The red coaches and museum coaches will definitely happen eventually. Really popular items in two scales now. Makes sense they'll be introduced eventually. But I think some more goods stock first would be ideal. Mail cars to go with Percy would be awesome, could even do the green and live lobster variant from HO to introduce them as a rake of three like the vans and tankers, but the mail cars would be the main highlight. 

Open wagons would also be a good choice and is the main suggestion I've seen thrown around here. And they have a lot of choices too. I don't know what is the most likely admittedly. My want would be the hit era blue, the hit era green with coal load, and the red truck. But I'm expecting the scrap car, Sodor coal co car, and either the orange cargo car or the previously mentioned red truck. (Maybe even the new one with the load coming out? Not sure if they would do that yet though)


Don't even have to mention engines in this response really. Edward is practically guaranteed next new mold model; I don't see anyone else happening first. However, could see LBSC Thomas and one of the James's being announced in the 2025 February catalog and saving Edward for NMRA. We will see.

The future of N scale is looking bright. Honestly if I could get a do over may have even considered doing N scale instead lol. Look forward to seeing how they continued to expand the line. Although, I'd like G scale to also be thrown a bone. It's a shame that scale doesn't get as much love as the other 3 now, but I do get it. They are pricey to produce. Maybe someday we'll get another engine.

Hannah's sample is at the show! Confirmed for a 2025 release, not the same time as Henrietta like I proposed. Samples of Rebecca, the vans, N scale Emily and her coaches, N scale Gordon, Topham car, 3 of the slate trucks (no tan), the high side wagon, Black Tallylyn, one of Tallylyn's coaches, and Henrietta. The narrow gauge figure pack is apparently stuck at UPS but should be shown off over the weekend. Unclear if anything else will be there or not.

According to staff Hannah is actually slightly modified compared to Henrietta, so it isn't a 1 to 1 recolor.

These announcements are frankly crazy. Two 08's is something I wouldn't have expected, especially not the Mainland Diesel before the likes of Fernando. Makes me wonder if the nameless Indian Diesel shunter is in the cards, guess it'd depend on requests. The mainland shunter is such a deep cut. I made a joke on my twitter about it but I genuinely really like this announcement. I'm a collector who wants to get one of every character, they're toying with me because I would have completed that goal before this announcement. But I also really love to see more of the world of Thomas get represented. Really can't complain about that. Now some might ask why not 'Arry and Bert? Well, I think it's simple. Salty is in an indefinite hold cause of how they wanted to handle his rerelease. They probably want to wait until he's out of the hold to even think of rereleasing the other two discontinued diesels.

This also tells me we're in for a lock of a new tool next year. Whether catalog or NMRA we'll see. And it might be big given they went with two 08's out of the gate for this year. Now, this would normally be the part where I mention Nia. And I still think she's a good pick. But...with it being the anniversary year, I do want to propose someone else. They mentioned future tender engines are dependent on Rebecca before. Her sales data should be done by than.... what better way to celebrate the anniversary than one of the first CGI characters, Hiro. Bonus points if we got Victor and Kevin announced as well to make the trifecta. I still think Nia is the more likely pick, but hey, I was wrong about getting the 08's this soon. I'm not always right.

Like most others the rolling stock is the highlight for me. I literally wrote an email to Bachmann with my request list, and it included the Tar tanker. They replied with me rather quickly they had no plans for anything I listed. Seems obvious now they were playing coy, really happy about that as one of the discontinued products I missed out on. The flatbed with drums is also an awesome release. Such a staple of the later model series being represented now is so cool. The clay truck is frankly the lamer announcement. However, getting a new load is always cool, hope it looks good. Imagine this means the original red cargo truck will be discontinued here soon, so an immediate new variant with a load is a really cool addition. Wonder if maybe it'll be tweaked to be more like the CGI pink color. Guess we'll see. Model series clay trucks would have been cooler but can't win them all.

Less to say about N scale because it's not my main scale but still really happy with this set. Henry has been one my friends have been asking for a while now, and they're very happy. Edward seems like a lock for next year, probably alongside a LBSC Thomas. Hannah is also really cool to see. I don't think we've been given an ETA for Henrietta so maybe dual release of both sisters? We'll see. The graham Farish 20 ton brakevan is cool for people who wanted a normal brakevan but I don't really, get this announcement. If they ever wanted to make Bradford he'd have to be a new tool I imagine. Seems odd they'd create this potential consistency issue, plus odd there is only one variant announced when there are simply so many in the show. Feels like more could have been done there. Being saved for an HO announcement later perhaps? Either way hope both of these rolling stock pieces, CGI face Henrietta, and the two G scale tankers being brought to the HO line sooner rather than later.

Overall, very happy with these announcements.

I'd say unlikely. I believe the base tooling already has those colors and I don't believe those colors appeared in cgi. Maybe as a troublesome truck variant down the line but that's all I'd expect

While Minimum gauge would be cool Bachmann seems iffy on adding more scales/or sublines to the line. They have enough trouble balancing the 4 they have. Granted, the Arlesdale guys are inherently more limited. So maybe?

Quote from: thomasj219 on August 03, 2024, 10:46:51 PMI'm sorry, but looking at Mattel's sales I think you guys are vastly overestimating those "demographics".

Of course not all are turned off. But most are, and when cost is the issue that's what matters.

Also, you have to look at the reason Mattel revitalized the show to begin with. Those who grew up with the later series of Thomas. The CGI series, fell out of the hobby and didn't hold onto it as we did. Their sales dropped, and they needed to cater to older fans to make money. The same thing is happening here just in a different and slightly more cautious way.   

It's actually all a little more complicated than that. Cause Sandy and Bruno toys sell well both U.S. and UK wise. But the other characters hit a snag. And it's not out of lack of interest of the show inherently. AEG James used to be a big seller, so did Edward, so did Ashima, so on, in the states anyway. However, the slow release of characters and barrage of variants means there's less that kids actually want. So, once they get those characters they start to stagnate. In the UK it's even worse. Because most families already have toys of all the old characters, so they have no interest in buying the new reboot versions. So only Sandy, Bruno, and that one big Sodor cup pack really sold. Toby and Carly don't sell well anywhere. It's not a demographic problem it's a lack of good toys problem.

Same thing happened with both the Brenner and BWBA seasons. Brenner was specifically targeted back at winning back the old fans, but then Mattel lost a major Disney license. So, they had to cheapen the toys. Then corporate suits worried that kids would get confused about too many green characters in merch, so characters like Daisy and Alfie got nothing. Which ultimately harmed them in the long run, because as I've emphasized a few times now, kids love Daisy. Mattel equated this with being the fault of trying to appeal to older fans (when it wasn't, the balance is needed) so were planning AEG. Ian McCue stepped in with his BWBA pitch. It wasn't as drastic as it became when it was pitched, I don't even think Nia was part of the initial pitch, but as they say the rest is history. The toy problem got even worse, especially with the abundance of new characters, and they stopped making DVD's in the U.S. It was set up to fail in a way. It had Paw Patrol elements in it now, but Mattel thought that didn't work, so they moved on to AEG for real. Now basing it off of Looney Tunes (for some reason....I still don't know why. That's just what writers have said.)

The new TWR line was than created to still appeal to older fans, as well as others who didn't like the new designs. It was also trying to win back the lost trust that wood caused. However, the price point compared to the motorized AEG toys, lack of new products, and the fact the line had a lot of issues meant it only did ok in Mattel's books. Older fans bought it, but that wasn't enough.  Not enough to keep it going, and that's why it's discontinued now.

Sorry that I went rambly this is only partially related to the topic, but I am very passionate about the toys under Mattel and how they continuously miss the mark. I truthfully don't know how many other people know about this stuff, so I always like to share it.

Actually following up on my point. I just came back from the UK. Bunch of kids buying the models, some with their parents, some around the 8-12 range, bunch of adults, bunch of fans. Really shows the variety of the hobby.

But that's not my main point. Actually, I'm leading into a suggestion. The UK line is kind of....bad. They have all the other scales. But the HO line is not great.

Only 1-7, only two road vehicles, like half the rolling stock we do. It's not great. And genuinely I think Bachmann is sitting on a goldmine they need to capitalize on by releasing more of those guys over there. It's a separate branch of Bachmann as Doug has said before, so idk if posting here will even get them to look at it. But if anyone knows better avenues to get in contact and shares my sentiment, I'd love to spread the word

Notice how literally nothing you said disproves what I said. The 8+ also does not prevent parents from buying this stuff for their kids and is a huge part of the market. Bachmann reps have even outright said this both at train shows and Doug Blaine himself during Thomas Tuesday's Rebecca and Beau reveal. Just because you don't like it doesn't make it not true all of a sudden.

We're a factor of the market, so are the kids/adults buying these things for their kids. That's literally something Bachmann themselves have said. It doesn't get much more cut or dry than that.

Plenty parents comment on Bachmann's Facebook reveals, one I've seen I think about a lot is one whose daughter wants a G scale Rebecca. There's a parent on here who's been asking questions to help build a layout for his kid.  I've seen plenty of parents AND younger modellers in the Thomas Tuesday chats as well.

Truth be told I don't think the difference between us and them is that different even. Especially if they actually commit to the UK line since the RWS is still released over there. But to say we are the only factor is highly inaccurate and frankly selfish

Quote from: thomasj219 on August 03, 2024, 08:25:04 AMExcept we actually are. We are the ones who buy the Bachmann Thomas products in the majority especially today. The reason Beau was bought Is the same reason the narrow-gauge models do so well. Other modelers buy them because they're cheaper options I'm assuming or the only options available of certain engines. The American model he is based on seems to be very popular it's not really character.

Two things. The DCC ready version of the same tool as Beau is only $5 more. Unlikely anyone would buy Beau over that. His success has nothing to do with that.

Secondly, I think people on this forum are too dismissive of the rest of the market for these products. Kids are a huge factor, and general modelers wanting Thomas engines on their layout for events. I volunteer at a railroad and kids and parents alike consistently ask for advice about collecting the Bachmann line. Kids know Daisy and love her thanks to the model. Bachmann isn't just trying to appeal to us, we're just a part of a larger market. Being everyone. That's why they're so hesitant with Diesel 10. They know people here will buy it already, they made that much apparent. But they are worried about him being too expensive for the rest of the market, and how that wouldn't be fair. We are an important part of the market still, but still just that, a part. They're not going to cater to exclusively us.

Quote from: Stephen62 on August 02, 2024, 12:32:23 AMBut I do really believe that Mattel should really consider the older generation more because it started with them. If the show kicked off and our generation didn't like it, it would've been a complete flop and would not still be around today for younger generations to be enjoying it. And with the age restrictions on these models and for the prices they run for. I would not be buying these for a young child that is growing up on that ridiculous AEG rebooted version.

Not that I inherently disagree. But we didn't get into this franchise as adults. We were kids than too. So most of our wants are inherently tied to what we grew up with. But the kids are a big part of it as well. Always have been. I got Bachmann engines as a kid and kept them to this day. I volunteer and so many kids get excited seeing the Thomas starter set at our railroad. So many know of Daisy and Oliver as well and love them thanks to both the show and model. Despite AEG being around for 3 years now. So, I think specifically targeting characters today's kids may be more familiar with is the smart play. However, a balance existing is a good move as well. Daisy and Oliver who I just mentioned do this well. Characters fans love but the kids still know and really like them. D10 and Harvey who we now know they were looking at do as well do this well. Hiro, Scotsman, Whiff, you get the idea. They don't follow the same pattern but Nia and Rebecca being mains a lot of kids have latched onto makes them great for this line.

And to be candid that's also why I don't like the model series rule because Stepney, by nature of being real, falls under the same bubble.

I don't think we even have to fight for Harvey too hard, they basically said it's a yet. My prediction for order will be Nia, Whiff, Harvey in terms of new molds that feels right. Just keep requesting him. D10 though, now that we know size isn't an issue. We can much more easily make our demand known.

These human figures are so good. I hope we keep getting them. Capsule making the Earl this year makes me hope Bachmann will try their hand as well. I can't wait to get my hands on these and see the narrow-gauge pack next week.

Idk how many people know but one of the railways personal shown is actually the Wellsworth station master. During the Brenner season he actually has a running gag where he consistently has fights with James. For example, in the one JBS song you can see him nodding disapprovingly. It's so cool he's getting represented.

So I was going to make a thread about the HO container cars and how Diesel 10 would actually fit tonight.

Then Doug Blaine just confirmed NMRA standards don't matter. And that the problem with D10 is actually the price. Same with Harvey. But he seemed more confident in Harvey happening sooner based on the wording. This is huge. D10 they said is too expensive for the average consumer to buy, and that they know people here will buy it. But might not be worth pursuing do to the nicheness. Not a hard no though, for either. This also opens up the table back for Rocky, Judy, and Jerome which is awesome. This doesn't really change my predictions for this NMRA. Still feeling N scale Henry, still feeling rolling stock in HO and N, and Nia. Now that we know Stanley is using Thomas's chassis I don't think we'll get an 08. We might not get anything at all this catalog. But I think the next engine will be someone complicated. But this is at least confirmation Harvey and D10 aren't anytime soon, and it's unlikely to be Hiro YET. That leaves Nia and Whiff I think. Who wins we'll see. Stanley and the human figures also look so nice. The chassis reuse is also interesting, is there anyone left in cgi that can apply to? I don't admittedly know.


Thinking about it. Maybe making D10 a limited run like Beau could be an option. Limited run for us, if he does well maybe reconsider from there. That's probably the best option

Just to be candid, there are no safe choices left.

They're going to get more out there by necessity. Stepney, Hiro, and BoCo would be safe choices but they're off the table for time being right now. Hiro less so than the other two of course but until we get actual sales data for Rebecca he's iffy.

Sidney has weird face issues.

The Iron Twins risk running into the same issues as Salty.

Whiff would require potentially really fragile glasses and has a really unique wheel config that would require a complicated mechanism, the issue they ran into with N Emily.

Nia is a pretty intricate design.

Harvey has his crane arm to worry about.

D10 is bigger in CGI than Rebecca even without the claw. So, he's simply too big.

Charlie, Norman, and Porter would probably be easier, but no one here really has asked for those yet.

I guess there's no issues with Fernando, but let's be real here for a second, it's Fernando.

So like. No matter what they're in risky territory. And frankly I wouldn't be surprised if a requirement Mattel gave them is that they have to make both Nia and Rebecca before they even consider letting them do non-cgi characters again when they renegotiated the contract in 2022.

And I think Stanley being announced after Rebecca was intentional. He was the last safe choice they had left. Sandwich him between Rebecca who is risky, and someone else who is also risky. That could be literally anyone of the ones listed. But given the big thing they pressed during the Rebecca and Beau catalog Thomas Tuesday was "relevancy and recognizability with kids" I'm thinking Nia has to be next for a new tool. Feel free to disagree because I can also make the argument for like, Whiff next cause he's also pretty major right now. 08's also can happen at any time but imagine they'll be saved for a bit. We'll see though. I'm not too terribly picky with character choices I just like seeing this line evolve.

I believe N scale Sudrian means Nia is the highest character in the overall character ranking left to make. She's an actual main, still is in AEG. She's the only character in the model series and CGI series that was a main that is currently missing. Kids love her I've learned on my travels around Europe and my own volunteer experience, and she has plenty of fans fandom side as well. I'd say I'm one of them. She might not necessarily be the most "popular" character left to do, but as a main that shoots her up priority wise. The only other character I'd argue rivals her in terms of that position is Hiro. But he A. isn't a main and B. is dependent on how Rebecca does sales wise according to Doug on previous livestreams. Highest billing probably isn't the most accurate turn of phrase but it gets the point across she's the highest priority character let for Bachmann to make.