Future suggestions/predictions thread

[TrainFan97]

Once N Scale Edward finally is on the cards, the next N Scale engine to vouch for would be Duck.

[N Scale Sudrian]

Edward is definitely a shoe-in for the next N Scale loco this July, but I think the fandom would be better-served pushing for Mavis to be the next N Scale loco after Edward instead of Duck. Bachmann already knows how much the Thomas fandom loves engines 8 thru 11, so we'd basically just be preaching to the choir. It would make more sense to rally behind fan favorites that aren't as pushed as hard as they are, such as Mavis. That way we'll get a bit more variety alongside the basically-guaranteed Ducks and Olivers, ha ha.

Other than Edward, I think there's a good chance we see either the Red Coaches or the Milk and Tar Tanks announced at NMRA. I'm personally leaning on the side of Tar and Milk since we've been asking for those two ever since the initial tank car announcements in N. I've been hesitant to beg for them given that until recently we'd needed way more wagon variety first before more tank cars, but now that we have Box Vans as well as upcoming faceless open wagons and an upcoming faceless brake van, I think we've reached enough diversity in rolling stock that new tankers make sense to dive into. I think a fun alternative third option for new rolling stock would be Mail Cars, since they're one of the few things left in the TOMIX's old lineup that aren't present in Bachmann's, but with how long it's been without seeing hide nor hair of Paxton/Diesel and the Express Coaches progress-wise, I'd be hesitant to push for any projects that are more extensive than an easy retool (such as the Red Coaches).

If Bachmann felt like adding off-rail vehicles like Bertie and Harold to the N Scale line, though, I would be very happy with that as well!

[travel_is_fun]

I strongly believe that the NMRA convention this year will be strong given the 80th anniversary of Thomas. I'll put my take on the predictions 6 months before any new announcements.

HO:
- Whiff
- Garbage Truck
- Toffee Tanker
- Chocolate Syrup Tanker

HoN30
- Luke
- Gray Box Vans/Brake Van
- Tan Box Vans/Brake Van

N:
- Edward (Without question)
- Mail Trucks (To add variety to rolling stock)
- Red Coaches + Brake Coach (Simple retooling)
- BR Brake Van

G:
- Origin James

I'm open to feedback. Thanks!

[TRAINSROCK!]

Since I shared my ideas for stuff 13 days ago. I came up with more stuff that came in my head.

For engines in the ho line obviously samson. (yes I've shared a lot I really want him). here's why I shared he has the same chassis as percy and bill and ben. he just seems pretty easy to do (main reason why I want him is because of samson and the fireworks made me like him more). and second is he's pretty similar in design wise to neil from the railway series. (I just always thought samson was close enough to adaption of neil from the railway series to be introduced in the show). so samson is just really the one engine I want the most by this rate.

for rolling stock. obviously bradford.

the slip coaches to go with duck.


the idea of quarry wagons for mavis.

and three ideas for more troublesome trucks. a 8th one for the slate wagon (from journey beyond sodor). and the 9th one in the 16th ton wagon (I'm kind of referring to the ones diesel pushed into the sea with China clay in diesel does it again). and a 10th one using the mail vans. (there was one seen in oliver owns up with a face so I thought that would that would be fitting to use as the 10th troublesome truck.

the last one is more flatbeds (the ones that samson was seen pulling with the dinosaurs on them).

for the narrow guage line. well four I can say is a flatbed wagon.

the green open air coaches (just another edition to add with the red and blue coaches).

and more of the box vans and breakvans. (for these I'm thinking brown). I really like the red and blue ones they released. (I own two of the red box vans and four of the blue ones). yes the red ones were the ones mostly used in the show. I just seem to really like how the blue ones turned out. I think that's why I own four of the blue box vans. Just would like if they did more of the vans in brown. same with the breakvan.

for n scale obviously edward (just to finish the main 7 engine cast).

and down the road I'm thinking oliver. (since they did toad I suspect they'll so oliver eventually). but of course duck might be the next one they do when they announce edward.

and g scale james in the black paint. (since they're doing thomas in the lbsc livery they should do james in the black livery).

yes some of these were ones I already said. but the rest is all new I thought of lately.

I guess we'll see what the announcements in July will bring.

[Chaz]

After some thought, I decided to create a list for NMRA and my thoughts on the next N scale engines after Edward. As always, I'll start with HO, followed by N and Large Scale.

HO Engines


For HO, I'm leaning more than ever toward Hiro after the recent release of Rebecca. It's unfortunate he wasn't in this year's catalog, but understandable given Bachmann's current workload.  He would be one of Bachmann's very best sellers, despite his inevitably higher price, and many would buy him day one of his release.  He has a majorly wide appeal and continues to have a strong fan following since his introduction in Hero of the Rails.


If Hiro isn't announced, Whiff seems like the next likely candidate. His simple design aligns well with characters like Rosie and Stanley, introduced around the same time and with similar followings. Not counting Harvey or Diesel 10, Whiff would be the last major character from the model era who also appeared in CGI—a detail that adds novelty to his inclusion.

I only have two suggestions for HO rolling stock, both are repaints:


Green China Clay Truck: This would complement the upcoming red China Clay Truck and encourage sales. While green trucks didn't appear in the Railway Series, they were part of the Wooden Railway range in a two-pack with the red one adding some diversity. If Bachmann is introducing a new China clay load, it makes sense to use it across multiple wagons.  They can even copy the same decals from the red wagon (barring the numbers, which can be changed). It almost feels wrong only having a red China Clay truck but no green one to go along with it since I remember having the wooden railway two pack as a kid!


Gordon's Special Coaches – These darker blue repaints of the Express Coaches, would be a very smart addition. Not only do they offer a nice color contrast, but they also represent a piece of model-era rolling stock absent from the recent catalog announcements.

Figure Packs
By summer, I expect figure packs to be available for sale. If new packs aren't announced by then, I could see them included in next winter's catalog. Two possibilities that seem popular are a Sodor Brass Band pack and a Sodor Celebrity pack.  Hopefully they will do more than that in the future, but for now I'm just going to stick with these two.

Narrow Gauge

After Sir Handel is released, I could see the next narrow gauge engine being Luke.


Luke is a popular CGI-era character and fits naturally with the mining theme of the narrow gauge range, as he resides in the Blue Mountain Quarry.  He would likely be an expensive and a lot more of an intricate locomotive, but I feel the cross appeal for both Thomas fans and 009 modelers is definitely there, more so than CGI Duncan by a longshot. I would buy him day one!


For narrow gauge rolling stock, I'm going to suggest the 4-plank wagons, which have appeared in both the model and CGI eras. These could come in various liveries—brown, oxide red, and gray.  In addition, Bachmann can create different loads of their choice in each wagon such as coal or stone.  If not, these wagons would still make great additions, with or without additional loads. 


Narrow gauge brake van - tan - This I feel would be a long overdue repaint since the tan brake vans are more commonly used for goods trains.  This is an addition Bachmann can add either alongside the newly tooled Luke and 4 plank wagon suggestions made earlier or even work as an announcement on its own if Bachmann would rather focus on getting Sir Handel and all the previously announced rolling stock released first.

N Scale


The consensus among fans seems to be that Edward should be the next N Scale engine. While I understand the delays due to ongoing projects, it feels like a missed opportunity not to have announced him in the catalog to complete the original Steam Team.  That said, I think at this point he feels like a shoe-in for the summer and he would in no doubt be a popular seller once released.


After Edward, I firmly believe Duck should follow in 2026. His popularity, consistent CGI appearances, and strong sales of his HO model with an introduction in Bachmann UK make him a clear choice. A recent Japanese poll also highlighted his strong following ranking him in third place behind Thomas in his Railway Series and model series appearances respectively during the midterm results.  If that doesn't speak highly of Duck's popularity, I genuinely don't know what does.


Daisy also deserves quick mention too. After her recent UK introduction, she could be a strong candidate following Edward and Duck in N scale.  Despite how this would be a lot further down the line, it almost felt wrong to not mention her alongside Edward and Duck. 

N Rolling Stock
So like earlier in the catalog I'm going to suggest another pair of wagons which may seem redundant, but I feel with the additional coal loads and different color choices it will add some extra diversity:



Coal Wagon w/ load - This iconic rolling stock appeared extensively in both the model and CGI series and has been a popular purchase in HO and Large Scale.  It continues to be a popular request for a reason, and people would purchase multiple. 



Mining Wagon w/ load – With a blue livery and decal, this wagon would pair nicely with the green coal wagon, offering contrast and variety.


BR 20 ton brake van - In terms of new toolings, a BR 20-ton brake van should be added to the range this summer considering how it's been a lot more popular and iconic than the LMS brake van that was announced earlier. While Bachmann likely chose the LMS brake van to avoid investing in new tooling, the BR 20-ton brake van would be a versatile option for future repaints, including the Spiteful Brake Van.  Personally I think introducing one in either brown or gray or even purple and adding the two coal wagons mentioned earlier would make for a very fun lineup of N rolling stock!

Large Scale

Large scale is lucky to get any announcement these days, so I don't expect much activity here. However, I believe introducing the same two vans in HO (1945 and retro logo), would be a smart move for the large scale range.  These could not only appeal to large scale modelers but also to collectors as display pieces. 

Anyway that wraps up my thoughts on NMRA predictions plus which N scale engines should come after Edward.  I'm glad to see a lot of similar views all while still enjoying the reveal last weekend.

[TrainFan97]

As they always say, we enjoy reading your posts, Chaz!

Anyway, I don't really see Hiro getting announced just yet, but I can definitely see Whiff being the next newly-tooled engine for HO Scale, and he would be complimented with a Waste Wagon with a trash bag load. A China Clay Wagon in green would be nice to see, but I can also see them announcing the CGI Fuel Tanker, Chocolate Syrup and Toffee Tankers for HO Scale. Gordon's Special Coaches would also be welcome, since they're a rolling stock repaint that appeared in the model series. The next newly-tooled rolling stock for HO Scale has to be the Works Unit Coach, which can come in green, orange and blue liveries. Just wanted to get that out there.

With all the Blue Mountain Quarry rolling stock we're getting, the next Narrow Gauge engine has to be Luke. Once Sir Handel gets out there this summer, it would be the time to announce Luke, since he is the perfect engine to pull all this BMQ rolling stock. While tan and gray box van and brake van repaints are easy to make from existing toolings, the next newly-tooled Narrow Gauge rolling stock after the Gunpowder Wagons should be the 4-Plank Wagons, and they would be good with or without loads, but if they could have loads, they can have coal or stone.

N Scale Edward is a shoe-in and must-have for the NMRA Announcements this July, then the original Steam Team can finally be complete in N Scale. After Edward, the next N Scale engine announcement for 2026 has to be Duck. After Duck, I would then like to see Oliver finally produced in N Scale to compliment the existing Toad model, along with Donald and Douglas. Daisy would be a great choice for N Scale too. Mavis is also brought up a lot, since she would recycle Thomas' chassis. Spencer is still a good suggestion for N Scale because he would recycle Gordon's chassis, like Henry. As for the next N Scale rolling stock, the logoless green Coal Wagon w/ Load, as well as the blue Mining Wagon are great choices, but the next newly-tooled N Scale rolling stock has to be the BR 20-Ton Brake Van. They went with the Graham Farish LMS Brake Van to cut down on tooling costs, but the BR Brake Van can come in different liveries, including light gray and dark gray, and the same tooling would be used for the Spiteful Brake Van. I would also like to see the Red Coaches in N Scale, as they're a modified tooling of Annie and Clarabel, and can be easily made.

[Mulfred100]

So now I've had some time to fully take in the recent announcement and all the new products I figured I'd go over my future predictions/ideas and explain my reasoning behind them. There are pieces Chaz has mentioned which i won't mention again too much.
HO
Stephen


Now I do agree with Hiro and Whiff however I do also still think Stephen has a strong case, which seems to be growing stronger since the last time I mentioned him. Firstly the Blue Open Carriage would look incredible being pulled by Stephen around a layout or at trainshows. There's also the 200th anniversary of railways here in the UK too. Alot of model companies are leaning into this and what better way to pay homage to that then Stephen. Hornby already make alot of era 1 stuff including his basis Rocket. Stephen is one of those characters where the real life history plays a major part in his character and it encourages people to dig into that history of Rocket. Lets face it if Rocket was never made we'd probably not have this world we love in Thomas. I know Stephen is a bit more complicated then say Whiff, Charlie or Nia but I honestly think that the reward is there to be had. Out of the current CGI mandate Stephen is one of the few characters I can say hand on heart I'd buy day 1.

Rolling Stock
F.Q.C Truck with load


Since seeing the catalogue and the Sodor China Clay wagon being based on the RWS illustrations I've been thinking about this.

It would be extremely easy to make. Using the brown cargo car/the car used in the 80th Anniversary set. Add the rock load, maybe paint it Grey. Add the lettering and you've got a new product. It'll go great along with Toby, Percy, Mavis and of course Thomas. It's crazy how the most famous branchline still hasn't got any specific rolling stock.
Sodor Mail Car


Now this is abit left field but hear me out. If Bachmann do intend to keeping the Tidmouth Milk Tanker and new CGI Milk Tanker in the range co existing then maybe bringing back the original Sodor Mail Car isn't too far fetched. It's a beloved item by fans and always sells on Ebay so there's still a market there for this item. The Sodor Mail Car wouldn't be replacing the CGI Red Mail Car it would be giving people the option and there's enough of a distinction between the Sodor Mail Car and Mail Car Red. I'm sure many people would jump at the chance to buy this item again. In recent years we've managed to reintroduce the Tar Tanker, Red and Green Express Coaches, the tooling is available so it's not like that's a draw back either.

Topham Circus


Now for 4 in one. The Topham Circus. This is an idea I've had for years. It can span across several toolings, the 7 plank wagon, 12 van, vent van and mail car tooling. It's something that was sold as merchandise and wouldn't be hard to make. It'll be different enough so in a few years If they want to make the other Circus vans they can market both. Having 3 or 4 wagons like this in the range will really make some great trains for engines to pull around layouts or to display at train shows

12 Ton van (Brown)


Since the announcement of TT7 and already having the Grey 12 ton van, I do worry about the possibility the Grey van will be discontinued, however if there was Brown van to replace it then I think it would please alot of fans. The Brown 12 van is a very popular piece of rolling stock and I think would sell very well. The tooling is there so why not use it.

1 plank with car/load


Another one I've had for a while is a 1 plank wagon with a car. If Bachmann just repainted STH's car into another colour and popped it on a wagon essentially you'd have 2 items using already existing tooling for 1 product.

Red Open Carriage


Like most of my picks this uses existing tooling already available. It would be perfect for Christmas and could be added to any Christmas layout or indeed any layout in general. Think how great it'll look with a Figure of Father Christmas inside along with Christmas 12 van or any of the other Christmas Thomas rolling stock.

NG
Millie/Luke

I agree with Luke or Millie being made next in NG. I'm gonna do both in one. I wouldn't mind either of them being made. Both would look great along with the rest of the range. Millie would be perfect to be paired up with Stephen or working with any of the existing Skarloey engines. Luke would look perfect pulling the Gondolas and high sided wagons. I think both would add something New to the range and can't see any reasons against maybe besides how easy they are to be made into their basis or how well their basis would sell since they are both lesser known compared to Talyllyn.

4 plank wagon

The 4 plank wagon is something that was always shown on the SKR, it can be produced in a verious colours and would appeal to many fans old and new. It honestly feels like it's something the NG range needs.

Brown/tan Brake-van
Again echoing Chaz. It's iconic. We have a red and blue version so it's not a new tooling just a simple recolour that would please many fans and sell very well

Non Rail
Skiff

Now Skiff was introduced in Sodor's legend of the lost treasure along with Ryan. He's a very simple railboat who I'm sure would be a massive hit. He is very unique and extremely versatile in that if his base was removable you could have him either in water or on land. He's that perfect bridge between rolling stock and non rail characters. He wouldn't require couplings as he is never pulled by an engine nor is he ever seen pulling anything behind him. Ryan and Daisy are already in the range, along with Oliver and Duck so he has characters he can be paired with at fairs and trainshows.  He's also appears in all engines go so he still has a very broad appeal and lastly like Stephen if there was a figure of Sailor John made he'd look fantastic riding inside Skiff or even if Bachmann made a figure of his new Owner Captain Joe.

N Scale

Again i agree with pretty much everything Chaz has said. I just wanna add a couple of rolling stock pieces.

Bradford

Now my reasoning for this is very simple. Bachmann just introduced the LMS 20 ton Breakvan which is Bradfords basis. It makes sense to utilise the tooling and make Bradford. He sadly is a CGI character with 0 merchandise so if Bachmann made him in N scale I'm sure fans would be thrilled. The tooling is there so why not use it. If Bachmann can make Hannah I see no reason why Bradford can't be made too and this will give the N scale range more of its own identity having things that HO and Large scale don't have which isn't a bad thing. Given we have Hannah and she was worked on along side Henrietta i see no reason why Bradford couldn't be a similar thing. Lastly for Bradford if he is made I'm sure Bachmann can utilise Percy's chassis and make Samson in N scale in the future.

Red express coaches

Since the Green express coaches are being made in N Scale, I see no reason why they can't recycle the tooling for the red express coaches. They were very popular in the classic series and the later CGI series. They are popular in the HO range so that's another thing going in favor of them.

Newly tooled wagon

These last few I've not really got alot to say on. I think the N scale range is desperate for some newly tooled rolling stock, either cattle wagon, Mail cars, salt vans. Just something to put in goods trains.

Tanker/van repaint

Again I've not really got much to say besides pointing out vans and tankers we have in HO or large that aren't available in N. Any would be welcome.

Large scale
80th Anniversary Van/vans
Unfortunately I don't see anything new here besides a repainted van. I'd love to say "Origins James or Edward" but I just don't see a newly tooled engine or even a repainted James being something to bet on. However one of the new HO anniversary vans could be a potential for Large scale, if not those maybe something unique to Large scale.

I'm not saying all this will be announced. Just my ideas. Like I say i agree with most of Chaz's picks, just adding my extras

[DustyMarie53!]

Mulfred and Chaz both have made good posts as always. Don't really have much more to add to their suggestions I think they are all really good shouts. Maybe some of the more recently released 12-ton batch could be upscaled to G, that'd be fun. I'm sure some people would like to have the circus vans in that scale.

This segways nicely into something I found interesting that I only noticed after my last post. If you take a look between the product numbers of Paxton and LBSC Thomas, it goes from 91408 to 91411. They skip two. Now this is nothing new, HO has done it before, there's in fact a gap of two in rolling stock right now between the now discontinued flatbeds and the scaled down from G scale 3 vans, which may be a placeholder for the chocolate and toffee tanker based on its placement, it could also simply be meaningless, I want to make it clear I could be just looking too deeply at this. But what I'm thinking is they are preparing to introduce at least 2 more characters into G scale, eventually. As said the two skipped slots with the HO rolling stock have not been filled in yet, so it's not something that has to happen immediately, or ever. Actually, this catalogs milk and troublesome truck #7 also fill in codes, and since the milk tanker already has a sample these announcements may have been considered for a little while, which is equally intriguing. Since LBSC Thomas is the one skipping the product codes, I don't think it's either James repaints. They would come after. I could see it being a pair, like Bill and Ben or the Two Rosie's. I could see it being just creating slots for the two 08's coming to HO a while, that way if they are ever introduced, they'll be next to the others. It could also simply be them deciding ok there are two more characters we want to make, let's set slots aside for them. So, as an example, Edward could be 2026 and then Stanley could be 2028. Or whoever. There are a few different options.

I don't want to say anything is guaranteed, even though these product codes were set aside they could decide nothing is worth pursuing later on. But it's interesting enough to make note of, that maybe there is some more new reveals coming. I'm not sure if I'm expecting them at NMRA personally, I think just some 12-ton vans (whether the anniversary ones or some of the other ones from HO) is definitely the safer bet, but at least there is a sign that there may be more to come.

[RailwayRoundhouse]

I kinda feel like I'm in the minority here But I'd personally really want to see Trevor the Traction Engine.

Trevor's a fan favourite, was featured in both the model and CGI series and would pair up super well with other existing models such as Thomas and especially Edward.

It would also be nice if he was announced in the same year as the 80th as not only is Trevor a character from the original Railway Series books, but Teddy Boston, the best friend of Reverend Wilbert Awdry actually owned the real Trevor, "Fiery Elias". So it could be seen as a nice homage to that as well.