James is coming soon!

[InsideTrack]

http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=879_756_772_774&products_id=1747

No exact delivery date yet. Watch our website to see when he arrives.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Bachmann Trains

[Cheeky_ULP]

Are those black wheels I see?

[Falcon]

The black wheels and axleboxes look pretty cool. His smokebox still needs an update, but outside of that, I love the model's looks.  

Percy could use an update as well, though I don't think he'd have any chance of happening.

[sean1994rail]

The black wheels and axleboxes look pretty cool. His smokebox still needs an update, but outside of that, I love the model's looks.  

Percy could use an update as well, though I don't think he'd have any chance of happening.

I'm sure they will fix the smokebox sides with it's correct black colour before it's re-release.

[ThomasFan1993]

Looks absolutely stunning! I can also see that the lining on his tender has been corrected also. Smashing work!

[TrainshockeylifE]

Does anyone think Bachmann will soon make James in the CGI face?

[Captain Crutch]

Does anyone think Bachmann will soon make James in the CGI face?

Probably not as that updated picture doesn't have a new face. But Spencer is missing his front buffers in his picture so you never know.

[Chaz]

There, now everyone can stop talking about this.

Honestly this isn't worth getting that excited over, sure it's nice they have the wheels Black amongst a few other details but they didn't fix every paint error, the face is the same with no update, and it has the same motor before.  If people are planning on buying this then by all means go for it, but for me these are things revisions a lot of Thomas fans have done in the past with James models so it's not something I'm overly keen on. 

Yes it's an improvement, but will it be an improvement in the sales it had before?  Honestly, probably not.

[Griffin (TheBlueSnowplow)]

There, now everyone can stop talking about this.

Honestly this isn't worth getting that excited over, sure it's nice they have the wheels Black amongst a few other details but they didn't fix every paint error, the face is the same with no update, and it has the same motor before.  If people are planning on buying this then by all means go for it, but for me these are things revisions a lot of Thomas fans have done in the past with James models so it's not something I'm overly keen on. 

Yes it's an improvement, but will it be an improvement in the sales it had before?  Honestly, probably not.

It's only a picture, we have no idea what all might actually be changed and I for one believe that might include the motor. You never know, it's better to wait and see I think ...

[Cheeky_ULP]

If anything, this will make people talk about revising James even more, as well as other engines now.

Honestly, I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet for something I don't see mentioned when it comes to revisions: The tooling itself. Most of Bachmanns newest toolings, including Oliver, have the body of the locomotive made up of a largely singular solid piece with a few accessories attached. James, Thomas and Percy on the other hand, are a huge assortment of parts; the cab, the boilers, the footplates, etc. If they did a new body tooling that was one condensed tooling, they could probably save resources on the assembly line.

[Chaz]

It's only a picture, we have no idea what all might actually be changed and I for one believe that might include the motor. You never know, it's better to wait and see I think ...

Except when the only thing behind this revision was the paint change, then why would they change the motor in the process?  It would actually cost them more money to do even more of a drastic change.  Especially with how minimal the revision the model itself had based on the picture.

[Griffin (TheBlueSnowplow)]

It's only a picture, we have no idea what all might actually be changed and I for one believe that might include the motor. You never know, it's better to wait and see I think ...

Except when the only thing behind this revision was the paint change, then why would they change the motor in the process?  It would actually cost them more money to do even more of a drastic change.  Especially with how minimal the revision the model itself had based on the picture.

All I'm saying is that it's too early to predict what they might've done, what's the harm in giving them the benefit of the doubt?

[Chaz]

Because it probably won't happen... the fact that they bothered with a paint revision at all is kind of a miracle seeing as how the model didn't even go as far as to update the face, something that Bachmann would far more likely revise than a motor is really saying something about the odds of a new motor happening in the process.

[Griffin (TheBlueSnowplow)]

A new face would require a totally new mould as well as probably licensing privileges from HiT/Mattel. A motor is, in my eyes at least, something they have far more control over since they themselves are in charge of the mechanical aspect- the physical appearance of the model is something that HiT and Mattel control. This was confirmed on a thread somewhere here. 

[Cheeky_ULP]

A new face would require a totally new mould as well as probably licensing privileges from HiT/Mattel. A motor is, in my eyes at least, something they have far more control over since they themselves are in charge of the mechanical aspect- the physical appearance of the model is something that HiT and Mattel control. This was confirmed on a thread somewhere here. 

It's surprising Mattel hasn't mandated CGI faces yet, considering just about every other toy range made the same move, even Tomix.