Future suggestions/predictions thread

[TrainFan97]

Once N Scale Edward finally is on the cards, the next N Scale engine to vouch for would be Duck.

[N Scale Sudrian]

Edward is definitely a shoe-in for the next N Scale loco this July, but I think the fandom would be better-served pushing for Mavis to be the next N Scale loco after Edward instead of Duck. Bachmann already knows how much the Thomas fandom loves engines 8 thru 11, so we'd basically just be preaching to the choir. It would make more sense to rally behind fan favorites that aren't as pushed as hard as they are, such as Mavis. That way we'll get a bit more variety alongside the basically-guaranteed Ducks and Olivers, ha ha.

Other than Edward, I think there's a good chance we see either the Red Coaches or the Milk and Tar Tanks announced at NMRA. I'm personally leaning on the side of Tar and Milk since we've been asking for those two ever since the initial tank car announcements in N. I've been hesitant to beg for them given that until recently we'd needed way more wagon variety first before more tank cars, but now that we have Box Vans as well as upcoming faceless open wagons and an upcoming faceless brake van, I think we've reached enough diversity in rolling stock that new tankers make sense to dive into. I think a fun alternative third option for new rolling stock would be Mail Cars, since they're one of the few things left in the TOMIX's old lineup that aren't present in Bachmann's, but with how long it's been without seeing hide nor hair of Paxton/Diesel and the Express Coaches progress-wise, I'd be hesitant to push for any projects that are more extensive than an easy retool (such as the Red Coaches).

If Bachmann felt like adding off-rail vehicles like Bertie and Harold to the N Scale line, though, I would be very happy with that as well!

[travel_is_fun]

I strongly believe that the NMRA convention this year will be strong given the 80th anniversary of Thomas. I'll put my take on the predictions 6 months before any new announcements.

HO:
- Whiff
- Garbage Truck
- Toffee Tanker
- Chocolate Syrup Tanker

HoN30
- Luke
- Gray Box Vans/Brake Van
- Tan Box Vans/Brake Van

N:
- Edward (Without question)
- Mail Trucks (To add variety to rolling stock)
- Red Coaches + Brake Coach (Simple retooling)
- BR Brake Van

G:
- Origin James

I'm open to feedback. Thanks!

[TRAINSROCK!]

Since I shared my ideas for stuff 13 days ago. I came up with more stuff that came in my head.

For engines in the ho line obviously samson. (yes I've shared a lot I really want him). here's why I shared he has the same chassis as percy and bill and ben. he just seems pretty easy to do (main reason why I want him is because of samson and the fireworks made me like him more). and second is he's pretty similar in design wise to neil from the railway series. (I just always thought samson was close enough to adaption of neil from the railway series to be introduced in the show). so samson is just really the one engine I want the most by this rate.

for rolling stock. obviously bradford.

the slip coaches to go with duck.


the idea of quarry wagons for mavis.

and three ideas for more troublesome trucks. a 8th one for the slate wagon (from journey beyond sodor). and the 9th one in the 16th ton wagon (I'm kind of referring to the ones diesel pushed into the sea with China clay in diesel does it again). and a 10th one using the mail vans. (there was one seen in oliver owns up with a face so I thought that would that would be fitting to use as the 10th troublesome truck.

the last one is more flatbeds (the ones that samson was seen pulling with the dinosaurs on them).

for the narrow guage line. well four I can say is a flatbed wagon.

the green open air coaches (just another edition to add with the red and blue coaches).

and more of the box vans and breakvans. (for these I'm thinking brown). I really like the red and blue ones they released. (I own two of the red box vans and four of the blue ones). yes the red ones were the ones mostly used in the show. I just seem to really like how the blue ones turned out. I think that's why I own four of the blue box vans. Just would like if they did more of the vans in brown. same with the breakvan.

for n scale obviously edward (just to finish the main 7 engine cast).

and down the road I'm thinking oliver. (since they did toad I suspect they'll so oliver eventually). but of course duck might be the next one they do when they announce edward.

and g scale james in the black paint. (since they're doing thomas in the lbsc livery they should do james in the black livery).

yes some of these were ones I already said. but the rest is all new I thought of lately.

I guess we'll see what the announcements in July will bring.

[Chaz]

After some thought, I decided to create a list for NMRA and beyond. As always, I'll start with HO, followed by N and Large Scale.

HO Engines


For HO, I'm leaning more than ever toward Hiro after the recent release of Rebecca. It's unfortunate he wasn't in this year's catalog, but understandable given Bachmann's current workload.  He would be one of Bachmann's very best sellers, despite his inevitably higher price, and many would buy him day one of his release.  He has a majorly wide appeal and continues to have a strong fan following since his introduction in Hero of the Rails.


If Hiro isn't announced, Whiff seems like the next likely candidate. His simple design aligns well with characters like Rosie and Stanley, introduced around the same time and with similar followings. Not counting Harvey or Diesel 10, Whiff would be the last major character from the model era who also appeared in CGI—a detail that adds novelty to his inclusion.

I only have two suggestions for HO rolling stock, both are repaints:


Green China Clay Truck: This would complement the upcoming red China Clay Truck and encourage sales. While green trucks didn't appear in the Railway Series, they were part of the Wooden Railway range in a two-pack with the red one adding some diversity. If Bachmann is introducing a new China clay load, it makes sense to use it across multiple wagons.  They can even copy the same decals from the red wagon (barring the numbers, which can be changed). It almost feels wrong only having a red China Clay truck but no green one to go along with it since I remember having the wooden railway two pack as a kid!


Gordon's Special Coaches – These darker blue repaints of the Express Coaches, would be a very smart addition. Not only do they offer a nice color contrast, but they also represent a piece of model-era rolling stock absent from the recent catalog announcements.

Figure Packs
By summer, I expect figure packs to be available for sale. If new packs aren't announced by then, I could see them included in next winter's catalog. Two possibilities that seem popular are a Sodor Brass Band pack and a Sodor Celebrity pack.  Hopefully they will do more than that in the future, but for now I'm just going to stick with these two.

Narrow Gauge

After Sir Handel is released, I could see the next narrow gauge engine being Luke.


Luke is a popular CGI-era character and fits naturally with the mining theme of the narrow gauge range, as he resides in the Blue Mountain Quarry.  He would likely be an expensive and a lot more of an intricate locomotive, but I feel the cross appeal for both Thomas fans and 009 modelers is definitely there, more so than CGI Duncan by a longshot. I would buy him day one!


For narrow gauge rolling stock, I'm going to suggest the 4-plank wagons, which have appeared in both the model and CGI eras. These could come in various liveries—brown, oxide red, and gray.  In addition, Bachmann can create different loads of their choice in each wagon such as coal or stone.  If not, these wagons would still make great additions, with or without additional loads.  Along with a tan brake van, I feel like these along with Luke would make a fun lineup!

N Scale


The consensus among fans seems to be that Edward should be the next N Scale engine. While I understand the delays due to ongoing projects, it feels like a missed opportunity not to have announced him in the catalog to complete the original Steam Team.  That said, I think at this point he feels like a shoe-in for the summer and he would in no doubt be a popular seller once released.


After Edward, I firmly believe Duck should follow in 2026. His popularity, consistent CGI appearances, and strong sales of his HO model with an introduction in Bachmann UK make him a clear choice. A recent Japanese poll also highlighted his strong following ranking him in third place behind Thomas in his Railway Series and model series appearances respectively during the midterm results.  If that doesn't speak highly of Duck's popularity, I genuinely don't know what does.


Daisy also deserves quick mention too. After her recent UK introduction, she could be a strong candidate following Edward and Duck in N scale.  Despite how this would be a lot further down the line, it almost felt wrong to not mention her alongside Edward and Duck. 

N Rolling Stock
So like earlier in the catalog I'm going to suggest another pair of wagons which may seem redundant, but I feel with the additional coal loads and different color choices it will add some extra diversity:



Coal Wagon w/ load - This iconic rolling stock appeared extensively in both the model and CGI series and has been a popular purchase in HO and Large Scale.  It continues to be a popular request for a reason, and people would purchase multiple. 



Mining Wagon w/ load – With a blue livery and decal, this wagon would pair nicely with the green coal wagon, offering contrast and variety.


BR 20 ton brake van - In terms of new toolings, a BR 20-ton brake van should be added to the range this summer considering how it's been a lot more popular and iconic than the LMS brake van that was announced earlier. While Bachmann likely chose the LMS brake van to avoid investing in new tooling, the BR 20-ton brake van would be a versatile option for future repaints, including the Spiteful Brake Van.  Personally I think introducing one in either brown or gray or even purple and adding the two coal wagons mentioned earlier would make for a very fun lineup of N rolling stock!

Large Scale

Large scale is lucky to get any announcement these days, so I don't expect much activity here. However, I believe introducing the same two vans in HO (1945 and retro logo), would be a smart move for the large scale range.  These could not only appeal to large scale modelers but also to collectors as display pieces. 

Anyway that wraps up my thoughts on NMRA predictions plus which N scale engines should come after Edward.  I'm glad to see a lot of similar views all while still enjoying the reveal last weekend.