The Everything Thomas Topic

[N Scale Sudrian]

Checked in on the Bachmann online store this morning, seems that the N Scale "Thomas" Box Vans have finally come into stock, as they say "Add to Cart" rather than "Coming Soon". I expect it won't be long 'till they make their way out to retailers. Will post my thoughts in the main N Scale thread once I've got my hands on them...

[N Scale Sudrian]

Bachmann's Facebook page is doing a countdown to the NMRA 2023 Show, and the "3 Days" graphic features a very familiar set of rectangles... eerily similar to the window placement on the 'Thomas' line's Express Coaches, even down to how the clusters of windows are spaced further apart towards one side... I am hopeful this means Gordon's Express Coaches in N Scale are among this slate of mid-year announcements. If the teaser is meant to be literal, that may mean these may be shrunken versions of the HO/OO Express Coaches. (Which would be great for multiple reasons, but those can have their own post if these are indeed announced.)

I suppose it could also be a teaser for a new livery for the HO/OO Express Coaches... but given how recently the Red Express Coaches were released, I would be surprised if they were making yet another rake this soon...

[TrainFan97]

With only a few more days left, here's what we might get:

For HO Scale, another new engine tooling, which could be Nia, Stanley, or Whiff, or a recolor like Sidney or Fernando. No idea for rolling stock, but Chocolate Syrup and Toffee Tankers would be appreciated.

For N Scale, Henry, and possibly Express Coaches to go with Gordon. Those are my biggest hopes, especially N Scale Henry.

[N Scale Sudrian]

I don't expect much of importance this year other than Henry, and now the Express Coaches due to the teaser, in N. I don't see a new 'Thomas' loco for HO being announced until the 2024 Catalog at the earliest, same for HOn30. Large Scale could possibly see something, but I don't hold out much hope for anything groundbreaking like a new tool. (Would love to be proven wrong, the LS crowd deserve to have something good happen, ha ha)

It's been a while since there's been new Tank Cars in HO or LS, so it feels like about the right time to see some new ones. A redesign of the Tar Tank to match the 'CGI' version with the blocky stencil lettering would be my first choice (if only so it can propagate into N Scale, ha ha) but bringing the LS-exclusive liveries into HO would be good as well. Brand new liveries would be interesting as well, especially if they can bring some color variety in, such as a Red or Green livery.

But otherwise, I expect this batch of mid-year announcements to be like this year's annual catalog announcements... Overall rather light and with N getting the lion's share of attention. (Which isn't necessarily personal bias speaking, it does make sense to prioritize adding more to N Scale right now given the how the cost of new HO tooling is skyrocketing, and the lineup can safely re-tread the 'greatest hits' from HO in miniature form. It'll be a steady line of successes while HO is developing new ideas.)

[Armada Starscream]

Bachmann's Facebook page is doing a countdown to the NMRA 2023 Show, and the "3 Days" graphic features a very familiar set of rectangles... eerily similar to the window placement on the 'Thomas' line's Express Coaches, even down to how the clusters of windows are spaced further apart towards one side... I am hopeful this means Gordon's Express Coaches in N Scale are among this slate of mid-year announcements. If the teaser is meant to be literal, that may mean these may be shrunken versions of the HO/OO Express Coaches. (Which would be great for multiple reasons, but those can have their own post if these are indeed announced.)

I suppose it could also be a teaser for a new livery for the HO/OO Express Coaches... but given how recently the Red Express Coaches were released, I would be surprised if they were making yet another rake this soon...

If they are releasing a new set of HO Express Coaches, I would hope that they make a set of Gordon's blue Special Coaches, with both a Composite Coach and a Brake Coach.

[Chaz]

Well now that the NMRA announcements are up, here are my thoughts:

https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/NMRA2023/NMRA2023.pdf

Stanley is, for lack of better words, a "welcome "addition. I remember he was a lot more of a popular request from the late model era to the earlier CGI years but his requests somewhat died down a little in recent years, but still had a mostly consistent following. Either way, I think Stanley will be a fun addition and will probably sell better than both Rebecca and Beau.  That being said, because Stanley is such an iconic character introduced in the model era and made a fair share of appearances in CGI, you could argue that his introduction in the range is overdue.  I'd argue he should have been introduced in 2016 instead of Rosie, but at least he's here now.  While I personally would've preferred Hiro over Stanley, I think Bachmann is probably taking a step back and waiting to see how Rebecca will do first before tackling another tender engine like Hiro (even though it really should have been the other way around).  Stanley isn't high on my list of characters I'm keen on personally, but like how I felt about Ryan originally, that might change depending on how he turns out. 

The 12 ton vans are a nice addition to the range.  I hope these are going to be new single vent van toolings for HO like in N scale instead of just Bachmann UK repaints.  Then again, the fact we are getting single vent vans instead of the double vent van tooling in HO is a step in the right direction.  I also appreciate how one of the vans is going to be a standard gray van without the wacky colors and decals present in the others.  This one I'm sure is going to sell especially well with the older fans in particular since I know fans have been anxious for flying kipper like vans for their collection.  The funfair vans, like Stanley, are something I'm surprised it took this long for Bachmann to do.  Maybe the circus themed vans won't be too far away from joining too.  The wreath van is a little random since it's the first piece of Christmas themed stock to not be in a set, but I suppose that's a good thing.  They've been overdoing it with the Christmas sets lately, so it might be best to take a breather from those. 

Duncan was inevitable, but I'll admit I'm a little surprised that Bachmann announced him so soon when there are little to no updates on Sir Handel.  Regardless, I welcome Duncan as well, despite the fact we all know he will be based on his CGI render, which I know is not everyone's favorite.  However, the bigger takeaway for me is the fact that we have the original six Skarloey engines all announced by Bachmann.  And to me that is nothing short of incredible.  He isn't high on my priority list but I'm curious how updates on Duncan will go. 

I was definitely not expecting the gunpowder wagons, let alone one of them being the D fusit gun powder wagons from season 4! What a huge win this is for the narrow gauge crowd! These are the definite highlight for me for this year for sure and I am super ecstatic for these to come out!

And lastly for HO is Bulgy! The first ever non-rail character, we have gotten in a long time. Bulgy is a pretty solid choice too, although I would've preferred Trevor, I will happily settle for Bulgy.  Nice little surprise too from Bachmann!

As for Diesel and Paxton in N scale, nobody should be shocked these two made it in the range.  The HO and the large scale models of those two proved to be very successful, and it was really a matter of time before they would find their way into N scale as well. As I said before, Diesel is one of those characters that Bachmann could have added in N scale anytime they would like and it would've been fair game since Diesel is such a popular and well-established character with the brand, in addition to many recolor options to follow. The fact that Paxton is being announced alongside Diesel proves that point even further.

While Diesel wasn't my first choice personally, he was very comfortably in my top 5 so I'll gladly pick him up.  I may need to get on my custom N Duck project now to have him alongside his old rival!  Paxton will be fun too and I may pick him up as well, especially since the eye mech wouldn't be an issue for him like how it was in HO.  I know many, many others, including myself, would've rather seen Henry, but like the case with HO Hiro, I think Bachmann wants to wait and release Gordon (and maybe Emily) first before introducing Henry and Edward in N scale next.  Hopefully, we will at least see Henry next year either in the 2024 catalog or next years NMRA show.

The announcement that I am personally the most excited for, undoubtably, goes to the N scale Gordon's express coaches. It seemed like a crime to not introduce these alongside the N scale Gordon in the first place but getting some green express coaches to come out alongside the highly anticipated Gordon model is a smart move.  I have no doubt Bachmann has plans to announce a Gordon set in N soon once they start making progress on the coaches.  Like Diesel (and maybe Paxton), these will be joining my collection for sure too and I can't wait to see how nice Gordon will look with these coaches!

As for large scale not getting anything, Toby's Museum coaches are still not out yet and it's kind of clear there aren't a lot of repaint options left.  Maybe large scale will get something next year, who knows.   Maybe some of the 12 ton van liveries that just got announced in HO will find their way in large scale next year.  Otherwise I'm betting on 'Arry and Bert next or maybe Henrietta and Hannah if we're lucky.

Overall, the announcements themselves are actually pretty solid and I'm really happy with these.  While most of the choices weren't my number 1 picks personally, I can honestly say there aren't any bad or even questionable choices being made here.  There's no Nia or anything involving the reboot in the range yet and that is a major win in my books too so that's gotta count for something!  Thanks Bachmann for introducing these fun additions and I look forward to more updates soon.

[Mulfred100]

I completely agree with Chaz
Stanley is a welcome Suprise nice to have him in the range at long last. Circus/fairground vans and 12 ton van, again very welcome additions to the HO range. Nice to see a Christmas van too. First Christmas thomas item released outside of a set so hopefully that's a sign on things to come.
I'm very excited about Bulgy
Narrow gauge I'm over joyed with Duncan *however much I know there's going to be continuous calls from some to model him a particular way* He's always been a favourite of mine so I welcome him regardless.
Great to see we are getting the D-fusit vans and two others adding more rolling stock to the roster
N scale, again very welcome additions of Diesel and Paxton. Not sure I'm ready for the on slought of "do Sidney, do mainland diesels, do Arry n Bert just yet but hey we've got the big number 4 and Emily to come out first so.
Express coaches again very welcome. I do wonder if they'll redesign the express coaches to match the show more give that its a whole new scale and they can do that.
Very happy

[TRAINSROCK!]

So I checked the announcements and honestly the one I'm most excited about is Duncan (I really wanted them to do him and I didn't expect the gunpowder wagons I just read that they were going to do Duncan and I didn't know what else they had planned for released). also I'm happy they're doing bulgy too (as he seemed highly requested). for the ho line well I was more excited about Duncan and the gunpowder wagons than the other stuff (that's just my opinion). but I may think about bulgy when he comes out. And my hope for next year is Samson and Bradford (they may not be everyone's most request but I'd really like them added to the range a lot just need to wait for 2024).

[N Scale Sudrian]

Very pleasantly surprised by how much was announced for the 'Thomas' line this year. Stanley and Bulgy are great character picks for HO/OO. It's odd to see yet more HOn30 stock announced despite not having seen hide nor hair of Sir Handel or the High-Side Wagons or Gondolas, but it's nice to see Duncan is going to happen.

I'm not quite sure how to feel about Diesel and Paxton being the next N Scale locomotives. I was quite invested in the idea of Henry and Edward being next... I suppose those two are still inevitable, at the very least. Paxton is one of my favorite engines so I will happily pick him up, and I will likely get Diesel at some point as well.

The sneakily-hinted Express Coaches in N are great to see as well. The use of the HO/OO model as reference is making me a bit unsure as to their final look but I very much hope these will be downscaled versions of the HO/OO model rather than new tools based on the 'CGI' coaches. The 'CGI' coaches are awful things, far too skinny and short. The HO/OO tool looks much better and a side-benefit of shrinking it will be providing ready-to-run Era 2 LMS coaches in N Scale, which would surely be appreciated by modelers of certain eras in that region.

The fact Stanley, the 12 Ton Vans, and Paxton/Diesel already have suggested prices is interesting, perhaps these have already had decent progress made on their tooling?

[TrainFan97]

So we are indeed getting HO Scale Stanley, plus four 12-ton vans in HO Scale, with one of them being a simple gray one without the wacky colors, and even Bulgy for a non-rail character. I think the most cost-effective way for them to make Stanley would be recycling Thomas' chassis and painting the wheels red. Duncan was also announced for Narrow Gauge, despite there being little to no updates on Sir Handel, along with three Gunpowder Wagons, including the D. Fusit one from Season 4.

N Scale is getting Diesel and Paxton, which ended up being chosen over Henry. I think the reason for this was because of how well they did in Large Scale, and Bachmann already has two tender engines coming, and they'd rather see how well Gordon and Emily sell before doing another tender engine like Henry and Edward. Although Diesel and Paxton were chosen over Henry, they will be the first side characters to join N Scale, with other recolor options like 'Arry and Bert, Sidney, Mainland Diesels, or Fernando possible. With no eye mechanism being an issue, Paxton's face will look a lot better in N Scale than it did in HO Scale. It's also nice that we are indeed getting the Express Coaches to go with Gordon. I was rather hoping for N Scale Henry, but Diesel also had demand, and was too a popular request, complete with a versatile tooling.

[MontagueGWR08]

Of what was announced for HO, I'm easily most excited for Stanley. The Great Discovery is a personal favorite of mine and I very much attach Stanley to that. Also kinda represents the last hurrah of the model series, so just for that I think Stanley is a great choice. Also happy that my and other's requests for more road vehicles were heard with Bulgy! He'll look great next to my passenger station. The 12 ton vans are also something I have wanted reintroduced for a while now. I'll definitely be getting two of the gray vans for my flying kipper and maybe if the circus vans sell well we can get a full circus train down the line. I'm kinda surprised they announced Duncan, as Sir Handel hasn't even been started yet, but I'm not complaining. And the D-Fusit wagon is the chef's kiss.

[TrainFan97]

What I really don't get is that Mattel allows Bachmann to make model series rolling stock, but not engines, that the CGI mandate ONLY applies to engines, which is what's holding Bachmann back from making Stepney, BoCo, or Duke. It doesn't make sense. Model series rolling stock is okay with Mattel, but engines are not. Even recolors like Smudger, Splatter and Dodge, which had one-off appearances.

[TerencetheTractor525]

I am overjoyed with this summer's new product announcement! Not only did much more than anticipated get announced, but every single announced product is something that I am very happy with and looking forward to.

Starting off with the new HO engine, Stanley brought a true smile to my face. I, along with most Thomas fans, was convinced that Nia was going to be the next engine after the announcement of Rebecca last summer. Yet, the fact that Bachmann went out of their way to announce a character that appeals to both the older and younger fans, let alone one that also appeared in the model era, really says a lot. All in all, this is the most excited I have felt for new HO engine announcement since Daisy.

Moving on to rolling stock, the new vans were another wonderful surprise. I love the simplicity of the gray vent van, and festivity of the funfair vans. Yet, what really caught me by surprise is that these are not just going to be recolors of the double vent tooling, but single vent. Here's hoping that it will be the box van tooling in Large Scale & N scaled to HO, but I would be completely on board with a Bachmann UK tooling too, so long as it has a single vent.

Now Bulgy REALLY surprised me. I noticed some discussion on nonrail characters after the announcement of Sir Topham Hatt's Car back in the winter, but I was thinking that Bachmann would want to see how well the iconic blue car sells before tackling another nonrail piece such as Bulgy. Nevertheless, I am all for it! He's a classic and completes the list of new characters who were introduced in Season 3 of the television series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQdSQcto_nc

With regards to narrow gauge, as others have stated repeatedly, Duncan was inevitable, and it is great to see the original six narrow gauge engines finally in the line. I just hope that Duncan will not be strictly based on the CGI design, as the render really is not the cup of tea for many fans, including myself. An ideal approach would be to scale the boiler to its real-life basis, and then use the CGI paint scheme and face. Yet, at the same time, I understand that this is most likely wishful thinking, and am still happy to see engine #6 in narrow gauge announced.

The gunpowder wagons are probably what I am most ecstatic about, particularly the D. Fusit one. That is an iconic piece that I remember seeing throughout Season 4 as a little kid, and the fact that Bachmann is making that is nothing short of amazing.

Lastly, for N Scale, I was somewhat surprised to see Diesel & Paxton announced before Henry. Nonetheless, they certainly are welcome additions, and I know that many HO Narrow Gauge modelers will acquire Diesel or Paxton for narrow gauge custom models. As a result, I could see these selling very well, much like the N Scale Percy.

Gordon's Express Coaches were inevitable, with the announcement of Gordon last summer, and I am looking forward to seeing what Bachmann uses for the toolings. I like the idea of scaling down the HO models, as I concur that the CGI renders are too thin and lack the thinner windows on one side of the coach. In any case, it is going to be amazing to see these run behind Gordon in N Scale.

I want to give an enormous thank you to Bachmann Industries for this wonderful surprise. It is clear that a lot of research and acknowledgement of what fandom would love went into this. Altogether, for me, this is one of the most exciting announcements we've ever had, and with that, I believe that the future of the Bachmann Thomas line is bright.

[JLK2707]

Great stuff!:)

[N Scale Sudrian]

If the new '12 Ton Van' tool is indeed the Large Scale/N Scale 'Thomas' Box Van body scaled to HO/OO, I must wonder if that means the new liveries seen on the 12 Ton Vans will be included as 'Box Van' liveries for Large Scale and N Scale as well... Personally, I'd be most interested in having a rake of Gray vans in N Scale, but wouldn't mind having some Funfair or Christmas vans as well.