One of my concerns is that, will the chassis of the new version of Thomas still work with the snow plough that comes with the holiday sets?

I saw this mentioned on Twitter recently and I figured it would be worth mentioning here too:



On the Bachmann Oliver and Rosie, the whistles are molded into the cab, rather than a separate detail piece. This makes me wonder what direction they'll take for Thomas.



On the N scale model, his whistles are molds. I wouldn't be surprised if Bachmann went this route to keep the costs of a new tooling down, but it would be much nicer looking if his whistle was a separate piece.

Curiously, this wasn't the case for Stanley:



He got a normal separate piece for a whistle.

Even the N scale Percy and Gordon got separate pieces:



It makes me wonder what the rhyme and reason is, since we have different design choices in both scales.

I forgot about the 6 wheel tenders, that was another odd design choice.

I was also thinking recently about how Wonders of Sodor, a licensed game that came out recently, had its own take on Thomas and Friends' character designs, in an officially approved product no less.



Instead of using the BWBA models, they did their own take on all the "extra" details. These designs were very well received by the general fandom, and it's easy to see why; the new details are much more subtle and tasteful, enhancing the CGI models without feeling intrusive. I don't see Bachmann adding these specific details, but it would be a fun project for anyone who wants to "enhance" the upcoming Thomas and Percy redesigns.



Though, Percy's drive wheels didn't regain their counter-weights.

The point is though, that based on this and Sir Handel, Mattel does allow some creative liberties.

If Bachmann does make Splatter and Dodge, they may or may not have to remove the front wiring connecting the headlamps, if possible. 'Arry and Bert got molded with them. If it's possible to change the tooling to where there's no wiring connecting the headlamps, Bachmann can also rerelease 'Arry and Bert with the new front ends, and different faces, with 'Arry having little or no stubble. The new 'Arry and Bert will sell a lot better with the new faces and front end tooling. I think Splatter and Dodge will happen in HO Scale first, since we got Diesel 10 announced recently, while 'Arry and Bert could get announced for N Scale before Bachmann considers reintroducing them to HO Scale, or announcing them for Large Scale. I can definitely see Large Scale getting Sidney and Mainland Diesel not long after their HO Scale models hit store shelves.

I, too, would be interested in more info on the new Davenport. I have an original one, but after having replaced the drive train three times due to split gears, I've given up and it looks real pretty sitting in the yard.

BB1, if your PCB has jumpers as shown in the picture, then you have the 8-pin jack. BTW, I have a 1995 vintage HO Doodlebug and it has the 8-pin jack, FWIW.  If not, the wires are usually connected to the edge of the PCB via little clips. In that case, you will have to solder. As long as there are at least 7 wires connected to the PCB the motor should be electrically isolated. Best of luck. Fred

My hobby shop never received notification of Heisler. Trainworld never had it listed. It would help if Bachmann would notify customers of pre-order dates.

Can you preorder the Davenport currently?

I hope next year we see the toffee tanker wagon and Hannah in HO scale, along with Large Scale origins James, Edward, Edward in N scale, the TAR and milk tanker wagons, the spiteful brake van and a normal BR 20 Ton brake van in N scale as well. I also hope we see Splatter and Dodge in HO scale. I also hope in narrow gauge we get Smudger. You can always buy more than one tanker wagon and customise it. Won't be official, but it serves.

Quote from: Cheeky_ULP on August 06, 2026, 08:39:12 PMThere are definitely a lot of "inaccuracies" with models currently in the works; Thomas' smokebox saddle, Percy's CGI model missing the counterweights, Scotsman having the wrong tender lining on his CGI model, and of course Diesel 10s elevated body.

Personally, I think Bachmann knows to do their research and pick which details will best suit the taste of the fans, but Mattel does have the final say on how accurate the models are to their actual designs. It's a miracle that they allowed Sir Handel to be as derivative as he is.

Scotsman's tender also having 6 wheels, where as in real life he has 8 wheels on his tender is another one that annoys me, not as much as Percy's missing counterweights but still is quite disappointing.

If anyone needs a new chassis in HO Scale, it's Toby. He would run a lot better if he actually had side rods like his N Scale model. The body itself may not be that flawed.