
Percy or Diesel with speed activated sound
James with proper colors
Troublesome Truck #6 (Tanker)
Water Tanker
Brown Van

Narrow Gauge
Sir Handel, Peter Sam, or Rusty
Red and Blue Coaches
Red, Blue, and Brown Brakevans

Large
Edward, Mavis, Diesel, or Bill and Ben
Troublesome Truck #3
Henrietta
Red Coaches

Buildings
Ffarquhar
Henry's Tunnel

Here is the official thread to discuss what scales you wish Bachmann would get the license to produce Thomas & Friends products in.

I think it would be nice if Bachmann were to get the license to produce Thomas & Friends products in O scale, and the Standard Gauge engines in N scale.

Maybe if we do get O Scale, we could eventually get another Narrow Gauge range in On30 Scale. Right now, the HO Narrow Gauge range only just started.

What do you think?

If you could send ONE character away from the show, never to return, who would it be?

Leave your answer in the comments.

Hi.

Do you think Bachmann should make E-Z Track in Large Scale?

Dear Mr. Bach-man,

I got a request for an HO scale train set.

The loco would be an 0-4-0 diesel locomotive with unpainted outside-frame side rods with no link rods. It would be a dark gray colored diesel loco that's a little shorter than the Chattanooga steam engine without the tender. It should sort-of look like a mini 70 ton switcher. The loco would be pulling a tanker car, a box car, a hopper, and a caboose.

The loco is also an original design.

The track would be a loop with 2 straight pieces.

I can't think of a name for the set. It would be up to you.

If this set becomes real, let's hope it would sell. This is just a suggestion.

Hi.

I was wondering if it would be a good idea for Bachmann to start making Thomas & Friends models in N scale. That would be the third scale for their Thomas models. Starting off HO, then Large, and if they started making Thomas models in N scale, I wonder how good they'd sell.

The N scale models probably wouldn't have an eye mechanism, because they'd be too small for that. N scale would be for those who would like models even smaller than HO scale.

Should Bachmann give their Thomas models a third scale? Would that be a good idea? I think so. Maybe it would start out like the HO models. The first engines being Thomas, Percy, and James.

Hi.

Here is the official thread for 2015 predictions. Feel free to say yours. Here are mine:

HO:
Stepney
Oliver
Toad
Troublesome Truck #5 (Should be a salt wagon)

Large:
Edward
Henrietta
Troublesome Truck #3

What's up? I decided to make this thread for people to share their predictions of what Troublesome Truck #4 would be. It could be one of the following:

•Season 1 Troublesome Truck
•CGI Troublesome Truck
•The van from "A Close Shave For Duck"
•A salt wagon with a face

I won't really care which one it will be. I'll be okay with what they've chosen. What do you think it will be?

BoCo was a great diesel character who was introduced in season 2 of the show. He was in a few episodes of season 3. He was in season 4, never spoke there, but he did make cameos. The last time we ever saw BoCo was in season 5, Double Teething Troubles, which introduced another diesel engine who also never came back, Derek. Too bad BoCo left the show after that episode. It's like that Derek is a one-off character, like Splatter and Dodge. Derek would've been a great character to have on the show.

Derek did make a small cameo in a Calling All Engines music video. I would like a petition to make both BoCo and Derek to return to the show. HiT Entertainment took over, and ruined everything. They introduce countless amounts of new characters, and abandon the older ones. Some people say that Emily replaced Duck. Maybe it's because there were people who thought the show needed a major female character, so they'd stop thinking the show is sexist or something. How many new characters do they need to have?

The big question is, whatever happened to BoCo? Whatever happened to Derek? They're both obscure and abandoned. They must return. I don't want them to be forgotten like Duke! What also puzzles me is that they did bring back Diesel 10, but they never brought back Splodge. Daisy was in Calling All Engines, but she never spoke. Maybe they should bring her back as well.

It's also too bad that the show won't return to the old style. The classic episodes were creative and were not very childish compared to what we have now!

Hello everyone!  

I started this thread, so everyone can talk about the new analog sound Thomas that's coming soon!

Share your thoughts on it right here!

I thought I'd start this thread, so everyone can talk about the new 'Arry and Bert models Bachmann announced today.

Personally, I'm glad that they announced 'Arry and Bert instead of Oliver. 'Arry and Bert may have been in demand longer, and they are really easy projects. They just need to modify Diesel. Oliver would've required them to start from scratch.

Feel free to say your thoughts on the new models!