New Acquisitions

[DinoNTrains]

Got Rosie for my birthday (back on November 2nd). She's a great model, and runs very well!

[Kemptown Branch]

I got the Thomas' Christmas Express set at a train show yesterday. It runs very well.

[sean1994rail]

So recently the motor on my Bachmann Mavis burned out and I had to mail it to Bachmann to have the motor replaced.  So even though it's not a new acquisition per se, while running this model again it ran like it was brand new and I found myself thinking about how overlooked this model is compared to a lot of the other models they came before and after it.  So I figured that I would do a review of her since I believe she didn't get enough credit when she first came out.  So I figured would talk about the Bachmann Mavis, so here are my thoughts on her.


Mavis was first announced with Edward back in 2007 not long after Toby and Spencer came out while Emily was delayed. By the time both of the models came out in 2008 they seemed to be very popular, but it was all too obvious that compared to the two, Edward was not only the better model but also had better sales and overall reception. This was because Edward was at a much higher demand then Mavis, and is a lot more of a popular character and well-known face to the younger audiences. Mavis on the other hand, was a lot more of a minor character despite being a classic character as well as not having a model available by Hornby prior to her Bachmann announcement her popularity just could not keep up with Edward's.


Despite this, I feel that her addition to the range was completely natural, despite her roles being fairly minor, she was a very iconic character and was the main "token female character" until Emily was introduced.  It's really no surprise that Bachmann would announce her as she managed to appear briefly and every season since her debut.  She isn't the best model in the range by any means, but compared to the other two female characters that are currently in the range, I think Mavis is definitely the best one.


In terms of aesthetics, they really hit the nail with the hammer on Mavis' design as it really resembles her appearance from season 6-11 since this was the most up-to-date design choice at the time of production.  This is most notably in regards to the facial expression given to the model as while it is a classic grin that's been seen since the third season, Bachmann had the eyebrows painted in the same way during the later era of the show.  


One common complaint I've heard about Mavis (or other diesel engines from the range in general) is how the windows are painted silver to hide the motor inside the model.  Personally this never bothered me, it might look a little bit off since it was never like this on the show, but if anyone is really bothered, it's a simple modification they can fix up themselves.


Aside from that though, I have no complaints on the design of the Mavis model as I think it's design is spot-on just like the Edward model that came out at the time as both of these models were a step up compared to its predecessors.


In terms of running power, Mavis reuses the exact same motor and chassis as Toby. This is probably another reason why Bachmann made a model of her, as well as having such a simple design to work with.  Why Bachmann hasn't looked into her yet for large scale is beyond me, but I'll leave that for a large scale collector to go in depth on that one at their own time.


So with that in mind, the Mavis model does run pretty smoothly, just like the Toby model. And while also using the same motor is Toby it is also evident that Mavis is not exactly a strong hauler.  Personally I would've preferred to see Mavis be a better hauler with more weight added than Toby seeing as how she is a more modern locomotive and could actually probably pull a lot more than Toby on the show.  Really though at the end of the day, Mavis doesn't typically pull a lot of rolling stock on the show so it wouldn't really make a huge difference to the consumers and Bachmann themselves.


If you give Mavis a couple of wagons, loaded or not, the performance that you would be looking for the model should be just fine.  Do not expect anything extraordinary out of this model though, otherwise you might find yourself disappointed with the model in this area.


Overall, while this review was basically a blast from the past, it's good to look back at old models from the range to and I personally think that Mavis still holds up pretty well to this very day.  I would honestly still stand by my belief that this is the best model of a female character in the Thomas range and comes highly recommended by me.  If you do not have this model already, I would honestly encourage you to look into buying this model while you still can.  If you are a classic series fan or even just a collector of Thomas models in general, I would say that this model is definitely worth looking into. It may seem a little random for me to review her but seeing as how she recently got fixed from Bachmann I figured this would be a good way to show appreciation for them.  Plus I also think it's a good time to encourage others to look into this model because (unlike stupid Rosie) Mavis is a good quality model that would look great in anyone's collection and is actually worth the investment.


A huge thank you to Bachmann's service department for getting this model back to me in good working order.  It's great knowing that Bachmann is not only great for producing quality models but their service department really deserves all they credit they can get.

nice Mavis Review, Chaz.

[Griffin (TheBlueSnowplow)]

Delighted to say that I received a large scale James for Christmas despite phasing out of Bachmann a little while ago... it is truly a stunning model, let me tell you guys that photos online do not do it justice, I have never been more impressed with a Thomas product in my entire life...

[Plow_Bender]

Delighted to say that I received a large scale James for Christmas despite phasing out of Bachmann a little while ago... it is truly a stunning model, let me tell you guys that photos online do not do it justice, I have never been more impressed with a Thomas product in my entire life...

I beg to differ... 



-Rusty

[Kemptown Branch]

I got Bachmann Skarloey, Narrow Gauge Open Wagon, Narrow Gauge Red Box Van, and Red Open Wagon for Christmas this year. Now that I own everything released for the Narrow Gauge line from Bachmann US, I can say that they are of a much nicer quality than the regular HO models. I hope Rusty and the coaches will also be this good.

[TerencetheTractor525]

Awesome gifts guys! I thought that I should share what I got for Christmas regarding the Bachmann Thomas line too.



One gift that I received was the Green Mail Car. The model is a nice shade of green, but I plan to paint it brown as shown in the model series.



Another product that I received was the Sodor Fruit & Vegetable Co. Ventilated Van. Although some folks see this as a product with a flashy design, I actually don't, as it gives me season 7/late model series vibes from the logo to the shade of green.



Finally, I got the Spiteful Brake Van. This was by far my favorite Christmas present for this year as the quality of this product is truly remarkable, especially the face. This is a must-have for any Bachmann Thomas collector. And after seeing this model in person, I really hope that Bachmann will announce Troublesome Truck #6 this coming February. See my post on Troublesome Truck #6: https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,34526.45.html   

[DinoNTrains]

Hope everyone here had a wonderful holiday season. I got Paxton and the GWR cattle wagon for Christmas this year!

[Metal]

Not exactly new, considering I've bought these several months back.

Might as well post an update

Isabel and Dulcie

Hornby Autocoaches





With Oliver, given that his basis was designed with these coaches for push-pull runs. In the RWS he was mostly seen was Autocoaches, but never seen with them in the TV Series, though I believe it would be cool if they were introduced in CGI, like Duck's Slip Coaches.

Overall, I think they look very nice with Oliver.
What do you think?

[Zekeism]

My Birthday was Monday and I got the Spiteful Break van, the Lobster Coach, the Green Mail Coach, the GW Vent Van and the Diesel Co Tanker.

Still waiting for Gordon to be in stock for over a year now..

[Angelob6660]

I recently got the Sodor Fuel tank cars.

[Zekeism]

Got Gordon and Jeremy today in the post, for the HO models I can quote Super Smash Bros, EVERYONE IS HERE!

[JLK2707]

Good for you!

[thomas fan]

This Friday I got a Bachmann James with gray wheels and an n scale and ho scale crossing [with some other track] all for $45.