Bachmann Thomas & Friends Summer 2021 NMRA Predictions

[TrainFan97]

I was not prioritizing Smudger over Sir Handel, but I guess asking for Smudger is like asking for Splatter and Dodge. I'll have to update my list of predictions then.

HO Scale:
Sidney
Gordon's Special Coach
Ventilated Van - Explosives
Chocolate Syrup Tanker
Toffee Tanker

Narrow Gauge:
Sir Handel
Open Wagon
Brake Van - Brown

N Scale:
Henrietta
Tidmouth Milk Tanker
Open Wagon - Red
Coal Wagon with Load

Large Scale:
Bill
Ben
Red Coach
Red Brake Coach

People are still pushing for Stepney in HO Scale, and Bachmann has acknowledged his demand, but what if he never DOES get made? We should have something to fall back on, like other likeable CGI characters. Examples include Hiro, and Porter. We need a backup in case Stepney can't happen. Otherwise, we'd get products nobody asked for, like Busy Bee James, and Yellow Rheneas.

If Bachmann can reintroduce Salty to HO Scale, they should make Porter, so we can have the Brendam Docks duo.

[Rodimus Supreme]

I definitely agree that Sir Handel is the best choice for the next Narrow Gauge announcement.  Like Chaz already mentioned, he offers contrast to what we have in the range already and fills the number gap between Rheneas and Peter Sam.  I can also say I'm for the idea of Bachmann reusing the model to make Falcon, as it does seem like this would be a great piece of nostalgia for those who want to model their layouts after the Mid Sodor Railway.  I do wonder if Bachmann would consider this though as a nameplate change seems very minor, but at the same time it's so simple to do.  Regardless, I think Sir Handel should definitely take priority for the NMRA or 2022 announcements.  Same for the wagons as well.

Now I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes by saying this, but I do think we need to take a few steps back on the whole Smudger topic.  Considering people were literally on this the day of announcements, I think it just shows ignorance.  Yes yellow Rheneas wasn't something anyone asked for, but it makes sense why he was announced over a new engine like Sir Handel or even a recolor like Smudger.  What people don't seem to understand is that significance also plays a factor into a character getting announced.  Stepney is another example people have been knocking down the door to see get a model in HO, but he honestly doesn't have any significance because he is not a character from the CGI era.  If it's true that Mattel doesn't want Bachmann investing into characters that aren't CGI based, then it's pretty clear Stepney isn't going to happen.

Smudger on the other hand has even less significance than Stepney.  He only had a small appearance back in Season 4, and because of that his character is very much forgettable.  He hasn't even received any merchandise in the last 10 years, so clearly Mattel doesn't see him as a marketable character either.  I understand people think he has a chance from Bachmann just because his tooling is already there with Rheneas, but this same argument can be made with characters like Splatter and Dodge.  Bachmann has the tooling there from Diesel, but those characters are not going to happen because they hold no significance today.  The same thing applies to Smudger being made from Rheneas.  Bachmann still has to make a new face tooling, which they would already be doing for something like Sir Handel anyway...

Again, I don't want to sound like I'm putting down those who are asking for Smudger, but if someone wants to get upset with me for being realistic, then so be it.  There certainly seemed like far more demand for Sir Handel back in 2020, and Smudger was hardly mentioned.  Now we suddenly have people who would rather step back and see another minor recolor get announced, rather than a new tooling/character.  These sort of discussions aren't necessarily a bad thing, but when people constantly want to discuss items that clearly don't have a chance of being made rather than something that would actually be considered, that's how we end up with announcements that no one wants...

-Rusty

Yellow Rheneas has no relevance whatsoever. Even Mattel doesn't give a crap about Yellow Rheneas.

People are saying that since Bachmann is making a recolor, they should've went with Smudger, which now makes him more desirable since recolors are now happening. And everyone is still saying they want Sir Handel. Both are being suggested to cover all the bases. It's right there in front of everyone's faces that people are saying "If were getting a recolor, it should be Smudger. If we're getting a new tooling, it should be Sir Handel".

I never saw proof that Mattel are forcing Bachmann to only do characters that appeared in CGI. And why would Mattel have approved of The Spiteful Brakevan or, to a lesser extent, Toby's Museum Coaches, in that case? They may be repaints of rolling stock, one with a newly tooled face, but Mattel didn't create those. And it's very clear at this point that Mattel flat out hates anything and everything they didn't make. It wouldn't surprise me if they make Bachmann do that, but I never saw proof of this claim.

It's ludicrous and absurd to say that making a character people would have wanted anyway is less realistic than making a recolor of an existing character no one wanted.

None of this makes any sense, it just seems more like excuses made from misunderstanding what people are saying.

[Rodimus Supreme]

People are still pushing for Stepney in HO Scale, and Bachmann has acknowledged his demand, but what if he never DOES get made?

Also, this. If Bachmann knows Mattel won't let them make anything that didn't appear in CGI, then why look into him, or even get our hopes up by saying they're looking into him? I think that rule is a lie.

[TTL]

I definitely agree that Sir Handel is the best choice for the next Narrow Gauge announcement.  Like Chaz already mentioned, he offers contrast to what we have in the range already and fills the number gap between Rheneas and Peter Sam.  I can also say I'm for the idea of Bachmann reusing the model to make Falcon, as it does seem like this would be a great piece of nostalgia for those who want to model their layouts after the Mid Sodor Railway.  I do wonder if Bachmann would consider this though as a nameplate change seems very minor, but at the same time it's so simple to do.  Regardless, I think Sir Handel should definitely take priority for the NMRA or 2022 announcements.  Same for the wagons as well.

Now I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes by saying this, but I do think we need to take a few steps back on the whole Smudger topic.  Considering people were literally on this the day of announcements, I think it just shows ignorance.  Yes yellow Rheneas wasn't something anyone asked for, but it makes sense why he was announced over a new engine like Sir Handel or even a recolor like Smudger.  What people don't seem to understand is that significance also plays a factor into a character getting announced.  Stepney is another example people have been knocking down the door to see get a model in HO, but he honestly doesn't have any significance because he is not a character from the CGI era.  If it's true that Mattel doesn't want Bachmann investing into characters that aren't CGI based, then it's pretty clear Stepney isn't going to happen.

Smudger on the other hand has even less significance than Stepney.  He only had a small appearance back in Season 4, and because of that his character is very much forgettable.  He hasn't even received any merchandise in the last 10 years, so clearly Mattel doesn't see him as a marketable character either.  I understand people think he has a chance from Bachmann just because his tooling is already there with Rheneas, but this same argument can be made with characters like Splatter and Dodge.  Bachmann has the tooling there from Diesel, but those characters are not going to happen because they hold no significance today.  The same thing applies to Smudger being made from Rheneas.  Bachmann still has to make a new face tooling, which they would already be doing for something like Sir Handel anyway...

Again, I don't want to sound like I'm putting down those who are asking for Smudger, but if someone wants to get upset with me for being realistic, then so be it.  There certainly seemed like far more demand for Sir Handel back in 2020, and Smudger was hardly mentioned.  Now we suddenly have people who would rather step back and see another minor recolor get announced, rather than a new tooling/character.  These sort of discussions aren't necessarily a bad thing, but when people constantly want to discuss items that clearly don't have a chance of being made rather than something that would actually be considered, that's how we end up with announcements that no one wants...

-Rusty

OH MY CHRIST, FINALLY. Someone else who gets it.

[TTL]

I definitely agree that Sir Handel is the best choice for the next Narrow Gauge announcement.  Like Chaz already mentioned, he offers contrast to what we have in the range already and fills the number gap between Rheneas and Peter Sam.  I can also say I'm for the idea of Bachmann reusing the model to make Falcon, as it does seem like this would be a great piece of nostalgia for those who want to model their layouts after the Mid Sodor Railway.  I do wonder if Bachmann would consider this though as a nameplate change seems very minor, but at the same time it's so simple to do.  Regardless, I think Sir Handel should definitely take priority for the NMRA or 2022 announcements.  Same for the wagons as well.

Now I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes by saying this, but I do think we need to take a few steps back on the whole Smudger topic.  Considering people were literally on this the day of announcements, I think it just shows ignorance.  Yes yellow Rheneas wasn't something anyone asked for, but it makes sense why he was announced over a new engine like Sir Handel or even a recolor like Smudger.  What people don't seem to understand is that significance also plays a factor into a character getting announced.  Stepney is another example people have been knocking down the door to see get a model in HO, but he honestly doesn't have any significance because he is not a character from the CGI era.  If it's true that Mattel doesn't want Bachmann investing into characters that aren't CGI based, then it's pretty clear Stepney isn't going to happen.

Smudger on the other hand has even less significance than Stepney.  He only had a small appearance back in Season 4, and because of that his character is very much forgettable.  He hasn't even received any merchandise in the last 10 years, so clearly Mattel doesn't see him as a marketable character either.  I understand people think he has a chance from Bachmann just because his tooling is already there with Rheneas, but this same argument can be made with characters like Splatter and Dodge.  Bachmann has the tooling there from Diesel, but those characters are not going to happen because they hold no significance today.  The same thing applies to Smudger being made from Rheneas.  Bachmann still has to make a new face tooling, which they would already be doing for something like Sir Handel anyway...

Again, I don't want to sound like I'm putting down those who are asking for Smudger, but if someone wants to get upset with me for being realistic, then so be it.  There certainly seemed like far more demand for Sir Handel back in 2020, and Smudger was hardly mentioned.  Now we suddenly have people who would rather step back and see another minor recolor get announced, rather than a new tooling/character.  These sort of discussions aren't necessarily a bad thing, but when people constantly want to discuss items that clearly don't have a chance of being made rather than something that would actually be considered, that's how we end up with announcements that no one wants...

-Rusty

Yellow Rheneas has no relevance whatsoever. Even Mattel doesn't give a crap about Yellow Rheneas.

People are saying that since Bachmann is making a recolor, they should've went with Smudger, which now makes him more desirable since recolors are now happening. And everyone is still saying they want Sir Handel. Both are being suggested to cover all the bases. It's right there in front of everyone's faces that people are saying "If were getting a recolor, it should be Smudger. If we're getting a new tooling, it should be Sir Handel".

I never saw proof that Mattel are forcing Bachmann to only do characters that appeared in CGI. And why would Mattel have approved of The Spiteful Brakevan or, to a lesser extent, Toby's Museum Coaches, in that case? They may be repaints of rolling stock, one with a newly tooled face, but Mattel didn't create those. And it's very clear at this point that Mattel flat out hates anything and everything they didn't make. It wouldn't surprise me if they make Bachmann do that, but I never saw proof of this claim.

It's ludicrous and absurd to say that making a character people would have wanted anyway is less realistic than making a recolor of an existing character no one wanted.

None of this makes any sense, it just seems more like excuses made from misunderstanding what people are saying.

Dude, you do know when it comes to rolling stock? Mattel REALLY don't care, it's why in the NG range the TR slate wagons Bachmann tooled for the range can and are sold in 3 packs under the UK branch's 009 range. Mattel only cares when it comes to engines, that's why things like the spiteful brakevan and the museum coaches get through and get made.

[TTL]

People are still pushing for Stepney in HO Scale, and Bachmann has acknowledged his demand, but what if he never DOES get made?

Also, this. If Bachmann knows Mattel won't let them make anything that didn't appear in CGI, then why look into him, or even get our hopes up by saying they're looking into him? I think that rule is a lie.

Because A) It shows that they are listening to the community, even if it won't get made B) Shuts people up, at least a little bit and C) refer back to A and B, just because they say they'll pass it on to the development team, doesn't mean anything will come of it?! This isn't hard to understand

[Plow_Bender]

Yellow Rheneas has no relevance whatsoever. Even Mattel doesn't give a crap about Yellow Rheneas.

People are saying that since Bachmann is making a recolor, they should've went with Smudger, which now makes him more desirable since recolors are now happening. And everyone is still saying they want Sir Handel. Both are being suggested to cover all the bases. It's right there in front of everyone's faces that people are saying "If were getting a recolor, it should be Smudger. If we're getting a new tooling, it should be Sir Handel".

I never saw proof that Mattel are forcing Bachmann to only do characters that appeared in CGI. And why would Mattel have approved of The Spiteful Brakevan or, to a lesser extent, Toby's Museum Coaches, in that case? They may be repaints of rolling stock, one with a newly tooled face, but Mattel didn't create those. And it's very clear at this point that Mattel flat out hates anything and everything they didn't make. It wouldn't surprise me if they make Bachmann do that, but I never saw proof of this claim.

It's ludicrous and absurd to say that making a character people would have wanted anyway is less realistic than making a recolor of an existing character no one wanted.

None of this makes any sense, it just seems more like excuses made from misunderstanding what people are saying.

Well that escalated quickly... 

-Rusty

[TrainFan97]

If Mattel only allows engines that appeared in the CGI series, regardless if they're recolors or not, why would they let Bachmann make Busy Bee James? Nobody asked for Busy Bee James, but that's an engine recolor that appeared in the model series, and yet we still got that, so the argument that Mattel doesn't approve of engines (at least recolors) that didn't appear in the CGI series holds no water.

Just because Bachmann acknowledged Stepney's demand doesn't guarantee he will be made, but if he never does, we need other ideas that are more likely.

HO Scale rolling stock ideas:

I thought of a Sodor China Clay wagon with the "SCC" logo on it. It can have a load, which would be like the coal load, except colored cream to look like china clay. This loaded open wagon would be great for Bill and Ben, or Timothy if he ever gets made.

I also thought of a ballast wagon, which would be an open wagon with a ballast load. Basically the coal load colored white to look like ballast.

Ideas for CGI characters:

If we really can't get Stepney, we should discuss more likeable CGI characters for the HO Scale range.

Porter - If Bachmann can reintroduce Salty, Porter would be a great addition. He would complete the Brendam Docks duo.

Timothy - A great choice for your clay pits layout. Timothy would be a great engine to go with Bill and Ben. He's a small engine with not too many details. Though, I don't see Marion happening because she's a gimmicky design.

Norman - This one's a tough choice. Unlike Timothy, Norman never had an episode dedicated to him, and he only spoke every three years. His design doesn't look too complicated, and he has an interesting red-orange livery. Once we get him and Sidney, we'll have the Day of the Diesels trio in HO Scale.

Den and Dart - Both of them would require completely different toolings. Den seems like a great choice, but the only issue with Dart is his notably small size, so he may need to be scaled up a little bit. What would you think of getting the Dieselworks duo?

Hiro - Arguably one of the most popular characters from the CGI series. Also amazingly popular with the Japanese audience. He can be the first tender engine since Donald and Douglas. The only issue would be his size and details, and he would be the largest engine in the HO Scale range, even more than Spencer.

Stanley - A minor character, but he does have a unique white livery. The only one on this list to have also appeared in the model series

Stafford - Also a minor character, but he would be the first electric engine in the range.

[Cheeky_ULP]

The CG show is being tossed aside for some 2D cartoon, so Mattel might as well not care what era Bachmann makes Thomas models from anymore

[clrp5150]

I sure frickin' hope so. The only main classic series characters we're missing in HO Scale are Stepney, BoCo, Duke, Arthur, Murdoch and Fergus, who all happen to be exclusive to this era as well. I likely wouldn't buy Fergus because I hate his character or Duke because I don't collect the SR ones, but I would jump on the three others ASAP.

[Armada Starscream]

Hello, this is my first post on the Bachmann Forums!

Given that Bachmann appears to value it's fans and customer support and suggestions, which I really appreciate given the current times, I wanted to get my opinions out there on some models I would like to see, and some that might work for other reasons. Some of these probably won't happen, but I at least want to put these suggestions out there for a chance.

Gordon's Special Composite and Brake Coaches-Made from the regular Express Coaches tooling WITH the corridor I have wanted to see these blue coaches in merchandise since 2006, despite how obscure they are. Given the recent announcement of the obscure Museum Coaches, this gives me hope that we could potentially see these some time in the future! These would be great recolors to make, however I would really hope that they are made from the tooling for both the Express Coach and Express Brake Coach as there were two coaches in the episode, as opposed to just using the tooling for Spencer's Special Coach, which do not have the corridors on the front and back. If these coaches were released in both Composite and Brake coaches, I would definitely begin buying Bachmann Express Coaches again!

Sidney Sidney would be easy to make given that he is a Class 08 Shunter with red side-rods, with both the body being the same as Diesel and Paxton, and the Side rods being the same as Paxton's side rods, all that would be needed would be a new face. An easy to make model.

Green and Yellow Old Coaches This would require a new coach tooling, but would definitely be worth it. Given that these coaches appeared in the early seasons of Thomas and Friends, they are popular cult favorites among the fanbase, with both many model railway repaints and virtual versions in Trainz Railway Simulator being used, this would be a great chance to cash in on a classic and sell-loved set of coaches. A great time to introduce them would be after a few years of recolored rolling stock, as it would introduce some fresh new tooling's.

Arthur This would also require a new tooling, but given that there is already a Bachmann LMS 2MT 2-6-2 tooling, this could be relatively easier to design. Not necessarily just repaint the tooling, but rather use the dimensions and design of the model to as a starting point to help create a new tooling. Despite not appearing as often as some other characters, Arthur is still a Model Series Season 7 cult favorite among fans, including EnterprisingEngine93, and is not overly big, but not overly small either, rendering him a good size to make.

Murdoch This one will probably won't happen anytime soon, but given the price and how rare Hornby Murdoch go for, there is indeed a big demand for Murdoch. It might take a lot for a new tooling of Murdoch's size, This would be a good chance to appeal to the many fans who were unable to get a Hornby Murdoch. Especially when prices go as high as:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OO-Hornby-Murdoch-Locomotive-and-Tender-DC-034-Thomas-the-Tank-Series-034-/324438204484?hash=item4b8a062044%3Ag%3A2xQAAOSwr6Bf7rg0&nma=true&si=Q9cIuTG5zcfjvXVuerzz0PLRbEQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

And:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Hornby-00-Thomas-And-Friends-Murdoch-Locomotive-Boxed-New/164691004035?epid=1605265390&hash=item2658594a83:g:KoMAAOSwey5gIAXQ

And even the price of fan-made replicas:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HORNBY-OO-GAUGE-MURDOCH-REPLICA-FOR-THOMAS-THE-TANK-LAYOUT-VGC-/224325220175?hash=item343ad3374f%3Ag%3AWv0AAOSwaQdfwn-k&nma=true&si=Q9cIuTG5zcfjvXVuerzz0PLRbEQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Sonny This one is probably not going to happen anytime soon either, but I would personally love to see it! Indeed, there are a few arguments for the model that could work. For one thing, Sonny appears to be popular in his own right, and given that not much high-quality merchandise of Sonny is being made, Bachmann could market Sonny based on the lack of said merchandise, given that some fans will want to get at least some merchandise of Sonny. In addition, I have been unable to find any models of the iconic Haydock Foundry Bellerophon, Bachmann could consider that modelers may want to repaint the Sonny model into a Bellerophon model. Indeed, Bachmann should also consider how well Thomas items may do as repaints, given the many repaints of Bachmann Engines and Rolling stock, particularly Skarloey and Rheneas into Tallylyn and Dolgoch I have heard of, and that Hornby now has the ability to sell their Thomas models in the UK.

Hannah Not really much here, but a suggestion if Bachmann needs a recolored item quickly. Just re-paint the Henrietta model yellow, no need for a face.

These are my suggestions and hopes for future Bachmann Thomas Models. I understand that some of these items seem unlikely, but I figured I would at least put the idea out there. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

[Chaz]

Bit of a delayed response, but a huge thank you to everyone else who responded positively to my Sir Handel post from earlier!  Here's hoping we can still see him produced at some point in the future.  

As far as future HO candidates for Bachmann to pick in HO from the CGI era go from Trainfan97's post, Sidney does seem to be the most obvious choice, especially with two new engine toolings in HO/OO in production.  But new tooling wise, it's a little hard to say on my end personally.  Hiro would be the one I could see happening if they were able to pull off a new tender engine tooling, but considering how much Ryan is going for it does have me worry what kind of price we would see for Hiro.  But unlike Ryan, I feel like Hiro has a much bigger following, both as a character and icon, so I feel he would be one of the few characters I could see a lot of people willing to spend the extra money on him.

Otherwise, your guess is as good as mine as far as any of other CG era characters go.

[TrainFan97]

I'm hoping HO Scale Sidney could finally be announced this NMRA, since we currently have two new toolings in the works for this range. The best choice for another recolor is Sidney. Using Diesel's tooling, and the same red siderods as Paxton. He would have a painted border around his face like Paxton. It's a surprise that Sidney hasn't been announced already for HO Scale. After Grumpy Diesel's announcement, people were starting to get sick of the Class 08 diesel shunters, but now that it's been a good few years, we're finally ready for Sidney. The forgetful blue diesel is due at this point. Definitely one Bachmann must look into as their next engine recolor for the HO Scale range. Just change the face and paint scheme on Diesel's tooling.

Once Sidney finally gets made, we can have him pulling a Steamworks crate wagon, bringing Percy his new wheels, like in the episode "Sidney Sings".

In my last post, all the CGI character ideas I listed were new toolings.

[TTL]

As far as new toolings from here on out go for the main range, it's anyone's guess really. While personally, even as a RWS modeler, I wouldn't mind seeing Timothy or Norman, if only due to the former's potential with his outside framed design and the fact that Norman's basis is only available as a very rare brass kit. Hell, I wouldn't mind Stanley for similar purposes.
I can't see Hiro being made, the cost would likely be VERY high.

[TrainFan97]

If we really can't get Stepney, then the next new tooling for HO Scale is anyone's guess.

I think the best choices would be Timothy and Norman, since there's nothing else like either of them on the market. I could definitely see Norman being popular among modellers to turn him into Dennis, or his basis. Like Diesel, Timothy also has outside frame siderods, but there's no model of his basis out there. Both Timothy and Norman would be very unique additions to not just the Thomas line, but the model train world itself. Two unique engines, and they're not gimmicky in terms of design. To add to that, there's almost no models of Norman's basis out there.

As popular as Hiro is, the cost for him could be astronomical, and he may never happen because of how expensive he would be to make and sell.