Quote from: Joecool on February 22, 2026, 10:30:02 PMHi all,
So this is a first time messeger
The first thing I wanted to message in here since I watched the clip taking about whether bachmann will start making the 2026 looking Thomas from the new show
All I'm saying is.. please bachmann DO NOT start making stuff from the new show I beg of you please just carry on with how the characters look from the OG show like what you're doing now.

Ultimately, they're going to go in whatever direction that sells the most. And honestly, if they do go the direction of the new series, I'm not opposed to it. Also it's not like the CG stuff will go away, in my opinion at last. A bunch of the older stuff still has model era faces & features. So the existing current CG stuff (Ryan, Rebecca, Paxton, etc) will likely not go anywhere.

Bachmann have said that sticking to the CG era is their choice to help attract younger interest. So if switching to the 2026 design will insure that, so be it.

I think it would be better for Bachmann to wait and see whether this new reboot actually has some staying power before taking the 2026 reboot designs and characters into consideration. Especially since we still know very little about the reboot. We do not have confirmed episode details, information on the special, or even an official trailer yet. At this point, we do not even know whether the reboot will actually be successful.

Matt mentioned in the recent Trainworld stream that they are going to do as much as they can to be consistent for the most part. Taking that at face value, it is safe to assume they are aware of the reboot but will ultimately want to wait things out before considering adding anything from the new show, including updated character designs for future models. With no proof of long term success, waiting is the most sensible approach.

If, and only if, this rebrand actually performs well, I think many fans would agree that Bachmann should maintain their current level of consistency for as long as possible while still focusing on long requested characters, such as Hiro and Whiff in HO and Edward and Duck in N scale. If Bachmann later decides to look into reboot designs for any other projects after these popular requests, then so be it. But if this rebrand takes a nosedive like AEG, then Bachmann should stick with what has proven to work for their Thomas ranges and focus on solid long term decisions rather than short term trends that would only appeal to a smaller audience.

I think the for the most part is very important to read into.

For example, say a Thomas and Percy retool end up happening, they could use 2026 as the baseline to then further expand from there and be consistent. There's also the chance that the big redesigns, such as Flynn, or Charlie and Whiff's seeming gender swaps, could be part of it. Depending on how those play out in marketing and prominence, or on how Mattel wants that pushed, those could force Bachmann's hands in that regard. I think anyone else, such as say Hiro, or Nia, and I guess that's it confirmed so far, would probably be CGI. I also don't think we'd have to worry too much about the other side ranges like N or G too much. As they have already said those lines are more geared to adults, unless this show takes the fandom by storm I doubt that'd change much, so we shouldn't worry at that front until later.

I was going to ask whether the Bachmann 2026 catalogue has been released or not if you can find out and get back to me when you get a chance that would be great thanks

Quote from: Jake86 on February 28, 2026, 03:53:16 AMI was going to ask whether the Bachmann 2026 catalogue has been released or not if you can find out and get back to me when you get a chance that would be great thanks

Yes, it has been released, and can be found here:
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/Bachmann_2026/

In regards to if the new Thomas 2026 show will have any effect on the Bachmann range, all I'll say is it's probably best to wait and see as it's still too early to tell, even for Bachmann.

Even when AEG was still going Bachmann still produced stuff from the CGI era with some Model and RWS stuff thrown in as well, so fans of previous era's are all kept happy. If the new show does well and fans want merchandise based on it, it may happen. I'd be singing a different tune if say, they finally do Hiro and he's based off the new design with the 51 on the nameplate (please don't lol), but I feel like they wouldn't do that.

The good thing is that Bachmann have done a very good job at listening to fan reception and wishes thanks to both the forums and the trianworld livestreams, which I am very grateful for. So I don't think we have much to worry about.

Bachmann were never going to make AEG characters or items...

Quote from: GordonPacific04 on March 03, 2026, 11:45:43 AMIn regards to if the new Thomas 2026 show will have any effect on the Bachmann range, all I'll say is it's probably best to wait and see as it's still too early to tell, even for Bachmann.

Even when AEG was still going Bachmann still produced stuff from the CGI era with some Model and RWS stuff thrown in as well, so fans of previous era's are all kept happy. If the new show does well and fans want merchandise based on it, it may happen. I'd be singing a different tune if say, they finally do Hiro and he's based off the new design with the 51 on the nameplate (please don't lol), but I feel like they wouldn't do that.

The good thing is that Bachmann have done a very good job at listening to fan reception and wishes thanks to both the forums and the trianworld livestreams, which I am very grateful for. So I don't think we have much to worry about.

Why was the TAR tanker wagon discontinued in large scale?

Quote from: JLK2707 on March 06, 2026, 06:19:18 AMWhy was the TAR tanker wagon discontinued in large scale?

We sold out of our existing stock, and didn't have enough sales to justify a re-order.

Tbh I was wondering why they were made so long . I guess that's why

Quote from: Yard Master on March 06, 2026, 08:56:11 AM

Quote from: JLK2707 on March 06, 2026, 06:19:18 AMWhy was the TAR tanker wagon discontinued in large scale?

We sold out of our existing stock, and didn't have enough sales to justify a re-order.

Fair enough. Is it possible for it to be reintroduced if enough people want it back? Could enough demand justify its return?

I have a Question regarding the Bachmann Thomas and Friends train sets, will they use nickel silver track with the gray roadbed going forward, or will they still use steel alloy track with the black roadbed?

Bachmann just showed the unpainted sample for the N Scale roundhouse. At some point, it can easily be repainted into Tidmouth Sheds, so we'd have the Thomas version of it. Then we can have N Scale Tidmouth Sheds, and that will really build some N Scale layouts. Tidmouth Sheds would be an iconic piece for your N Scale Thomas layout.

Quote from: TrainFan97 on March 09, 2026, 05:58:56 PMBachmann just showed the unpainted sample for the N Scale roundhouse. At some point, it can easily be repainted into Tidmouth Sheds, so we'd have the Thomas version of it. Then we can have N Scale Tidmouth Sheds, and that will really build some N Scale layouts. Tidmouth Sheds would be an iconic piece for your N Scale Thomas layout.

Knowing Bachmann's history with repaints, we could get a N Scale Tidmouth Sheds announcement in a few years.

I think it's a matter of when an N scale Tidmouth Sheds announcement will come, not if. All they would need to do is repaint the sheds, replace the doors, and offer additional parts that fans could add to the Bachmann N scale turntable, such as the metal turntable walls and the operator's cabin.

One thing I'm surprised no one has brought up yet is how wide the N scale roundhouse is. This is because the roundhouse was designed to accommodate Bachmann's N scale turntable. A similar situation happened with the HO model; however, the key difference is that Bachmann's N scale turntable has fewer tracks than the HO version. As a result, the roundhouse takes up a larger radius of space than the HO one, which is strange to think about. I can't imagine they'd add an expansion pack for this, but if they did, adding just one additional stall would require about half the tracks available on the turntable for the roundhouse, which is even crazier to think about.

That said, for what it is, I think it's a nice roundhouse for those looking for something simple or for a beginner's layout. If you're aiming for something more realistic, more accurate, or with better proportions, then this probably isn't for you, but that goes without saying. I'm happy for those who are excited about it, though, and I think people who know what they're getting with the N scale roundhouse will be very happy with it. Especially when Tidmouth Sheds gets its inevitable announcement for the N scale range. Like I said, it's just not my cup of tea.

Now, if we get Cranky, or even some of the resin buildings in N scale, then we'll talk.