Bachmann Thomas & Friends in 2019

[TrainFan97]

It would really be nice for Fred Pelhay and Rickety to get reconsidered for HO Scale, but the reason they got cancelled is most likely because they're RWS-only characters, and they never appeared in the television series most likely for budget reasons.

Just like Toad, Bradford can also be made using a Bachmann UK tooling, but we can't have Bradford without Samson. I think using that same tooling, Bachmann can make the brown brake van from the CGI series.

Narrow Gauge could use brake vans right about now, but another piece of rolling stock I'd like to see in that range is a Troublesome Slate Truck, which would be a slate wagon with a face on it.

If we get a troublesome tanker in HO Scale, should it be a tar, milk, or oil tanker? I think Troublesome Truck #6 should be a return of the Tar Tanker, but this time, having a face. Many people want the Tar Tanker back, and re-releasing it as a Troublesome Truck would be killing two birds with one stone, going the model series route like they normally do when making Troublesome Trucks, but if Bachmann goes the CGI route, then it would be an Oil Tanker with a face, which means they'd have to discontinue the one without the face.

[Rodimus Supreme]

I would think so too about the tooling, if it wasn't already totally possible for Bachmann to recolor the tooling into the Hopper Wagons.

Aren't the normal hoppers from the show much smaller than Hector? There's no other truck like Hector if I remember correctly. I don't think he's too tall to be made though. He is tall but not too tall. Granted I don't know if they'd go all out for Hector sadly. I think the only rolling stock characters I can see them making brand new toolings for are Old Slow Coach and maybe the Slip Coaches. Characters like Hannah, Bradford, and Dexter can also be made using existing toolings.

I don't know about size, but I do know that Bachmann has done altered versions of stock before. The Spiteful Brakevan is a mix between The Railway Series books design and the TV Series design, things like the Toffee Tankers don't axtually exist in the show (as far as I know), and Troublesome Truck #3 and #4 aren't exactly accurate to the show either. Heck, the Narrow Gauge Slate Wagons are COMLETELY wrong, so having Hopper Wagons that aren't 100% accurate to what's on screen isn't totally out of the question, IMO.

[Streak]

True true. They could reuse a Hector tooling for other hoppers if they wanted to. You do have a point there. I wouldn't want that to happen as I'd rather Hector keep his unique basis design but it is totally possible for them to do that.

Also, yes the Toffee Tanker is from the show. It's from Sticky Toffee Thomas from Season 11 I believe. Imagine if there was BWBA dream sequences in a model episode. That's Sticky Toffee Thomas.

Not entirely sure but Troublesome Truck #4 may be based on the a Season 10 episode: Thomas' New Trucks. In that ep James had blue T. Trucks and Thomas had green ones. Jury's still out on the slate wagons and T. Truck #3 though. Spiteful Brakevan is also a simple answer. It's based on the Wooden Railway design of the character. It's not show accurate but it is based on something. Heck, I bet the only reason Bachmann were gonna make Fred Pelhay and Rickety was because they were in WR.

[Chaz]

In most cases for rolling stock, Bachmann uses ex-mainline toolings for HO, so I would bet on one of these toolings if we were to get hoppers anytime soon:





I imagine they would likely come with a removable ballast load too, similar to the coal wagon.  

As for Hector, I really wouldn't count on him happening since he would require a new tooling and the tooling would likely be exclusive to Hector alone, which would make him even less likely from other rolling stock characters like Hannah or Bradford.

The Bachmann Spiteful brake van isn't based on the Wooden Railway design.  It uses the same livery on the large scale brake van model, which as a result made it a hybrid of both the classic series/RWS design.  If it was based on the wooden railway design, the roof would be a different color and it would have a different face.

[TrainFan97]

One month away from the 2019 announcements, and suspense is building. Could this be an improvement over last year's? I sure hope so. I'd be okay getting any engine with a new tooling as long as it's not Nia, Rebecca, or Philip.

If we get Stepney or Daisy, I would be overjoyed. The two most highly-requested models.
If we get Stanley, Porter, Samson, or Ryan, I'd be alright. Characters that are moderately-requested.

If we end up getting another engine recolor, then Red Rosie, LBSC Green Thomas, or Black James would all be better-received than Sidney would, due to the fact that he's another Class 08, like Paxton and Grumpy Diesel, which were announced on two consecutive years.

[Streak]

One month away from the 2019 announcements, and suspense is building. Could this be an improvement over last year's? I sure hope so. I'd be okay getting any engine with a new tooling as long as it's not Nia, Rebecca, or Philip.

If we get Stepney or Daisy, I would be overjoyed. The two most highly-requested models.
If we get Stanley, Porter, Samson, or Ryan, I'd be alright. Characters that are moderately-requested.

If we end up getting another engine recolor, then Red Rosie, LBSC Green Thomas, or Black James would all be better-received than Sidney would, due to the fact that he's another Class 08, like Paxton and Grumpy Diesel, which were announced on two consecutive years.

Honestly I'd be down with any of the characters you listed (especially Stanley) but I won't be transferring about that as I don't want to start yet another flame war.

But honestly it's probably between Stepney and Daisy for unique engine and Red Rosie leading the pack for recolors. I'm placing my bets on them.

Also, in response to Chaz, totally forgot about the white roof on the WR model and the face. That's my b. I guess Spiteful's design isn't based on WR after all. Sorry.

[Rodimus Supreme]

In most cases for rolling stock, Bachmann uses ex-mainline toolings for HO, so I would bet on one of these toolings if we were to get hoppers anytime soon:





I imagine they would likely come with a removable ballast load too, similar to the coal wagon.  

As for Hector, I really wouldn't count on him happening since he would require a new tooling and the tooling would likely be exclusive to Hector alone, which would make him even less likely from other rolling stock characters like Hannah or Bradford.

The Bachmann Spiteful brake van isn't based on the Wooden Railway design.  It uses the same livery on the large scale brake van model, which as a result made it a hybrid of both the classic series/RWS design.  If it was based on the wooden railway design, the roof would be a different color and it would have a different face.

I wouldn't be too picky about having that brown hopper be the tooling used for Hector, if they did him.

[TerencetheTractor525]

Quite frankly, I would not mind seeing a Bachmann Hector too, even if they use the tooling of the brown hopper shown above. The tanker from Sticky Toffee Thomas was a unique tooling all on its own after all, yet Bachmann used the standard tanker tooling for it in the large scale range. To save cost, I could see the same happening to a Bachmann Hector.

However, I would not state the same thing for the narrow gauge carriages. They are too charming. I'm personally still hoping that each will be a different tooling to match the classic television series:

Red Carriage:



Blue Carriage:



(But I also understand if this does not happen  )

[Rodimus Supreme]

Actually, after doing some comparisons, that brown hopper is notably different from Hector, so it might actually not be such a good idea to use it for him. But for regular hopper wagons in the line, it could work. Although, when it comes to making money off of a tooling, perhaps doing Hector first, then just recoloring his tooling into a generic hopper wagon might be the best route to go.

[Streak]

Minor little gush: I never would have imagined that characters like Stanley, Porter, and Samson are characters that Bachmann could possibly realistically make, all because of Rosie. Of course Stepney and Daisy are much higher for obvious reasons but I'm just shocked those other guys even have a chance.

While I would want him eventually, I really hope they don't announce Sidney this year. A new Class 08 three years in a row is not a very good move for Bachmann to make.

Honestly, I'm really hoping for some surprising out of nowhere things from Bachmann's 2019 line-up. Maybe they'll finally make a HO Scale Trevor? I doubt it but it would be surprising.

[Plow_Bender]

Given that the 2019 announcements are only weeks away, I feel it's time to get my list of predictions/wishes/ideas that Mattel honestly doesn't care about out of the way.  So here is what I think could make great additions to the ranges in 2019.

HO:

Red Rosie:

She honestly seems inevitable in my opinion, and considering how minimal announcements have been and how the budget for a new engine tooling just isn't there, it only adds to her probability.  There's really not much more to say on this topic, so I'll leave it at that.

Original Thomas and Original James:

If we're going to start doing engine recolors, then I think we should be focusing our attention to recolors that will actually sell.  The Adventure Begins has proven to be a big success (unlike BWBA) and since then Thomas in his LBSC livery and James in his red and black paint scheme have been asked for among fans.  If Bachmann wants engine recolors, this is the way to go.  If they still want to do Red Rosie alongside Thomas and James, then so be it, but either way these models should be in the lineup as well and take priority.  Maybe while Bachmann is at it they could update the faces, but that's wishful thinking in my opinion.  I personally would rather see an Original Thomas in Large Scale (considering that's the scale I run), but HO could benefit from this addition as well.  Maybe in the future Large Scale could obtain this addition as well.  In all, the tooling is there, and all it takes is a change of paint.  These personally would sell better than Red Rosie, as I'm sure those who wanted her in that livery have already done the modification themselves, and the only ones who would buy her at this point are the ones that haven't already.  Original Thomas and Original James please.

Red Express Coaches:
Considering the fact that many people were happy to see Gordon's Express Coaches make a comeback after years of having no express coaches in the range at all, I feel that bringing back the red ones should be on Bachmann's To Do List as well.  There has been a demand for these additions to be brought back, and introducing them the following year that the green ones were announced makes sense.  Given the demand for express coaches right now, it's a guarantee that these additions would sell, and sell well at that.  I think the only issue I could see with the request to bring these back would be the possibility that Bachmann may consider the green ones to be enough, and therefore would rather focus their attention towards Narrow Gauge as a top priority.

Flat Car w/ Paint Drums (or other load):
This is another piece of rolling stock people have been asking to return, but more so just the flatbed itself.  In the last 10 years, the model has been becoming harder to find, not only physically, but at a reasonable price as well.  It's pretty clear the demand for it is there, and many modelers would be grateful to see this make a comeback instead of having to pay upwards of $500+ on eBay.  Personally I think that if Bachmann wanted to they could easily just mold the current paint drums in black plastic, therefore making them oil drums without the need for additional painting/decaling.  Or if Bachmann just wanted to take the easy route, they could just bring back the flatbed and nothing else.  It's a simple addition because as I said before, what people are really after is just the flatbed itself.

Troublesome Truck #6:

This is another piece or rolling stock I've seen in popular demand.  I don't however see Bachmann doing something such as a troublesome tanker from Toad Stands By, as chances are that they would more likely go with the new CGI tankers considering that is what Mattel would push for.  Personally I think Bachmann should look into making their next troublesome truck a box van, similar to what I've mentioned for Large Scale, but I'll get to that shortly.  When also considering they're into van recolors with the addition of the Great Western Van and the Fruits and Vegetables Van, I think just simply taking a brown van and putting a face on it would suffice.  Hector is out of the question simply because of his large size resulting in potential chances for high production costs and an RRP.  In addition to that, when was the last time Bachmann did a new rolling stock tooling in HO?

Resin Buildings:

I think resin buildings not only have a demand, but they would be far cheaper to produce than engines and comparable in price to rolling stock.  However, this doesn't apply to structures similar to Maithwaite Station or Brendam Warehouse.  What Bachmann should focus on are smaller structures like the Storage Shed.  I'm thinking more along the lines of structures such as the Narrow Gauge Engine Shed or the Ruined Castle.  One structure that sticks in mind and that I would kill to see, is the Workman's Cottage from the episode Bulldog.  Don't ask me why, but this is by far one of the most unique little structures and somewhat cute.  Wouldn't mind purchasing this little piece of real-estate for myself.  Another thing that should be noted is that resin buildings aimed towards Narrow Gauge could potentially have an increased number of sales compared to something like a Signal Gantry.  From a realistic standpoint, smaller structures seem wayyyyyyy more probable than something like the Steamworks or the Sodor Shipping Company.

Narrow Gauge:

Peter Sam:

From what I've seen, Peter Sam defiantly has the most demand right now.  Duncan did hold close second for a while, but after Rusty was finally revealed, many people got a scare and fear Duncan could very well end up in his CGI render.  That being the case, Peter Sam has been the most talked about and most requested for the next narrow gauge engine in the upcoming announcements.  Although announcements for Narrow Gauge have been minimal, I think many would be happy even if just Peter Sam alone made it into the announcements this year.  Considering the narrow gauge coaches are yet to be in stock, it also leads some to question if Bachmann would bother with rolling stock at this point anyways.

Brakevan(s):

I think these would be a winning formula for Bachmann, and they could easily make more than just one.  This is another addition that people have been asking for and also hoping to see alongside Peter Sam at that.  When also considering the plentiful amount of rolling stock we have in the range already, a brakevan is much needed at this time.  Going back to the topic of making more than 1, they could easily do 3 different colors of brakevans.  Red and Blue to go along with the coaches, and brown to go along with the slate trucks and/or vans.  This is similar to what they did with the 3 variations of slate trucks, only a color change would be a lot more pronounced than a road number.  At the end of the day, Bachmann would have 3 new pieces of rolling stock for the cost of 1.

V-Tippers:

I'm not sure how much demand there is for these, but I'm sure they would be a welcome addition to the range nonetheless.   When also considering the emphasis on mining for the Skarloey Railway, this only adds to the appeal of these wagons.  Maybe if Bachmann wanted to, they could also make 2 or more variations of these trucks as well, therefore spreading out the cost of production that much more.  I personally think these would be great additions and would fit in well with the already existing slate trucks in the range.  In addition to that, modelers would be sure to add these to their quarry layouts.

Large Scale:

Mavis:

Regardless what some people say, Diesel is not going to make a comeback in terms of Large Scale announcements, and that being the case, Bachmann would be better off putting their time and money into a more popular character anyways.  If they're going to do another engine in Large Scale (and a diesel at that) Mavis is the way to go.  Mavis has proved her popularity by being the best selling diesel in the range, while characters like Arry, Bert, Salty, etc have had minimal sales, leading to their demise.  This is the exact opposite with Mavis as her sales have remained consistent ever since she was released.  A Large Scale model could fair the same way, and it would be nice to have her to go along with Toby.  In addition to that, trams are very popular among garden railroads, and Mavis with her similar tram-like design would fit in perfectly.  I personally would buy a model of her for my garden railroad, as her design and livery would fit in excellently, especially once she's been given some stone trucks to pull.  Something that should also be noted is that Mavis could easily reuse Toby's chassis, which if far simpler than the complexity of Diesel's side rod configuration.  Still, there's no guarantee that Mavis wouldn't face the same production cost and RRP issues Diesel faced, which leads me to keep my hopes for her at a minimum.

The Red Coaches:

It's really a question of why hasn't Bachmann considered doing these already when the tooling for them is practically there?  It's pretty simple just to alter the existing Annie/Clarabel tooling and recolor them.  When also considering chances of getting some express coaches for James are nil, the Red Coaches would be the next best thing.  Like I've mentioned before, people aren't just going to go out and buy 1 of each of these either.  In reality, most people would probably buy 2-3 coaches and 1 brake coach, similar to what the HO scale boys have done.  In all the Red Coaches should be in the 2019 announcements, as really they are in demand and can be produced without having to make a new tooling from scratch.

Troublesome Truck #3:

As I stated earlier with the HO Troublesome Truck #6, a simple brown van with a face would suffice for this addition as well.  Personally the fact Bachmann hasn't jumped on this simple addition sooner is a mystery, as clearly they were able to pull this off with the Spiteful Brakevan.  I know for a fact, many would have rather seen another troublesome truck for Large Scale, rather than a Chocolate Syrup Tanker.  While we're on the topic of tankers (and I've mentioned this before as well), Bachmann could just make the next troublesome truck be a tanker with a face on it.  This would not only offer another troublesome truck to the range, but would also bring back the discontinued Oil Tanker to Large Scale as well.  This way, those who missed out on it before can have another chance at this addition without having to play hunt the trucks with Mavis.

Henrietta:

I pretty much have my doubts on Henrietta (as I do on a lot of Large Scale ideas at this point), but I'm bringing her up for a good reason.  The last time Bachmann ever announced a new tooling for the range was back in 2015 when we got Winston and the Ice Cream Van, so surely after 4 years Bachmann can fudge out a new tooling?  Last year's announcements with the tanker recolors were just pitiful, and after that Bachmann is clearly treading on thin ice with Large Scale modelers.  Even if they just did Henrietta, this 1 piece of rolling stock could make up for the 3 mediocre pieces we were served up for 2018.  I'd even welcome the idea of Bachmann reusing the tooling for Hannah, if it means we can at least get Henrietta after such a long waiting period.  As it stands now, it's been 5 years since Toby was announced, and still Henrietta is MIA.

James, Emily, and Toby w/ DCC Sound:
These 3 additions honestly make the most sense in my opinion.  The models and the sound module are already there, so all Bachmann has to invest in is the cost of production to add the DCC Sound to the models.  Although the consumer could do this themselves, the cost and time to do the instillation (especially to all 5 existing models) is far more than just going out and buying them premade from the manufacture.  I've seen this play out with the existing Thomas and Percy models, and is why I'm hoping James, Emily, and Toby can one day come with DCC Sound on board as well.  Considering Large Scale announcements the last several years have been minimal and underwhelming, and when also considering Large Scale seems to be coming to an end, I think if Bachmann at least made these models and called it quits at that, the range would end on a positive note.

So before I conclude this post, the last thing to go over would be the probability of requested additions making it into the announcements.  Personally, as much as people would like to see a new engine character in both HO and Large Scale, chances of that happening are slim to none, regardless how you want to slice it.  Recolors or reintroductions seem to be the average additions to the announcements each year, which should be taken into consideration.  Narrow Gauge is the only range I have hope for at this point, and although announcements haven't been overwhelming, the range has been going steady the last few years compared to HO and Large Scale, which have been on a downhill decline. 

At the end of the day, these long and unrealistic wish lists are just people setting themselves up for disappointment when the announcements are made.  I think it's time we start thinking realistically about what Bachmann will do, instead of acting like a bunch of selfish kids saying "give me, give me, give me" every time announcements come around.  I too have hopes for certain additions to make it into the Thomas & Friends range, but at the same time I'm not going to anticipate the announcements like a kid on Christmas Eve.  As I said in a previous post, it's best to keep expectations low and not get hopes too high.

-Rusty

[Streak]

Maybe if they make a DCC Sound Large Scale Toby, that could give them a reason to finally make a Large Scale Henrietta. Maybe...

I haven't really been seeing people be all gimme gimme gimme which is good, but I think people are just covering all of the possible things Bachmann can do which isn't a bad thing. Healthy discussion is always welcome.

I'll be holding out hope for Stepney and Daisy in HO Scale but I won't be disappointed if they made Red Rosie instead. I'd like Original Thomas and Original James but I think it would be more fitting to save them for next year. Next year being the 75th anniversary where they'd make more sense.

[Rodimus Supreme]

My actual predictions for this year's announcements are hopeful but not ludicrous:
HO Scale:
-Stepney or Daisy. Either one could happen. Daisy's got the simplicity of her design going for her, whereas Stepney has his status as a small tank engine going for him. Both have major amounts of requests by fans going for them.

And/or

-Red Rosie. Honestly, recolors based on a previous special that Mattel's more than likely forgotten about seem less likely than a recolor of an engine into their current color scheme.
-Troublesome Truck #6. Either an Oil Tanker with a face, or a Brown Box Van with a face.
-Either reintroduced Red Express Coaches, or reintroduced Flat Car With Load. I'm mostly fine with just about any load they do for it.

HOn30 Scale:
-Peter Sam or Sir Handel. It's so close with how many people want one or the other that I can't really pick one based on which one is most requested.
-Brake Vans: Red, Blue, and Brown. More than likely going to happen, that it would honestly shock and dumbfound me if we didn't get them this year.

G Scale:
-Eeeeeeeeeehhhh...Maybe at least one newly DCC sound equipped locomotive?
-Either Troublesome Truck #3, which would likely be a repaint of either a tanker or a van with a face, or would just be another crappy gimmicky truck recolor.

[Streak]

Am I the only one who like the "crappy" rolling stock recolors. Idk why I just find them charming. I especially like the Toffee Tanker and I actually hope that's made in HO Scale. I can understand why others may not like them though.

[douglas]

As long as Peter Sam, Sir Handel, and some new rolling stock are added to the narrow gauge range I'm satisfied.