Bachmann Thomas & Friends in 2021

[Spaceman224456]

So I'll go first for what I expect from the feb 18th presentation.

HO/OO scale
A reveal of Daisy's physical model, plus a reveal of a new tooling and red express coaches reintroduction.  The new tooling is a bit up in the air but will be Stepney, Ryan, Stanley, or maybe BoCo (keyword Maybe).  I also feel that they might reintroduce salty but only time will tell.  I also think we will be getting some new rolling stock like toffee tanker or the explosives van, IDK just a a a piece of rolling stock that is in g scale but not HO scale.

Narrow Gauge
Like HO/OO, a reveal of Peter Sam's physical model, plus a new tooling, and some new rolling stock.  I think that Sir Handel is an almost guarantee pick at this point since he is the only one missing from 1-5.  For rolling stock, the troublesome slate trucks and the Green and Cream Coaches would be fitting.

N scale
I am not the person when it comes to other scales besides HO/OO so bear with me,
I think they would reveal, N scale James and the green express coaches and that's about it really.

Large Scale
Same deal like with HO/OO.  A full reveal of LS Diesel, a new tooling, and some rolling stock.  I think the new tooling would be either Paxton or Mavis.  The rolling stock would be the red branch line coaches and troublesome truck #5.

Longshots/wants
Here's where we get into my wants that I don't see happening but want regardless.

I'd want some new resin buildings like, great waterton station, great waterton pedestrian bridge, great waterton tower, the seaside station/tidmouth hault, and Farquhar sheds.

I think that some new accessories would be good like some snowplows for the other engines, name boards, etc.

So that's what I predict/want for the Feb 18th presentation.

[Hilux5972]

I'll be happy if we see an EP of Daisy. Don't care about seeing anything else really lol.

[Metal]

OK I guess I'll post my thoughts after some time.

For the HO/OO Engines.

Stepney

A well-loved classic for fans such as myself, and by railfans. with his character, RWS, TV show, and real life basis. Even when Hornby released a fleet of Terriers a couple years ago with Stepney's real life counterpart, it was fastest seller compared to Fenchruch or Brighton.  So, he's the obvious choice for a classic character.

Ryan
A character that perhaps is the most normal looking engine seen in a while. He feels like a character that would fit in the classic series. Also given they brought Daisy back into the show, they paired her up with Ryan, and brought out perhaps a great character dynamic in the show. There's a reason why he has quite an appeal, and with Daisy being officially a Bachmann model it was given quite a demand. A unique but very subtle livery that would bring color contrast.  If you have Duck then you need Oliver, it's pretty the same case with Ryan to Daisy.

Hiro

A character with depth, a very elegant design, a subtle livery that helps him naturally integrate into the Thomas universe. Japan which is a high market for Thomas, and they even have a life sized Hiro for their DOWT events.  Also add that his basis is the most iconic locomotive. An international engine that is very well received by fans, both young and old. If they're going to consider another tender engine, Hiro would be a far more reasonable choice than let's say Rebecca. He's also an international character that is better received than Nia.


Ryan and Hiro are perhaps the most appealing CGI characters for the Bachmann range. Since Paxton has proven to tick with older fans


There are a few characters I like such as Merlin, Frankie and Hurricane, decent characters with interesting designs, but they haven't made enough prominence in the show to earn their candidacy.


Even great characters such as Stephen or Marion that are well received, but too gimmicky in design for Bachmann. Maybe, Stephen as a Large Scale Engine?


While, I do have personal preference for characters such as Charlie and Rebecca, solely because they have great designs and basis. Especially Rebecca because I'm really a fan of Bulleid Pacifics. However, they obviously won't fare well in the Bachmann Range, mostly due to being highly unpopular characters. (even though Rebecca is supposedly a main character).  


A Great Basis and Design Doesn't Save a Bad Character


Narrow Gauge

Sir Handel

Even though Duncan is my favorite NG character the proportions of his CGI model throw me off a bit. Sir Handel had no personality in the CGI Era, his classic episodes make up for it. It would make up the first 4.

Maybe after the 6 NG Engines.......Victor?? A diversity character that's well received just like Hiro.
Perhaps be a tossup between Duke, Victor, or Luke?

N Scale

Emily

I honestly think that is the inevitable choice. After Thomas, Percy, and James, I feel that the most essential character would be Emily. Obviously the most prominent female character in the whole franchise. I feel that including Emily in the range is something mandatory.

After Emily, maybe.....Gordon?

Overall there are my thoughts.

[Hilux5972]

I really don't see Rebecca coming out any time soon. Given how new she is, and that she effectively kicked out one of the original characters, I don't think she would be popular with fans of the original series. Plenty of other more important characters to do first, Boco for one!

[TTL]

I'm hopeful that at the least we'll have an update on Daisy and Peter Sam, hopefully some final painted prototypes if not at the least the EPs. Same for the NG brakevans, hopefully get a look at what they'll actually look like at the least.
New announcement wise?
Not really sure, for the main range Ryan is a pretty likely choice for the next new tooled engine, has a lot going for him. Otherwise, maybe the red express coaches also being reintroduced, almost certainly some "new" rolling stock(either new variants or a new ex-Mainline tooling being introduced). And throwing Sidney out there cause cheap and easy reuse of the 08 tooling.
Now the narrow gauge range: As mentioned before, updates on Peter Sam and the brakevans are expected but otherwise? It's a bit up in the air. Now I hope and pray for Sir Handel but Bachmann don't tend to announce new NG engines until the previously announced one has been released, so we'll have to wait and see. Now i do think there'll likely be some sort of new NG rolling stock, what'll be i can't even begin to guess cause there's a wealth of options from both the show and the Talyllyn(+Corris).

[Plow_Bender]

Seeing as we are still waiting for several announcements from 2020 and even 2019 for that matter, I don't really expect to see any new tooling's announced this year.  I'm also doubtful that we'll see a lot of new items announced for the same reasons.  That being said, I honestly think Bachmann should take advantage of recolors they could do, and recolors that people would actually want unlike some of the mediocre ideas Mattel has pushed for.  Now I don't see everything on my list happening, but I do think there are a few ideas here that should be considered as I know some have requested them in the past.  I'll begin with suggestions for HO.

HO:

Sidney:


I remember several people brought up that when Paxton came out in 2018, that Bachmann should hold off making Sidney for another time.  Not only was it too early for another Class 08 character, but Sidney seemed better for a time when Bachmann couldn't make a new tooling.  Well, now is about as good a time as any I think.  While an easy model to produce with a tooling already being there, I'm not sure how popular Sidney would be.  He really hasn't seen a lot of screen time as of late, and the last time (at least to my knowledge) he was really in the spotlight was back in Season 20.  Another issue I can foresee is that many people were critical over how Bachmann did the face for Paxton, and granted the same may happen with Sidney.  I still have to laugh at how some people whined about how bad the model supposedly was, yet still went out and bought it though.  Clearly if Bachmann does Sidney there would be issues with the face in terms of scaling, but would it really be that bad?  Overall I think that given the current circumstances and the fact that Sidney would still probably do well in terms of sales, it's a model Bachmann should consider for 2021.

Chocolate Covered Percy:


Since we've seen various engine recolors over the last 5 years, I think a variation of Percy would be a good choice for the next one.  Percy's Chocolate Crunch has been a favorite of mine from the classic series and when also considering this is a theme Mattel has continued  to released in various merchandise to this day, it just makes the most sense in my opinion.  It would be easy for Bachmann just to add some chocolate brown paint to the existing Percy with no need to do anything else.  I know some have suggested the Jack Frost Percy, but the only downside with that is the ice would require additional tooling.  I think a Chocolate Covered Percy would be a simpler model to produce and take less time.  I was also going to suggest for Bachmann to make the sugar cars, but then again I myself don't really see where they would be a desirable piece of rolling stock.  Then again, maybe these would be a great idea to release alongside a Chocolate Covered Percy, but I'm getting off topic.

Blue Henry:


Now while this is one I think has a very slim chance, at the same time it's also one I have seen requested in the past and I'm sure many wouldn't mind seeing become reality.  It's easy just to take Henry's tooling and paint it blue, maybe even correct some of the color errors on the model while doing so.  I know some want to throw up the argument that Henry was in his old shape when he was blue and Bachmann would have to make a new tooling to compensate for that fact, but we've gone over the old shape Henry topic before.  There has been no merchandise of Henry in his old shape from any range, so there's no need for Bachmann to bother with it either.  The only thing I will say in regards to Bachmann making a blue Henry is that maybe this should have been announced back during the 75th Anniversary, but at the same time Black James isn't going to be available till later this year.  That being said, releasing a blue Henry alongside him would just be another positive.

Toby's Museum Coaches:


Moving on to rolling stock, I'll begin with Toby's Museum Coach.  This is clearly just a repainted red brake coach from the model era, so again sticking with recolors, it's another simple model for Bachmann to produce.  I'd take things a step further though and also make a normal coach to go along with the brake coach.  As we've seen in the past, rolling stock like this doesn't just sell one of each and most of the time people will buy multiple coaches to make a larger train.  Despite these being referred to as "Toby's" Museum Coaches, these would definitely look great behind another older engine such as Edward.  Some may even say these would be a great substitute for the Old Coaches from Season 1.  Still it may be asking a little much suggesting rolling stock from the model era, but we've seen in the past that Bachmann isn't afraid to go back in time for ideas.

Brown Mail Car (utility van):


I can honestly say I don't know why this hasn't been done sooner considering the number of people that have asked for it.  Not many people were impressed with (much less even asked for) the Green Mail Car or the Live Lobsters Car, so I think it's time to announce something that has been requested and that is in demand.  A simple recolor doesn't seem like much, especially considering this has been Bachmann's choice for new rolling stock the last few years, but again this is something people have requested.  If they want to take it a step further, I think Bachmann should also consider the 4 wheel variant of the utility van, although a new tooling for the chassis would probably be required.  Whether they can squeeze that into the budget for 2021, I don't know.  Either way, both of these pieces would prove to be popular sellers.

Narrow Gauge:

Brown Brakevan:


Going back to 2020, I was a little surprised Bachmann didn't announce a brown brakevan alongside the red and blue ones.  When looking at the fact that the tooling was already in production, again I'm not sure why this 3rd brakevan was overlooked.  That being the case, I think Bachmann should consider making this for 2021.  There really isn't anything else I can say in regards to this model, but in regards to the Narrow Gauge range itself, I wouldn't expect to see anything such as a new engine being announced considering we've heard nothing on the current status of Peter Sam.  Just a single brakevan recolor may not be much for announcements, but it's something at least.

N Scale:

Toby:


This is the only new tooling I'll suggest, but I think Toby for N scale would be the best option if Bachmann wants to make another engine character this year.  Despite being a new tooling, Toby is smaller and would not present the same complexity or production cost as characters like Edward, Gordon, Henry, etc.  Toby is also more of a basic shape rather than a combination of multiple shapes and doesn't possess an elaborate valve gear.  In future Toby's chassis can also be reused for Mavis if Bachmann were to make her, so I feel that is another positive to him being announced.  Personally I wouldn't get hopes up for Henrietta in N scale, (at least not anytime soon) considering I feel she may pose the same issue as a Large Scale model of her.  One concern with Toby however is that with still no word on James, Bachmann may pass on announcing a new engine character for 2021, even if Toby would be an easy option.

LBSC Thomas:


Considering how ecstatic people were over the HO models announcement, this is another one I could see people getting excited about as well.  LBSC Thomas has proved to be a popular seller and the reviews I've seen on the model praise it for being one of Bachmann's best releases for the Thomas line to date.  It's an easy recolor for Bachmann which is sure to pay off in the long run.  When also considering that the N scale line is already CGI era based, it makes even more sense.  The Adventure Beings is by far my favorite Thomas & Friends special of all time as it is for many others, and this along with the 75th Anniversary makes it a desirable model.  Just like I mentioned with the HO Blue Henry though, an N scale LBSC Thomas maybe should have been announced last year, but we didn't even get the normal models of Thomas and Percy till November.  Still I feel this is something for Bachmann to take into consideration for 2021, even if it's a little overdue.  Better late than never, right?

Open Wagons/Trucks:


Because we already have the Troublesome Trucks in the range, I think it makes sense for Bachmann to do recolors with the existing wagon tooling.  Some announcements I can see are models like the red and blue open wagons, the cargo car, the coal wagon, and basically anything else that is an open wagon.  I can also see Bachmann making S.C. Ruffey basically for the same reasons he was made in all the other ranges out there.  I'm not exactly sure what to say when it comes to other stock like vans and/or other wagons.  Considering Bachmann reused the Graham Farish tooling for the N scale tankers last year, it does have me and many others curious if they will use those tooling's again for other rolling stock.  Anyways, I think if Bachmann can at least announce 3 open wagons for the range this year, I'd say that's a win.

Large Scale:

Paxton:


I'm not going to say too much on this, other than the fact Paxton seems like a given in my opinion.  His tooling is already there and Large Scale itself is limited on what it can do when it comes to engine characters.  The range has also pushed mostly for recolors over the last 5 years, and when also considering that Diesel (a new tooling) was announced last year, I wouldn't really expect to see another new tooling till 2025.  I will say that if Bachmann does announce Paxton, I would be all for it.  He is a more popular character and his HO model has done well in terms of sales, despite the negative response from some.  Plus with the Class 08 tooling available right now, it would make more sense for Bachmann to do Paxton rather than Arry and Bert considering they were not good sellers in HO, nor did they do well in OO and O for Bachmann's competitors.  Paxton is the best bet hands down.

LBSC Thomas:


This model in particular honestly should have been announced last year during the 75th Anniversary.  Given that an LBSC Thomas is just a simple recolor, releasing it alongside Diesel would have been a good idea, but the model just never appeared.  Still if Bachmann were to do Paxton for 2021, they could easily release an LBSC Thomas alongside him.  Two engine recolors in the same year may be a disappointment in some cases, but I think models such as these would be an exception if released in tandem.  Just like the HO model there was a lot of hype for the LBSC Thomas when it was announced, and I'm sure many Large Scale modelers would go crazy for one as well.  I pretty much said I wasn't getting anymore models after Diesel, but I would definitely make an exception if Bachmann were to announce this for 2021.

Red Coaches:


Over the last half decade or so I've seen many people mention that the red coaches are long overdue in Large Scale.  This is understandable considering they have been one of the most requested rolling stock choices for the range and are relatively simple for Bachmann to do.  All these models would require is reusing the existing Annie/Clarabel tooling and making slight alterations, mainly in regards to the brake coach.  When it comes to the sales on these models, rest assured that they "WILL" sell and in large numbers at that.  Just like their HO counterparts, it's very likely that people would go out and buy more than just one of each, considering they've been seen on trains of up to 4 coaches in some cases.  These would also be great to have behind James, considering chances of Bachmann ever doing the express coaches doesn't seem very likely.  If Bachmann could only do 1 choice of rolling stock for Large Scale this year, the Red Coaches should definitely take priority.

Troublesome Truck #3:


I brought this idea up a couple years back, but rather than a troublesome tanker, we got 3 boring tankers.  Many people have requested another Troublesome Truck for Large Scale over the years, and while it was a pleasant surprise to see the Spiteful Brakevan in 2017, we need an another actual Troublesome Truck.  As much as I think a van with a face from the model era would be a good idea for Troublesome Truck #3, I'm starting to lean towards a tanker like one ones from Journey Beyond Sodor because I feel this would kill 2 birds with one stone.  There really isn't much that needs to be done here considering these are essentially oil tankers with faces, and Bachmann has already produced the Oil Tanker in the past.  Basically all they would have to do is bring it back and add a face.  This choice not only offers people another Troublesome Truck, but also offers those who missed out on the Oil Tanker (which was only in the range for 3 years...) another chance to add it to their railroad.  I think a troublesome tanker would be a great choice if Bachmann were to do another piece of Large Scale rolling stock.  Just please don't make that awful one from Big World Big Adventures which isn't even seen on Sodor...

So in summary, I think these are all idea's Bachmann should take into consideration for the 2021 announcements.  Again, I don't have high hopes for a lot of new items this year considering we're still waiting on several announcements 2019 and 2020, but I think Bachmann should take advantage of recolors that they could do which are in demand right now.  Another advantage to sticking with simple recolors is that everything that is currently delayed or gets announced this year could potentially be out by Christmas, thus allowing Bachmann to start with a clean slate for the 2022 announcements.  Hopefully by then all the current on goings in the world have ended and we can all get back to our normal lives.  If that's the case, I'm sure we can expect some new tooling's by then, but that's a discussion for another time.

-Rusty

[clrp5150]

Well, that stream was incredibly disappointing

[Chaz]

The highlight of the stream for me without a doubt was the large scale Diesel.  It was really nice seeing him fully painted and he will in no doubt look very sharp once he is released.  A bit bummed the engineering sample for the N scale James was mentioned but not shown, but hopefully it won't be too long until we get a good look at it.

While there was no update on Daisy and/or Peter Sam, Bachmann will be participating in another stream on Saturday and we have the Thomas stream from Trainworld coming in a few weeks, so we at least have those to look forward to.

[TrainFan97]

Could you show a link to the stream, or an image of Large Scale Diesel fully painted?

[Falcon the 2nd]

Could you show a link to the stream, or an image of Large Scale Diesel fully painted?

Here is the stream. Thomas info is shared at the 55-minute mark. It mainly recaps existing products that were recently released, but there is some new information as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E6MQvNemZU

Like Chaz, I'm happy to see Diesel coming along nicely. He'll certainly be well worth the wait for any Large Scale modeller. I'm also getting excited for the N Scale James now that its production sample has been mentioned. 

[Hilux5972]

Gutted nothing about Daisy!

[plas man]

Bachmann get new models out quickly and stop causing confusion and delay 

[TrainFan97]

At least we finally got a glimpse of Large Scale Diesel fully painted. He is likely to be available this spring. Coincidentally, his Large Scale model is releasing 10 years after his HO Scale model.

Hopefully, we'll see N Scale James, HO Scale Daisy, and HOn30 Scale Peter Sam soon enough. Origin James, Troublesome Truck #6, and the 75th Anniversary set are also likely to be available this spring.

Also hopefully, even when we're well into the atrocious upcoming reboot, Bachmann will still keep making models based on the designs we're more familiar with. There have been nothing but bad things said about the reboot, and nothing based on the reboot will sell. In order for the Bachmann models to keep selling, they have to stick with the designs we know and love. In other words, they must stick with models based on the show's original form. Plus, the reboot designs would be much too cartoony for professionally-made model trains.

[TTL]

Well, that stream was incredibly disappointing

I mean, we already knew about the dedicated stream for the TTTE ranges on the 18th next month. So no real updates or announcements was kinda expected, truth be told I was surprised there was even going to be a section, less so that it really only consisted of updates on stock we know and have seen already. I mean really, the most "important", for lack of a better word, information revealed in that regard was that the Thomas sets with the 75th branding on the box are limited and to pick them up quickly if you really want to have that sticker.
Of course, the reveal of the painted LS Diesel sample was a surprise and he looks good. That was definitely the stream highlight. And an update(ish) on the N scale James, the description of "development going well" makes me think that we may be a bit away from seeing an EP, so I'm not expecting much in that regard on the 18th.

[Zekeism]

Apparently we are getting HO Ryan, Toby's Museum coach and break coach.

Narrow Gauge Yellow Rheneas, red and blue breakvans and red and blue box vans.