Thomas Freight Cars from Mainline

[Cheeky_ULP]

It's common knowledge that the Bachmann Thomas range has a lot of wagons that use toolings from the Mainline range, which Bachmann has the rights to. I browsed through Bachmanns selection of Mainline toolings to use, and have come to a startling conclusion: They're almost out of wagons to introduce to the Thomas range (unless Bachmann started making custom wagon toolings again based on Thomas themed stock).

What I did was look at the items that exist in Mainlines range, to see what can still be added to the Thomas range. I think this is about as good as it gets for what's left from Mainline. Feel free to browse around at Mainlines stock to see if there's other potential items I might have overlooked.


Toad the Brake Van

A classic character that's been high in demand, and would help pave the way to a Bachmann Oliver, much like Emilys Coaches came before Emily.






3 Plank Wagon

Appeared throughout Season 8, 9 and 10 infrequently. Could be accompanied with a pipe load.






Hopper Wagon
(Mainline has two hoppers, but I think the design pictured below matches the design in the show better, though not as long)

Appears regularly in newer CGI episodes.

[Chaz]

I definetely think that out of all those three Toad has the best chance, especially since Oliver seems to have a great chance of happening next year.  As many would say, they are the most logical pair to come out after additions like Duck, Donald and Douglas, and even SC Ruffey.  

Personally in terms of new tooling, I think it'd be wise for Bachmann to make the red coaches.  They've been in demand for quite some time now and appear quite often in the television series.  Despite new tooling being more expensive I can tell they would be fantastic sellers.

Personally I'd be more than happy if Oliver, the red coaches, Toad, and even Trevor were the only additions for next year's range.  Maybe even a flat car with a log load can happen too.  They can simply use the same flat car they use for the paint drum load and just make a log load from there.  It would be a nice replacement for the flat car with paint drums, plus the logs are more iconic to the series than the paint drums are.

Edit - I'd like to throw out there that the mainline brake van actually looks a lot more like the one in the television series in comparison to the one we currently have in the lineup.


Remove the details at the front and back and the result would look much better. Personally, I think that if any Bachmann Thomas rolling stock needs any revisions anytime soon it should be the brake van.  I would love a new brake van and I'd definetely buy a few of them for my layout.  

[Cheeky_ULP]

It did take me awhile to notice the Bachmann Thomas brake van was actually the Main Line tooling. The white colors and gloss chassis threw me off for years.   I agree about the colors too, the normal main line colors fit the show a lot more, and even in the CGI era all they'd have to do is make it dark grey.

I agree on the 2013 items too, as long as we get Oliver, Toad, and Trevor I'd be fine if they included a quick-cash engine like Arry and Bert or Paxton and a few more wagons. In addition to the mainline wagons mentioned above, they could reuse Thomas toolings like the Annie/Clarabel tooling to make the Red Coaches, and the Red Brake Coach, a bogie van repainted from the mail cars, and a 4th Troublesome Truck made from the Vent van or Salt wagon.