Has anyone repainted any Donald and Douglas into Blue Donald and Blue Douglas?

Quote from: DustyMarie53! on November 03, 2024, 04:12:26 PMI'd also really like to see Sonny but I can't particularly give him any strong reasoning beyond me wanting him because his basis and livery is cool.

I would also like to see Sonny as a Bachmann model.

One potential argument in favor of Sonny could be is that he was the last character made in CGI, and therefore does not have much merchandise of him. Bachmann could therefore be one of the few ranges that produces merchandise of Sonny.

Another argument in favor of Sonny is than while Sonny's basis, Bellerophon, is rather iconic with railway enthusiasts, there are not many models of it, although I think KRModels does a Bellerophon now. Bachmann Sonny could be used as a less expensive model for non-Thomas Modelers who want to convert a Bachmann Sonny into a either a Bellerophon or another Haydock Foundry well-tank engine.

Not exactly the strongest arguments in favor of Sonny, but I wanted to at least put them on the table.

If people contact Bachmann Europe, something they can mention, among other things, that Bachmann UK already have the basis for Arthur, Murdoch, and Class 40. It would be a good idea to tell them that they have those character's basis so that they could either recolor those models into the characters like they did with Beau, or have a starting point for potential Arthur, Murdoch, and Class 40 models, that they do not need to design completely from scratch. Bachmann has already used a lot of Rolling Stock tooling's from Bachmann UK range.

https://www.bachmann.co.uk/product/lms-ivatt-2mt-tank-1205-lms-black-(revised)/31-442

https://www.bachmann.co.uk/product/br-standard-9f-with-br1f-tender-92184-br-black-%28late-crest%29/32-859b

https://www.bachmann.co.uk/product/class-40-disc-headcode-40097-br-blue/32-489sf

Something I hope Bachmann will do would be update their USA HO Annie and Clarabel models so they have the black Chassis of their UK models. They have already updated a lot of their early models with the thicker lamp irons and dummy coupling hooks of the UK versions. Speaking of which, I hope they will also update the US HO Henry, Gordon, and Toby so they have black lamp irons and dummy coupling hooks instead of light gray.

If they did make the Old Coaches, Composite and Brake Coaches, then I would definitely buy them! As further incentive for Bachmann, they could then recolor the Old Coaches into additional new products: the Teak Composite and Brake Coaches that appeared a few times in Season 1, and which were actually painted on the other side of the Old Coaches. Maybe call them the Teak Old Coaches or something:

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Old_Coaches?file=LNERTeakCoaches.png

Granted the Teak Coaches might be a little far-fetched, but Bachmann has already done so with the Toby's Museum Coaches. So I figured I would at least mention the idea, and we will see what happens.

Quote from: NWRLevi on September 25, 2024, 12:43:14 PM

Quote from: Mulfred100 on September 25, 2024, 09:17:19 AMBut completely inaccurate to the tv series. If they do Gordon's special coaches I'd much rather they used Spencer's coach without the corridor. It may not be real world accurate but it's TV accurate

I do get that, but also, Spencer's coach has the small doors on either end, meaning it wouldn't be accurate either way unless Bachmann makes a whole new tooling, which would never happen. They'd be inaccurate either way, so it would probably be best to use the already existing express coach tooling, as then they fit in with any already existing express trains. I do see where you're coming from, though.

I agree. Personally, I am fine with the Express Coaches having corridors at each end, even if it isn't screen accurate. So I hope that potential Gordon's Special Composite and Brake Coaches will have those corridors so they will fit in seamlessly.

The reason I keep mentioning that I hope they would recolor the Gordon's Express Composite and Brake Coaches into Gordon's Special Coaches is because the Spencer Special Coach is not identical to the other Bachmann Thomas Express Coaches. The Spencer Special Coaches do not have the rubber connecting corridor at each end of the coach, all they have is a door outline. Therefore, while they can couple up to the regular Express Coaches, there is still a gap between the Special Coach and the Express Coaches. I would hope that given that Gordon is an express engine, that people would want to either give him more than just 2 Gordon's Special Coaches or combine those Coaches into their already existing Express Trains, and having the corridor on both would allow them to integrate seamlessly, without a gap, like a real express train would. That is why I would prefer it if they recolored the Gordon's Express Composite and Brake Coaches into the Gordon's Special Composite and Brake Coaches, as opposed to just recoloring the Spencer Special Coach, even if a Spencer Brake Coach is released to go with it.

Quote from: harrison05 on September 24, 2024, 10:34:39 PM

Quote from: Yard Master on September 24, 2024, 09:25:50 AMStanley will not be shipping until 2025. We apologize for the delay, but hopefully we will a painted sample to show before the end of the year.

Take your time I'd rather have a model made with love and care and not thats not rushed to meet certain deadline.

Agreed. The same goes for Salty.

Since A lot of people have been suggesting Gordons's Special Coaches, and I would like to see them as well, I would like to reiterate some of the things that I would hope they would include in Gordon's Special Coaches models.

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/SR_Maunsell_Coaches?so=search&file=Gordon%27sSpecialCoaches.png

For one thing, I would hope that Bachmann would make a set of Gordon's Special Composite Coach and Gordon's Special Brake Coach. Bachmann has done this before with the Toby's Museum Coaches, making both a composite and a brake version of these coaches, even though only the brake version appeared. That way, people could make a longer and complete express train for Gordon out of them. And hey, its two new products instead of one!

For another thing, I would hope they would recolor both of these Composite and Brake coaches out of the already existing Gordon's Express Composite Coach and Gordon's Express Brake Coach, with the rubber corridors on each end of them. Therefore, they would be compatible with the already existing Gordon's Express Coaches, as well as the Red Express Coaches. It would be cool to at least have the option for Gordon's Special Coaches to fit in with trains of already existing Express Coaches.

I have just had a thought on how Bachmann could make a RWS-style Toby, without even breaking the CGI mandate! It probably won't happen, but I at least wanted to put the idea out there. And Bachmann has surprised us in the past.

In the twenty-third season episode "Heart of Gold" Toby has a fantasy sequence where he sees himself being turned into a golfing windmill. Here are some pictures:

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Heart_of_Gold/Gallery?so=search&file=HeartofGold31.png

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Heart_of_Gold/Gallery?so=search&file=HeartofGold29.png

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Heart_of_Gold/Gallery?so=search&file=HeartofGold32.png

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Heart_of_Gold/Gallery?so=search&file=HeartofGold110.png

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Heart_of_Gold/Gallery?so=search&file=HeartofGold34.png

https://ttte.fandom.com/wiki/Heart_of_Gold/Gallery?so=search&file=HeartofGold37.png

The livery Toby is in when he is in this fantasy does look a lot like his Railway Series Book livery. I suspect that the episodes writer, fan-turned-pro Michael White, may have slipped that in as a little easter egg.

Given that Bachmann has released Busy Bee James based on an obscure livery in a single episode, Maybe something Bachmann could do would be release a Toby recolor in these colors from Heart of Gold. Toby's sideplates are not seen in the fantasy sequence, so maybe Bachmann could sneak some Blue sideplates on to it and release it as "Windmill Toby" or something along those lines? Therefore, it could secretly double as a CGI Toby recolor AND Railway Series Toby. It would be a great chance for Bachmann to get a recolor out as a quick new product.

Granted this is a rather far-fetched. I suspect it won't happen, but I just wanted to put the idea on the table. And Bachmann has surprised us before, so we never know. It would be cool to have a Windmill Toby to go along with Toby's Museum Coaches!

In regards to all the suggestions listed here, I think it is good to at least put the suggestions out there, to give Bachmann potential ideas that they would not have considered before, be they simple repaints of existing models, repaints of models combined with a new face to make another character, using or modifying an already existing tooling to make a character, or even a whole new mold completely. They may or may not make them, but if they don't know about them, then they definitely will not make them, so it is good to at least put the ideas out there.

And Bachmann has surprised us in the past. From what I heard, Bachmann recolored their Red Composite and Brake Coaches into the obscure Toby's Museum Composite and Brake Coaches after being inspired by a post on Twitter/X that was a photoshop by SodorRyModeler. And hey, maybe Bachmann might be inspired to make the suggested repaints of Donald, Douglas, Toby, 80 anniversary Thomas, Etc. if they saw fans recolor them using Bachmann's already existing models and faces. 

I think it is at least good to get the ideas out there, and give Bachmann more ideas on what they can do for new products in the future. If it is never mentioned, chances are it may never happen, so let us at least put the suggestions on the table. You never know unless you try.

Quote from: Chaz on September 07, 2024, 09:06:16 PMSo here's a random almost midnight thought I had the other night and I'm curious to know how you guys would feel about this.

So on the subject of Bachmann eventually running out of narrow gauge engine ideas (with the CGI mandate in mind), would you guys be happy if Bachmann announced Freddie as the next new narrow gauge engine because he would be based on the prop from the model era?  Or would you be annoyed or even disappointed that Bachmann would have completely glanced over Duke in favor of Freddie?  I asked a few friends this and the results were shockingly mixed but I'm curious to know what people on here think.

I think I would be annoyed if Bachmann chose to make Freddie over Duke, but I think it would be fine if they release Freddie first, and after make a model of Duke also. I don't model Bachmann Thomas Narrow Gauge, so I don't know too much about that, I'm afraid.

I would be fine with the models and faces for Blue Donald and Douglas and Railway Series book Toby just being the same model shapes and faces, as only having to recolor the models would be a good incentive for Bachmann to release them, as they would be low cost to make. Otherwise, we might not get them at all.

I would also like to see Splatter and Dodge, as well as Smudger and Proteus, that would only require a new face be made (and a lamp for Proteus), as they already have their basis. ('Arry and Bert for Splatter and Dodge, Rheneas for Smudger, and Sir Handel for Proteus )

These ideas for quick redecos are great as well. Particularly, I would DEFINITELY buy RWS Toby, especially as I have been intending to give my Bachmann Toby Models blue sideplates.

Something I just realized was that another argument one could make in favor of Blue Donald and Douglas is Bachmann does already make Douglas' nemesis, the Spiteful Brake Van, it its Railway Series book livery. This was probably based on the old Wooden Railway Model, but it is still a great detail. It would be GREAT to be able to recreate Railway Series Book 15: The Twin Engines, with the Bachmann Spiteful Brakevan, black Bachmann Donald and Douglas, and potential Blue Donald and Douglas!

Some people on here have previously suggested making a Blue Donald and Douglas for the 80th Anniversary in 2025, and I wanted to bring that idea up again, seeing as it is the last few months of the year, and the 80th Anniversary is rapidly approaching. Indeed, it would be extremely easy to make Blue Donald and Douglas, given that all they have to do would be recolor the models they already have in production: they don't even have to make a new face! They have done this before for a Thomas anniversary, with the 70th Anniversary LBSC Thomas recolor being made. And if in regards to the CGI mandate, they HAVE done the Busy Bee James recolor, which is a recolor that only appeared in a single episode of the model series, not ever CGI.

Given that fans and modelers have wanted Blue Donald and Douglas for years, and many have gone and repainted regular Bachmann Donald and Douglas into Blue Bachmann Donald and Douglas themselves, they would definitely sell. And given that Blue Donald and Douglas would be just recolors of already existing models, all that would be needed to be changed would be the color: it would not cost a lot to make them. It would honestly be a way to make a big profit out of a small investment. And if that happens, Bachmann can continue to make the Blue Donald and Douglas after the 80th Anniversary.  Win-win-win!

Given that Bachmann are making the Mainland Diesel, another, more obscure reason that can be presented for creating Blue Donald and Douglas would be so people who want to remake Escape! with the Mainland Diesels as Other Railway Diesels will have the option of making both the TV Series AND Railway Series versions! And Escape is one of the most memorable story and episode of the series, so people will definitely want to remake it at some point.

Found the picture!

Here is a link to it for anyone who has not seen it:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=949787763858393&set=pb.100064815337741.-2207520000&type=3