Rolling Stock Characters

[J70Toby]

Hi I'm new here.  I'm an occasional reader of this forum, and I decided to make an account.  I've seen some discussion about the viability of RWS characters such as Bear being introduced into the HO line which are usually dismissed for the character's lack of relevancy.  But these discussions are usually limited to engines, so what about RWS rolling stock?  I think the fact that S.C.Ruffey was introduced early in the range's run is indicative of Bachmann's willingness to use "character status" to sell rolling stock because S.C.Ruffey was in a single story involving two characters who have not yet been released (Oliver and Toad).  Admittedly, S.C. Ruffey's model is only an alteration of the Troublesome Truck 1 & 2 and the colored wagons, but a similar principle could still be applied to other characters.  Isabel (who was rescued with Oliver and Toad in the RWS) comes to mind.  By making Isabel, Bachmann has the opportunity to release Dulcie, Mirabel, and Alice as slight variations on Isabel's model.  These four are identified with specific engines so owners of the Duck and Oliver models would be driven to acquire the coaches similarly how most people want Annie and Clarabel to "complete" Thomas and Henrietta to "complete" Toby.  While sales of the express coaches were low enough that Bachmann discontinued them despite them being strongly identified with Gordon, the express coaches were never "characters" and were never given names, potentially limiting their appeal.
On a similar note, if the narrow gauge range introduced the blue coaches, I know I would want four to represent Agnes, Ruth, Jemima, and Lucy, so it would be nice if Bachmann made them separate models from the start.

[Cheeky_ULP]

I think we would see the Slip Coaches before we would see Isabel and others, since they would give Duck his own proper train to pull (with Oliver having Toad and Scruffey already), though he does pull the red coaches as well which are about to be released.

I think RWS characters are still out of the question until they get brought into the show (like Mike, Rex and Bert), but RWS themed wagons have happened before in the Bachmann range. The vent van had NWR on it. The Large Scale brake van has NW on it as well. Bachmanns NG blue van also has SR on it, in the same manner as Cora in the RWS. It's possible to get more wagons in the same designs as they are in the RWS in the future.


I can see that ULP van being a head turner from the left field, considering its bright pink colors.

[J70Toby]

I of course agree that appearing in the show would make a character like Isabel more likely to be produced.  I actually think there is some story potential based around her being an autocoach such as the other engines teasing Oliver about his coach driving him only to get into a situation because they didn't listen to their coaches or Annie an Clarabel being jealous because they can't control Thomas.  Isabel actually would have worked perfectly to bounce dialogue off of in the beginning of Busy Going Backwards with Toad being jealous that Isabel can go forwards but not him.  Though I don't see the TV producers adding her to the show at this point.