Thomas and Friends in 2015

[Blackfive1994]

So far, Bachmann has announced the following for 2015

HO

James the Red Engine (Redesigned with black wheels, black tenderaxles and black smokebox sides)

Red Branchline Coaches

Re-tooled Water Tower

any other ideas that would be good for 2015 range?

[Blackfive1994]

Why still complain over the CGI Series? After all, Oliver has returned to the series still in his original personality. Besides his CGI face isn't really much different from his model face. Same with Rosie, if they happen her. I mean her model and CGI face are very similar.

We got most of the classic characters with very few left; Oliver, Boco, and Daisy. Along with many  CGI characters with potential for the future lineup like Hiro, Paxton, the S17-18 characters.
Sure, there are no new engines this year, but can't you admire the buildings from this year's lineup? Also, aren't you happy that the Red Branchline Coaches are announced?

I honestly wouldn't mind if they rehash Diesel into Paxton. Given that he is a likable character.  

I agree with BassTbone, complaining about Bachmann not making Oliver isn't gonna release him any sooner.    

I am happy for the resin buildings and red branchline coaches. it is just the waiting for their model images which is surprisingly taking a while considering that they are using Annie and Clarabel's tooling. However its the different tooling for the brake coach and the roofs must be the main reason.

[Chaz]

I deleted my old post as seeing as how the 2015 announcements are coming up soon, I figured I would update my thoughts on what I think could come out next year for Thomas and Friends.  I am only sharing my thoughts on engines and rolling stock for both ranges, and not really bringing up the subject of buildings, sets, or anything else.

For HO, I think it is more or less of a matter of if we get any engines.  Last year we got 'Arry and Bert which were repaints of Diesel, and this year there were no new engines.  I feel like if we get any new engines next year I feel like a repaint would make the most sense from Bachmann which is why I think Paxton is the most likely candidate to be the next engine in HO.  However his design alone isn't the only reason why I think he's a likely candidate as Paxton has appeared regularly throughout the series since Blue Mountain Mystery.  He's also proven to be liked by older and newer fans which is also why I think he's a good possibility.  I won't rule out Sidney altogether either, because his body is the same as Diesel/Paxton.  However, I think the small number of appearances aren't really enough to make him a popular seller from Bachmann just yet.

If there are any other engines I could see coming out in HO, I feel like the only other engine I do see happening anytime soon would be Oliver.  I know people may flip out because of the video that was posted on Facebook, but no offense to anyone, I can't take a video like that seriously.  Especially with how the questions and statements were made throughout the video.  But more importantly, when it comes to engines with a new tooling Bachmann hasn't done it's hard for me to imagine the engine not being Oliver, mainly for two reasons.  One of them is that he is back in CGI and has already made a handful of appearances in the most recent season.  The other is that he would be the most logical addition to follow up on the sales of Duck, as Duck as proven to be one of the most popular models in the range.  If Bachmann wanted to make an addition to follow up on this model that could potentially sell just as well as Duck, then I think Oliver would make the most sense. 

As for rolling stock, the only piece of rolling stock I can see happening is Toad, to go along with Oliver.  But apart from that, I honestly do not know what to expect from them.  Part of me thinks we could always get a Troublesome Truck #5 or a repainted piece of rolling stock that no one would really expect.  At the same time though, I wouldn't put it past Bachmann to not produce any new pieces of rolling stock due to the red coaches not being released yet, or having any photos revealed. 

For large scale, my thoughts have remained the same as I think Mavis would be the most likely candidate to be the next engine to be introduced in large scale, due to sharing the same chassis as Toby.  At the same time, I feel like if they were to do an engine with a new tooling then I could see Diesel happening at some point too.  Not only because he is the main antagonist in the series, but Diesel's body and chassis could also be reused to make other characters on the show, much like how he has so far with the HO line.  But apart from these two, as well as Henrietta, I do not know what else to expect from the large scale line.  Apart from Toby they have only introduced repainted pieces of rolling stock, which admittedly is a little concerning, but hopefully things will pick up by next year. 

[Blackfive1994]

I deleted my old post as seeing as how the 2015 announcements are coming up soon, I figured I would update my thoughts on what I think could come out next year for Thomas and Friends.  I am only sharing my thoughts on engines and rolling stock for both ranges, and not really bringing up the subject of buildings, sets, or anything else.

For HO, I think it is more or less of a matter of if we get any engines.  Last year we got 'Arry and Bert which were repaints of Diesel, and this year there were no new engines.  I feel like if we get any new engines next year I feel like a repaint would make the most sense from Bachmann which is why I think Paxton is the most likely candidate to be the next engine in HO.  However his design alone isn't the only reason why I think he's a likely candidate as Paxton has appeared regularly throughout the series since Blue Mountain Mystery.  He's also proven to be liked by older and newer fans which is also why I think he's a good possibility.  I won't rule out Sidney altogether either, because his body is the same as Diesel/Paxton.  However, I think the small number of appearances aren't really enough to make him a popular seller from Bachmann just yet.

If there are any other engines I could see coming out in HO, I feel like the only other engine I do see happening anytime soon would be Oliver.  I know people may flip out because of the video that was posted on Facebook, but no offense to anyone, I can't take a video like that seriously.  Especially with how the questions and statements were made throughout the video.  But more importantly, when it comes to engines with a new tooling Bachmann hasn't done it's hard for me to imagine the engine not being Oliver, mainly for two reasons.  One of them is that he is back in CGI and has already made a handful of appearances in the most recent season.  The other is that he would be the most logical addition to follow up on the sales of Duck, as Duck as proven to be one of the most popular models in the range.  If Bachmann wanted to make an addition to follow up on this model that could potentially sell just as well as Duck, then I think Oliver would make the most sense. 

As for rolling stock, the only piece of rolling stock I can see happening is Toad, to go along with Oliver.  But apart from that, I honestly do not know what to expect from them.  Part of me thinks we could always get a Troublesome Truck #5 or a repainted piece of rolling stock that no one would really expect.  At the same time though, I wouldn't put it past Bachmann to not produce any new pieces of rolling stock due to the red coaches not being released yet, or having any photos revealed. 

For large scale, my thoughts have remained the same as I think Mavis would be the most likely candidate to be the next engine to be introduced in large scale, due to sharing the same chassis as Toby.  At the same time, I feel like if they were to do an engine with a new tooling then I could see Diesel happening at some point too.  Not only because he is the main antagonist in the series, but Diesel's body and chassis could also be reused to make other characters on the show, much like how he has so far with the HO line.  But apart from these two, as well as Henrietta, I do not know what else to expect from the large scale line.  Apart from Toby they have only introduced repainted pieces of rolling stock, which admittedly is a little concerning, but hopefully things will pick up by next year. 

i would recommend bachmann using a van tooling for Troublesome Truck #5. they used three open wagons and a cattle van for their four troublesome trucks. They need to start using van toolings more.

[PaulGWR]

personally, I think that the resin buildings will dominate the 2015 season, there are unlimited possibilities with this, they could even dare I say sell the sides of Knapford, but that would be a tad ambitious, Wellsworth could be a good Candidate, but that would require two buildings to be made, as for engines, I do agree about Paxton, he's popular with both kids and adults, and he would be the most economical, I think he would be a good addition, as for G, I dunno if they'll even do an engine this time, but if they did, I feel like they would do either Diesel, Mavis, or Edward.

[TrainFan97]

I wouldn't mind having Paxton. 

[Blackfive1994]

personally, I think that the resin buildings will dominate the 2015 season, there are unlimited possibilities with this, they could even dare I say sell the sides of Knapford, but that would be a tad ambitious, Wellsworth could be a good Candidate, but that would require two buildings to be made, as for engines, I do agree about Paxton, he's popular with both kids and adults, and he would be the most economical, I think he would be a good addition, as for G, I dunno if they'll even do an engine this time, but if they did, I feel like they would do either Diesel, Mavis, or Edward.

Splatter and Dodge would be more economical too. my suggestions for resin buildings are Ffarquhar Station, the Town hall.

[Blackfive1994]

They could also do Henry in his Old Shape. all they need to do is remove his neckholders and top feed and do a curved firebox in place of his square one. or even a Season 1 troublesome truck.

[DinoNTrains]

If they did make Oliver, my only hope would be that he was made the right size (unlike his oddly small CGI counterpart). But other than that, Oliver would be wonderful for Bachmann

[Cirkit:)]

I don't see 'Old Shape Henry' or Splatter/Dodge happening any time soon. Not many younger fans will know why Henry is in a different shape, and some might assume it's a different character altogether, but with the same name. Think the two 'Olivers' on Sodor.
'Splodge' and the other TATMR characters seem unlikely too. The only one among them to still be in the series is Diesel 10, and I doubt he'd be included due to the small parts that would be used for his claw (more moving parts often means easier to break), and he doesn't seem as popular or as well-known as characters like Paxton, Oliver, Hiro, or even 'the background tank engines' Rosie and Stanley.
They do call the hobby 'modeling', I'm sure one could 'bash together their own OSH, or repaint a pair of Diesels into 'Splodge' as I've seen done very well in the past, if they wanted. Or even Daisy. I liked SodorOrient's Daisy a great deal.

I see Pax' making his way into the range in the future. After all, as it's been said, all that would be needed is a simple repaint and a new face, plus those red coupling rods.. !
Oliver and Toad will find their way in too, I imagine, for the reasons Chaz has gladly given us. I should like to see how they do with Ollie. Hopefully he won't have the handrails poking in his forehead, like the 'other brand's 'model, though I hope it lives up to the otherwise overall awesomeness that is our Ol' Ollie

I should expect he'd look good with those Red Coaches coming out soon..

I'd also expect a Troublesome Truck #5 to come along. What van it would be and what face it would sport I'm sure we can all debate upon.

Perhaps we'll see another figurine or a road character to come along too. I'd like to see Trevor, or perhaps.. George?

I agree with all thoughts on the Large Scale Range. Personally, I would like to see Diesel oil his way into the range.

Happy New Year all, I hope this year is a great one for the Bachmann Range, the people who work so hard to give us these models, and.. well.. everyone :p

[Blackfive1994]

For troublesome truck 5, it should be a salt van with a buck tooth face like in the worlds strongest engine.

[Metal]

Watching that interview again, I gotta say,  I felt that the interviewer was quite rude to the rep.

After thinking about it, selecting a new character or rolling stock is a matter of economics and which would have a wide appeal. The rep said that the company wouldn't produce something with limited appeal like they said about Old-Shape Henry, so they will not produce characters like Derek, Lady, Class 40, Old Slow Coach, and other one-offs or characters that had little or allotted screentime.

We should also realize that Bachmann is aiming it's appeal towards the younger audience. So I don't have high expectations with characters like Boco or Daisy, they wouldn't have the same appeal to the target audience as it would to us.  I also highly doubt that they would make Murdoch and Arthur, as well.  Characters like Donald/Douglas, Bill/Ben, Salty, and Duck, and the recently released buildings, especially the upcoming Red Branchline Coaches should be considered a blessing and that the range has 19 engines to choose from.

They would aim for characters that are currently in the show. They would probably rehash Diesel into Paxton, or aim for big icons like Hiro, he's an admired character not just by the Japanese, he's also favored by other fans outside of Japan, I've seen parents from the US and UK say that their kids favor Hiro, as well as they themselves say they that also find fondness in him. I also must include that we older fans too, enjoy Hiro as much as the younger ones. So I would expect that he would sell by bucketloads.

Or if they are trying to grasp the female audience they would go for Rosie since she's very recognizable and is still making appearances in the TV Series, and would have a better appeal to the female perspective of the aimed audience than Daisy or Molly.

If we are gonna see Flying Kipper Vans, they're most likely gonna be repaints, as with Paxton.  If they're gonna make new engine tooling, they would aim for prominent icons. The rep said they not making Oliver for the time being.  So I'm expecting rehashes and repaints in the upcoming future.

Whether or not, you like it if Bachmann happens to make CGI characters instead of finishing up the classic characters. People really need to let go of nostalgia and move on.  It's the least economical way of thinking that the company can do. Just be very grateful for S17/18.

[JLK2707]

You are just spot on! People do need to be grateful for this!

[Cheeky_ULP]

Honestly, I think if Bachmann wants a quick hot seller at minimal tooling costs, they could repaint the ice cream van, salt van or vent van:



and give it a "laughing van" face:


Even if it was a color like green, orange, or blue, I think it would still sell fairly well.


They could also repaint the brake van to match its large scale counterpart:

From this, to this:



Duck is one of Bachmanns best selling engines, and that can be confirmed on Bachmanns Online store:
http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=258_259

   Thomas the Tank Engine™ (with...
   Gordon the Big Express Engine...
   Percy the Small Engine (with...
   Thomas with Annie and Clarabel
   James the Red Engine (with moving...
   Duck (with moving eyes)
   Edward (with moving eyes)
   Deluxe Thomas & Friends™ Special
   Troublesome Truck #1
   Thomas' Fun with Freight Set

He ranks in at #6, beating engines such as Edward and Emily. I think Ducks sales are a testament that even though Oliver would be a whole new tooling, he would be a very good seller.


Of course, you can't have Oliver without Toad, who has a Mainline tooling already, so all they would need to do is put a face on him:


Speaking of Mainline toolings, they also made a hopper which could be brought into the Thomas range:


In case people are wondering, the Mainline range is an old range of UK locomotives and wagons that Bachmann bought the rights to ages ago, and most of their wagons have been reused in the Thomas range already. There's a few wagons not yet used in the Thomas range, such as the GWR Toad brake van and hopper wagon mentioned above, as well as some various open wagons, different brake van designs and tankers.



Curiously, the Ice cream vans original tooling had a sliding door that could open and shut. This feature is not in the Thomas version of the tooling.

[Chaz]

Looking at Sparks' post, I think this is one of the recent posts on this thread I have to agree with the most.  

I agree with the idea that when it comes to new tooling, Oliver does make the most sense due to the success of Duck.  I think he would be a better addition to see in the future as opposed to newer characters like Rosie just because of his popularity and high demand, which are pretty remarkable and undeniable.  If Bachmann wanted to make a new tooling of a character, why spend the money on characters that are seen less often in the show nowadays or even on characters like Hiro that have larger designs with lots of small details?  I think the only other engine that has a decent shot at this point is Paxton, but aside from him, that's really it.

As for the rolling stock mentioned, the repainted stock he mentioned as potential candidates for Troublesome truck #5 would be almost ideal.  Troublesome Truck #4 itself was a disappointment, but if we had something similar to what was shown in Sparks' post I would consider that a serious improvement.  

A brake van revision is a must.  It's been a while since we have had rolling stock revisions, but if we are getting a James revision, I feel like a brake van revision would also be a nice treat.  

Ex-mainline tooling rolling stock such as Toad and the hopper would also make very good candidates for rolling stock.  Maybe even a simple goods van with the same tooling as the ventilated van and ice cream wagon would make a nice addition to the range too.