2019 Official Announcements

[TrainshockeylifE]

If any of you guys noticed, they took the Narrow gauge coaches off the website....

[TrainMan2001]

If any of you guys noticed, they took the Narrow gauge coaches off the website....

They're actually still on it, you just have to go through the HO Scale section to find them rather than the Thomas & Friends section.

[Chaz]

They are also in the catalog too.  Hopefully they made it on display at Toy Fair.

[TerencetheTractor525]

Here is a link for anyone who is desperate to make their own troublesome trucks with classic faces:

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/the-faces-of-trouble?s=0

Perhaps this could give Bachmann some ideas if Troublesome Truck #6 were to be announced next year.

[Cheeky_ULP]

Yes, Sean has advertised his store on here before, which is technically against the rules. Don't see what much it has to do with the 2019 announcements, either.

[TerencetheTractor525]

Fair point. Just thought that I should spread the word for anyone who missed the post the first time.

[TrainFan97]

I'd love to see how the NG faces would look on tankers.

[Chaz]

Once again, prices have gone up quite tremendously. It seems year after year Mattel is demanding more money for the Thomas license, and prices continue to rise over 200% than they were just a bit less than a decade ago. There isn't much of a reason for this beyond Mattel, which is a bit of a joke when they're continually losing money.

If you want to add insult to injury, the HO range only made two new engine toolings in six years since Mattel bought Hit, (Oliver and Rosie).  It really doesn’t justify the prices behind the current models in the range and the production and licensing behind them.  It’s ridiculous how the prices manage to go up every year because of Mattel’s poor marketing choices.

Large scale is even worse with Toby being the only engine Bachmann added to the range since Mattel bought Hit too (not including Winston).  Even though the large scale market is pretty poor in general, it doesn’t justify the high prices in that range too.  Plus I’m sure Mattel’s ridiculous pricing and licensing are why Diesel got cancelled, so there’s that going against them too.  

[TrainFan97]

Sounds like Mattel's takeover has done far more harm than good. They don't know how to run the franchise properly, and they constantly make poor business decisions.

[Streak]

It doesn't help that (from what I've heard on Twitter) they're forcing  certain places that used to sell Thomas toys and DVDS to not sell them anymore.

How do they expect to make money if they don't even sell anything? Plz can Hasbro just buy the franchise or Mattel as a whole already?

[DrNickRiviera995]

A real bummer.  I was really hoping for 2 Narrow Guage engines, but we get nothing.  Almost makes me want to sell off what I have in NG and forget about it if were never going to get the rest of the core engines.

[Chaz]

A real bummer.  I was really hoping for 2 Narrow Guage engines, but we get nothing.  Almost makes me want to sell off what I have in NG and forget about it if were never going to get the rest of the core engines.

Personally, I would wait until Rusty and the coaches are out first before selling anything.  It seems clear to me that the only reason that range didn’t get anything this year is likely because they are waiting to get everything that’s been delayed released before announcing more products.

[Angelob6660]

Once again, prices have gone up quite tremendously. It seems year after year Mattel is demanding more money for the Thomas license, and prices continue to rise over 200% than they were just a bit less than a decade ago. There isn't much of a reason for this beyond Mattel, which is a bit of a joke when they're continually losing money.

If you want to add insult to injury, the HO range only made two new engine toolings in six years since Mattel bought Hit, (Oliver and Rosie).  It really doesn’t justify the prices behind the current models in the range and the production and licensing behind them.  It’s ridiculous how the prices manage to go up every year because of Mattel’s poor marketing choices.

Large scale is even worse with Toby being the only engine Bachmann added to the range since Mattel bought Hit too (not including Winston).  Even though the large scale market is pretty poor in general, it doesn’t justify the high prices in that range too.  Plus I’m sure Mattel’s ridiculous pricing and licensing are why Diesel got cancelled, so there’s that going against them too.  

The raising of high prices on Thomas HO is one reason I'm not getting the N Scale range. If Thomas trains and cars are going to cost as a normal diesel locomotive and rolling stock. I'll skip thomas and purchase regular engines and cars.

[TrainFan97]

Forcing stores to stop selling your products is literally saying "We don't want to make money!"

[rjmets41]

I just listened to an interview with Lionel's head of traditional scale product, which includes the Thomas and Friends line. Now although Lionel does more "toy-like" models than Bachmann's more realistic models, she claims that Mattel and they have a great relationship. She added that Mattel has given them suggestions on what to make but did not exactly tell them what to make. Last point here, they are also looking to expand the line past the four main characters now.

Don't assume that everything is Mattel's fault. There are more factors that go into producing Thomas and Friends models than just what Mattel says and its unfair to both Bachmann and Mattel to say such things.