Future suggestions/predictions thread

[DustyMarie53!]

I mean the catalog has been uploaded as late as 6 pm est before I wouldn't rule it out today just yet. It's also been uploaded on Saturday and Sunday's before it's not always a Friday thing. It'll happen whenever it's done I guess is the best way of putting it

[TrainFan97]

I guess it will happen literally any day within the next week or so. So far, it's not looking like today either. Last week's video didn't show anything Thomas-related, with the closest thing being the Talyllyn coaches.

[DustyMarie53!]

Turns out Walthers has the catalog up for purchase with an estimated date of the 14th. Since the catalog usually gets uploaded here before the physical is released, we should have it in the next 10 days at worst. Thomas Tuesday has yet to be announced for this month, I see two possibilities. They're still doing it this week but can't officially announce it unless the catalog goes live, or it's been pushed back waiting for the catalog to drop. Not sure which is more likely and I could be entirely off base but that should be useful. Hopefully it's uploaded soon so I can stop trying to predict when it'll drop lol.

[N Scale Sudrian]

I think at this point, if it's going to take them that long to upload the catalog PDF, a moderator should at the very least make a post now with the new Thomas announcements on these forums, like in the old days... Especially if they're not going to make the bi-annual announcement videos for Thomas anymore... I understand the latter is due to needing Mattel to approve any promotional material they create, but surely just posting a text list of new announcements here wouldn't require any licensor oversight? If Bachmann is willing to list all of their 'main line' releases in a video a month before releasing the catalog, then I'm sure it would be reasonable for them to just say what they're doing here so that we aren't left in suspense for weeks...

[Kemptown Branch]

When they used to do the text lists, the items were usually announced between the 9th and 17th of February, depending on what day the Friday was. It was only around 2021 that they started revealing the announcements at the end of January. Either way, I think we'll probably see the new announcements on Friday the 9th or Friday the 16th at worst, so we don't have too long to wait now.

[Awesometrain77]

I am so tired of waiting can some mod just see this and tell me what we are getting thanks . I am hoping for Sunday which is tommorow if not we are gonna get them Tuesday if not we will have to wait till the weekend

[TrainFan97]

We may be kept in suspense until next weekend at the latest. 2021 was the last time they posted the list of announcements in a special thread. Since then, it's been solely the catalog we get them from once available.

All of us have been waiting for weeks, and the suspense is killing me. The only exciting update we got recently was the painted reveal of N Scale Emily, and before that was the unpainted reveal of N Scale Henrietta. Still no Thomas Tuesday announcement for this month yet either.

[Chaz]

For what it's worth, it seems Bachmann is reintroducing their Thomas starter set in large scale, the product number is different from that of the original (90068 was the original, this one is 90089).

https://www.walthers.com/thomas-w-annie-clarabel-160-90089

The price though is pretty steep, but I guess that's expected of large scale especially considering Walthers usually lists products with Bachmann's RRP and not have them around at a lower cost like other shops like Trainworld. 

Couldn't find anything else while searching Walthers, so either the things that are getting announced this month still don't have a price yet, or maybe they want to take it slow this year and catch up on previously announced products (which I'm personally okay with if that's the case). It's anyone's guess at this point, honestly.

[Mulfred100]

When you think about how much is still being worked on or not yet released
HO
Beau (fully painted)
Rebecca (sample ready)
Stanley
12 Ton vans
Open carriage
Bulgy
Sir Topham Hatt's car
Figure packs (sample ready)
009
Sir Handel
Duncan
Narrow Gauge Gondolas
Gunpowder vans
Narrow Gauge High-Side Wagons
N
Gordon (fully painted)
Emily (fully painted)
Diesel
Paxton
Henrietta (sample ready)
Express coaches
Emily's Coaches (fully painted)
I mean that's 9 individual items for N Scale outstanding, 16 for HO and 11 for 009
That's quite alot still being worked on.
I'm sure when the catalogue is announced there will be some new products. Maybe nothing groundbreaking but as I say there's alot on the way. Plus lately the February announcements are usually quite small and the bigger (new tooling) announcements are in the summer

[JacobSK]

When you think about how much is still being worked on or not yet released
HO
Beau (fully painted)
Rebecca (sample ready)
Stanley
12 Ton vans
Open carriage
Bulgy
Sir Topham Hatt's car
Figure packs (sample ready)
009
Sir Handel
Duncan
Narrow Gauge Gondolas
Gunpowder vans
Narrow Gauge High-Side Wagons
N
Gordon (fully painted)
Emily (fully painted)
Diesel
Paxton
Henrietta (sample ready)
Express coaches
Emily's Coaches (fully painted)
I mean that's 9 individual items for N Scale outstanding, 16 for HO and 11 for 009
That's quite alot still being worked on.
I'm sure when the catalogue is announced there will be some new products. Maybe nothing groundbreaking but as I say there's alot on the way. Plus lately the February announcements are usually quite small and the bigger (new tooling) announcements are in the summer

I was going to do a list/inventory, but you saved me the trouble. Thanks, Mulfred!

Yes, that seems to be the case.

2019 we saw Red Rosie in February, then out of nowhere, we got Daisy and Peter Sam for that year's NMRA
2020 we saw Busy Bee James in February, and once it was pointed out that it should've been Origin James, Bachmann put things right at NMRA. It's a miracle we got anything announced that summer because pandemic. Meanwhile, N James is announced
2021 we saw Ryan and N Toby both in February. Large Scale finally got their Red Coaches announced at NMRA, which I imagine was a big deal for them
2022 Sir Handel is announced in February and while all had seemed lost for N Gordon when out of nowhere, he's announced for NMRA
2023 didn't have too much of anything in February, then for NMRA Stanley and N Diesel and Paxton are announced

I guess it's anyone's guess at this point. 2022 was the last time a big announcement came in February, but 2019 was the first year we got an exciting announcement at NMRA. All will be revealed soon...

[TrainFan97]

So far, none of the current outstanding Narrow Gauge products have been physically shown yet, but Sir Handel, as well as the High-Side wagons and Gondolas, are up for pre-order with prices.

For HO Scale, Beau is the closest to being released since he's been fully painted for a while. Rebecca is still in the unpainted stage, as well as the figures. All other outstanding HO Scale products are up for pre-order at Trainworld, including those not physically shown yet, like Stanley. DCC Sound-Fitted Thomas and Percy as well as Salty's reintroduction have been on seemingly endless hold. The former two was due to the semiconductor shortage that went on following the pandemic.

As for N Scale, Gordon and Emily have both been shown fully painted, with the former having been for a while, and very close to release, while the latter was only recently shown, and may not arrive in stock until later this year. Emily's Coaches have also been shown fully painted for a while, and seem very close to release, while Henrietta was recently shown in the unpainted stage. Diesel and Paxton are already up for pre-order, but the Express Coaches are not, yet.

This Friday for sure, we should finally know what new products will be in the 2024 catalog.

[Kemptown Branch]

TrainWorld announced that the February Thomas Tuesday will be next week, since there was a scheduling conflict for today. They didn't have a picture ad like they usually do, but they said it will come in the next couple of days. I think we'll probably know the new announcements by next Tuesday!

[TrainFan97]

For HO rolling stock that would use existing toolings that were actually in the show, the Italian Blue Coaches can be made using the Red Coach toolings. Stephen's blue coach would require a new tooling. An-An and Yin-Long would be recycled from Annie and Clarabel's tooling, and if they were to be made, it would mean Bachmann would have to make Hong-Mei, who can recycle Rosie's chassis, but with a different siderod configuration. One international engine that would completely recycle an existing tooling is Fernando, but if they were to use Diesel's tooling again, we'd rather have Sidney first.

As questionable as Nia is, it's only a matter of time before Bachmann eventually does make her for HO Scale, given that she is still a main character, even in the reboot. Most would rather have Whiff instead, since he's the last engine to appear in both model and CGI to not feature gimmicks, and that no ready-to-run model of Aerolite exists. Philip would be a great choice for a simple new tooling since he's just a small box, and would be a cheaper model. Norman is certainly an honorable mention for a new tooling since even though he was a nothing character in the show, many fan-made stories shed light on him, and that no ready-to-run model of BR 11001 exists. The new tooling everyone wants most of all is Hiro, especially after Rebecca's announcement brought tender engines back into the picture for HO Scale. Although Hiro would inevitably be the most expensive model, but high prices didn't stop the Narrow Gauge range from selling.

Considering Stanley has no unpainted sample ready yet, I don't see a new HO Scale tooling being announced in the catalog. Rebecca's first painted sample will be shown in the next Thomas Tuesday stream, as it has just been teased. It may not be until summer before we get to see Stanley's unpainted sample. Hope it won't be too long before Bachmann gets an unpainted sample of N Scale Diesel.

Any of these engines could be the next new tooling for HO Scale:
-Nia
-Whiff
-Philip
-Norman
-Hiro
-Hong-Mei (chassis recycled with some modification to siderods; don't really see her happening unless they make An-An and Yin-Long)
-Sonny (has a rather complicated siderod configuration, but could be doable, and no model of his basis exists)
-Porter (has rather problematic scaling)

The best choices for HO Scale recolors are Sidney and Fernando because Mainland Diesels and Green Salty are rather too niche.

[Armada Starscream]

For HO rolling stock that would use existing toolings that were actually in the show, the Italian Blue Coaches can be made using the Red Coach toolings. Stephen's blue coach would require a new tooling. An-An and Yin-Long would be recycled from Annie and Clarabel's tooling, and if they were to be made, it would mean Bachmann would have to make Hong-Mei, who can recycle Rosie's chassis, but with a different siderod configuration. One international engine that would completely recycle an existing tooling is Fernando, but if they were to use Diesel's tooling again, we'd rather have Sidney first.

As questionable as Nia is, it's only a matter of time before Bachmann eventually does make her for HO Scale, given that she is still a main character, even in the reboot. Most would rather have Whiff instead, since he's the last engine to appear in both model and CGI to not feature gimmicks, and that no ready-to-run model of Aerolite exists. Philip would be a great choice for a simple new tooling since he's just a small box, and would be a cheaper model. Norman is certainly an honorable mention for a new tooling since even though he was a nothing character in the show, many fan-made stories shed light on him, and that no ready-to-run model of BR 11001 exists. The new tooling everyone wants most of all is Hiro, especially after Rebecca's announcement brought tender engines back into the picture for HO Scale. Although Hiro would inevitably be the most expensive model, but high prices didn't stop the Narrow Gauge range from selling.

Considering Stanley has no unpainted sample ready yet, I don't see a new HO Scale tooling being announced in the catalog. Rebecca's first painted sample will be shown in the next Thomas Tuesday stream, as it has just been teased. It may not be until summer before we get to see Stanley's unpainted sample. Hope it won't be too long before Bachmann gets an unpainted sample of N Scale Diesel.

Any of these engines could be the next new tooling for HO Scale:
-Nia
-Whiff
-Philip
-Norman
-Hiro
-Hong-Mei (chassis recycled with some modification to siderods; don't really see her happening unless they make An-An and Yin-Long)
-Sonny (has a rather complicated siderod configuration, but could be doable, and no model of his basis exists)
-Porter (has rather problematic scaling)

The best choices for HO Scale recolors are Sidney and Fernando because Mainland Diesels and Green Salty are rather too niche.

I would also like to see these characters, particularly Sonny. As stated above an argument can be made for Whiff, Norman and Sonny that no current regular non-Thomas models of their real-life prototypes:
NER 66 Aerolite for Whiff,
British Rail 11001 for Norman
Haydock Foundry well-tank locomotives like Bellorophon for Sonny.

Thus this could also appeal to non-Thomas Modelers who would wish to convert the Bachmann Thomas engines into their basis.

An additional argument can be made against Mattel's CGI mandate with that in that Norman could easily be recolored into Dennis if Norman ever happens and the CGI mandate is hopefully lifted. Indeed, all it would take would be a potentially recolored Norman mold with a new face. This could also apply to a potential Splatter and Dodge, as all they would need would be a repainted 'Arry and Bert Shell, with one face they could both use, as the two of them are always seen in together wearing identical expressions to the other. This could be an easy way to get new characters out cheaply and quickly, and can be used to potentially demonstrate to Mattel that the CGI Mandate is clogging up potential and easy to make products.

A similar argument can be made for a potential Arthur, Murdoch, Derek, and the Class 40 Diesel, considering that Bachmann already has models of these characters basis in their UK Range:
LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T for Arthur
BR Standard Class 9F for Murdoch
British Rail Class 17 for Derek
British Rail Class 40 for Class 40

Given that Bachmann is making Beau, a rather minor character, out of their already existing tooling, another argument can be made that the CGI mandate is clogging up potential easy to make products that would indeed be popular fan choices.

It regards to Rolling stock, given the Toby's Museum Composite and Brake Coaches were released, I would like to see the Gordon's Special Composite and Brake coaches from Season 10. All they would have to do would be recolor their Current Gordon's Composite and Brake Express Coaches, and they would have easy products, like the Toby's Museum Coaches. I would hope they would release both Composite and Brake versions of the coaches for more variety and thus more product, preferably with the connecting corridor still in so they could look like they could "connect" and integrate seamlessly to Gordon's already existing Express Coaches.

Given that Bachmann made the Toby's Museum Coaches based on SodorRyModeler's photoshopped Red Coaches into Toby's Museum Coaches, maybe someone could photoshop some Gordon's Composite and Brake Coaches into Gordon's Special Composite and Brake Coaches to give Bachmann an inspiration?

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/ttte/images/f/f8/Gordon%27sSpecialCoaches.png/revision/latest?cb=20190121070536

[Awesometrain77]

I do think that the mandate should be lifted soon because all engines go has taken over so CGI is not even current . It seems Thomas Tuesday has been delayed I wonder if Bachmann even knows what the new Thomas stuff is gonna be this year they prob made the decision later than usual . It could also be troubles with Mattel approval and such maybe it's the CGI only mandate lift that causing it to take long who knows but I do think there is something going on as it caused Thomas Tuesday to be delayed