Future suggestions/predictions thread

[Stephen62]

I really think that we could see a continuation of the individual releases of the circus train and Christmas wagons. I really think Nia could be a big announcement this year. I would love for Murdoch and stepney to be announced in the future(but Mattel would have to ease up first). Flying Scotsman is one of the most famous engines in the world and a very wanted character in the franchise. They could even do a seperate sale for the water tender. As for other rolling stock, I think the could start adding to the troublesome lineup and do the slate wagons from Thomas' train journey beyond sodor. Rickety and Fred pelhay were supposed to be released years ago but canceled. I think they could add to a troublesome train as well. Hannah would be great as well since she's being released in n scale. Bradford and Bruno would be nice too.

[harrison05]

I think with the 80th anniversary and Mattel focusing on "Classic Thomas" I think the CGI mandate could get eased and we could get a Model character announcement maybe even this year lets wait and see.

[DustyMarie53!]

Weird last-minute prediction. Now that we have Lionel 80th anniversary product and know Mattel has sent that style guide that's also on some tshirts on amazon out pretty much immediately, I am once again looking at the New Minis Diesel 10 and Charlie. I don't think they would be based on those minis to be clear, but the fact they were specifically updated and are being pushed makes me wonder if maybe Charlie may happen this year. Flynn is also in Minis this year so he could potentially be the next plastic vehicle. Normally there isn't cross synergy with Bachmann itself but with Lionel specifically using the same style guide mattel is sending out makes me curious if this could be different. Not as confident in this as my previous post but I figured it wouldn't hurt if nothing else to throw it out there

[harrison05]

This gives me hope for model series products

[DustyMarie53!]

Now that we know the DCC Thomas and Percy use the same sound files as g scale, this opens the door for the rest of 2-7, Emily, and Spencer to become DCC in the future. I would fully expect to see them announced over the coming years. Could be cool if they announced one or two of the Three Railway Engines for DCC this year. I could see them waiting until these are out to announce anymore but I do think they will be on the horizon.

[Chaz]

Now that we know the DCC Thomas and Percy use the same sound files as g scale, this opens the door for the rest of 2-7, Emily, and Spencer to become DCC in the future. I would fully expect to see them announced over the coming years. Could be cool if they announced one or two of the Three Railway Engines for DCC this year. I could see them waiting until these are out to announce anymore but I do think they will be on the horizon.

I would love it if the range expands their DCC options beyond Thomas and Percy. I've been meaning to upgrade some of my engines to have DCC at some point since my club runs DCC and I am literally one of three or four members that runs analog because of the Thomas models.  So having options available for the rest of the original steam team and Spencer would help a lot long term so I can run more Thomas models for guests during our shows.

Sir Handel looks great too. Can't wait to see how he looks once they finish the final details.  Didn't think it was possible to be even more excited for Sir Handel, but here we are. 

[TrainFan97]

We knew from the start that the DCC Sound-Fitted Thomas and Percy models weren't going to be retools. I guess the reason why they can't just retool Thomas and Percy is because it would take away the resources that would otherwise be used for another engine that requires a new tooling, like Norman or Whiff. Percy especially needs it since he's one of the worst models in HO Scale. The only real issues with Thomas are his face, and the lack of a front coupler.

[Awesometrain77]

How would I revive the scenery range

Now this is something I thought of and you would focus on making everything versatile and could work on many different layouts for different parts of the island of Sodor

So first off I would bring back
The round water tower
Brendam warehouse
Signal box

And introduce the following new items
Resin retaining walls pack
Sodor station platform pack
Sodor station sign pack
Glass station canopy 

 

[Gotoit756]

My predictions for new Thomas releases coming soon will be...

-Stepney the bluebell engine
-Nia the African engine
-Duncan (narrow gauge engine)
-Duke
-Harvey
-Murdoch
-d199/spamcam
-d7101/bear
-kana
-sandy
-Carly
-aeg Thomas, Percy, James, Emily, Gordon and diesel
-class 40/the diesel/d261
-Caroline
-Tom tipper and his post van
-George the steam roller
-diesel 10
-whiff
-Neville
-Norman
-Charlie
-Boco
-Trevor
-bulgy
-luke

[Chaz]

My predictions for new Thomas releases coming soon will be...

-Stepney the bluebell engine
-Nia the African engine
-Duncan (narrow gauge engine)
-Duke
-Harvey
-Murdoch
-d199/spamcam
-d7101/bear
-kana
-sandy
-Carly
-aeg Thomas, Percy, James, Emily, Gordon and diesel
-class 40/the diesel/d261
-Caroline
-Tom tipper and his post van
-George the steam roller
-diesel 10
-whiff
-Neville
-Norman
-Charlie
-Boco
-Trevor
-bulgy
-luke

Bachmann has already announced Bulgy, and he can be preordered at Trainworld or other shops.

[harrison05]

My predictions for new Thomas releases coming soon will be...

-Stepney the bluebell engine
-Nia the African engine
-Duncan (narrow gauge engine)
-Duke
-Harvey
-Murdoch
-d199/spamcam
-d7101/bear
-kana
-sandy
-Carly
-aeg Thomas, Percy, James, Emily, Gordon and diesel
-class 40/the diesel/d261
-Caroline
-Tom tipper and his post van
-George the steam roller
-diesel 10
-whiff
-Neville
-Norman
-Charlie
-Boco
-Trevor
-bulgy
-luke

Bachmann have said time and time again they will NOT make AEG products.

[TRAINSROCK!]

I've come up with some new stuff that I thought of recently.

first is Philip (this is a surprise suggestion I've came up with). I rewatched the episodes from season 19 during his introduction 10 years ago. yes I thought he was annoying. (I think he was tolerable in seasons 19-21 i think i got annoyed with him in the last three seasons). but I think he's starting to grow on me. I think he has a simple design that they could do him.

the next two are rolling stock. first the slip coaches. (just a piece of rolling stock to go with duck).

some quarry related wagons for mavis. (much of my ho collection is the secondary characters). for example oliver has toad and s.c. ruffy to pull. donald & douglas have the spiteful breakvan. bill & ben will soon have the china clay wagans. daisy has the milk tanker. and diesel with either the upcoming flatbed with diesel fuel or the sodor diesel company tankers. so I think mavis could use some wagons with rocks loaded into them like how the china clay wagons will look like. (though maybe in a different paint scheme maybe green as I think there's enough of the red wagons). so I just thought duck and mavis could use some rolling stock to go with them like the others I listed.

so these were some ideas I had in the head for awhile now. (they struck me recently and thought i'd share them). and samson and bradford remain as my most wanted items (just was putting it out). and I also think porter is another one they should do (with salty returning to the range eventually). so that's what I got for now.

[RKPR]

It seems like to get a bachmann model you had to be in the cgi television series, and at least so far not be very complicated to create (so no mobile diesel 10 pinchy, or marion, or harveys crane (tho maybe this will change at some point)).

Bachmann also seem to understandably like making engines they can reuse chassis for like stanley from thomas's chassis.

I feel like at some point we might get flying scotsman using gordon's chassis, but I only hesitate to say that because there are so many flying scotsmans already out there in oo.

Whiff doesnt have the same chassis as an existing engine but also doesnt have complex side rods. Whiff also has a relatively long history in the show so I could see him coming along soon.

Charlie could use stanleys/thomas's chassis. It would be interesting to see if Billy is also made that way despite him not being in cgi. I would think people would have to buy charlie and turn him into billy though because smudger has never been made from rheneas by bachmann.

Victor would be a fun one to get in oo9 but I think probably we will finish out getting duncan and luke before that maybe since victor is much larger and will have a smaller audience for buying to turn into a different engine.

Nia is also probably on bachmann's list to adapt, but will be more expensive because of her complex siderods.

Hiro I can see bachmann making because he is so popular and has many toy lines making him over other characters.

Samson could also be made but I'm not familiar enough with his wheel arrangement to know of they could mostly use percy's chassis.

Stafford, phillip, dart, and winston should all have relatively simple chassis though I'm sure they wouldnt have moving eyes being so small.

Connor and caitlin i think could use the same chassis so they could come out together or shortly after each other which would help cost of production.

Porter could use modified rosie chassis maybe?

I think stephen has the same potential issue as flying scotsman because there are already rockets in oo.

Maybe give more time between den's basis being released in oo and we will see him come out shortly after dart.

Timothy could join bill and ben on scc soon. Maybe bachmann could modify paxton/diesel/arry/bert/etc's side rods to help reduce cost.

Anyway thats who I think is most likely to be made in the nearish future by bachmann based on what we've seen. Fun to think about. I do hope the pattern of no mobile crane parts changes though so we can get rocky or breakdown cranes and other fun characters. I do also hope we someday get into non cgi characters like boco, duke, and stepney. Moonshot dream of super unlikeliness would be if mattel went back to cgi like brenner era and we wouldnt have to worry about who wasnt in cgi because they would be brought back.

[JLK2707]

Would a large scale Edward and Henrietta be cool?

[Awesometrain77]

Okay so since we know we will get something new from HO N and G (no mention of NG ) I have updated my predictions

G scale
Red funfair van
Blue funfair van
Gray funfair van
Christmas van

HO scale 
Golden Thomas
Emily with 12 
Green Salty
Gordon's special express coach composite
Gordon's special express coach brake
Troublesome truck #7
Trevor 


N scale
LBSC Thomas
Black James


In addition we will get a set as we have gotten a new set every year since 2019 I am pretty sure it will be either HO or N scale

If the set is HO then I think N scale could get some products announced
Mining wagon with load
Sodor co coal wagon with load
Sodor scrap co wagon

If it is N scale then I think HO could see some more products announced
Mccoll Cattle van
Circus cattle van
Pink cattle van