So I updated my post slightly, it's been over a month since I last updated it, but I wanted to talk about an idea I thought of just the other day.
Winston the Track-inspection Car

So why do I think Winston is a good possibility?
After seeing Bachmann announce Jeremy, I think that this could say something about how open Bachmann would be in regards to introducing different vehicles.  But more importantly, he adds good variety!  Winston being a car on rails, essentially, is a different twist to the Thomas line, yet at the same time it's not that unusual coming from Bachmann.  Bachmann have their "Maintenance of way" series with different vehicles that were made to run on tracks.  So the idea of Winston being made doesn't seem as strange as one would think.  Despite riding on rails though, being like the rest of the other vehicles, I don't think a Bachmann Winston would include moving eyes. 
Why do I think he would be a good seller?  Well Winston is perfect for any modeler!  He doesn't require any rolling stock or anything of the sort to go along with him.  He's literally an addition you can just take out and run on any layout.  Ideal for beginners who are into the hobby and it would look nice on any layout.  Plus if modelers are working on their layouts and need a model to test the track power, they could use the model of Winston to see how could the power is on their layouts... that is his job after all as a track inspection car.

But more importantly for Thomas fans, it introduces the idea of a to-scale HO Sir Topham Hatt figure.  The one that's in the HO line currently is ridiculously out of scale.  I'm surprised it's listed in the HO line when it should be under large scale.  With Winston, I could see Bachmann giving him a little driver who would be no one other than Sir Topham Hatt, as other toy ranges that have made Winston have included a little Sir Topham Hatt figure to make it look like he is driving Winston around.  This will not only look more realistic, but would also be a really nice addition to those who would be interested in having a to-scale Sir Topham Hatt figure. 
So despite Winston being newer, he not only wouldn't be that expensive for Bachmann to put together and sell, but he would also sell very popularly as he's proven to be liked by older and newer fans alike, much like Paxton.  Either way, along with Trevor, I think Winston would make another good addition as a future character to join Bachmann in the near future as far as vehicles go.
Feel free to give me feedback if anyone thinks this is a good idea or if you can see this happening too.  Either way, I'm interested in hearing any thoughts.

And we've reached the final point before the first break between the season... Not Now, Charlie... it was average.  Anyone ever heard the expression "the more things change, the more they stay the same"?  This episode proves it as the writing has gotten better...Charlie is still the same character, (with the bad jokes).  Which admittedly I'm not that concerned about, but one thing that throws me off about the episode is the moral.  This is practically a version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, only delivered in a more gentle matter, which makes the episode extremely predictable.  The thing that throws me off is what happened with the moral.  It was a very good moral, and it works perfectly with Charlie of all characters.  However, I probably would have rated this episode higher if they stuck to the moral.  Seconds later once the message was delivered, Charlie simply carries on telling jokes as if nothing had happened.  However, at the same time, this is also why I liked the episode.  It added for good humor and it gave a good twist to the show, something I don't think has ever been done before.  
With that being said, I will admit it has it's moments, like Gordon bursting with laughter at the beginning, and Cranky's dislike for Charlie's jokes and elephants.  So overall, this episode has left me with mixed feelings, not the greatest, but by no means the worst.  
My current ratings so far:
Henry's Hero - 10/10
Gordon runs dry - 10/10
Wayward Winston - 9/10
The Switch - 9/10
Calm Down Caitlin - 8/10
Kevin's Cranky Friend - 7/10
Scruff's makeover - 6/10
Not now, Charlie - 5/10
Luke's New Friend - 3/10
Steamie Stafford - 2/10
After watching some of these again and posting my thoughts on these episodes, I can say that this is already a huge improvement compared to what we've seen in past five seasons of the series.  I can safely say that I'm interested in seeing what the rest of the season is like, and hopefully those episodes will come sooner rather than later.  

The Switch... a HUGE improvement to the disappointment I saw in Luke's New Friend.  I honestly didn't think I would like Millie so much as a character, but I actually really liked her once I saw this episode.  She already has more personality than other female characters such as Molly, Belle, and Lady.  Seeing the tension between Luke and Millie with the dramatic music really played off a nice effect.  Then watching them switching their jobs with the Earl and Mr. Percival's permission (which is something they wouldn't have done one or two seasons ago) was also a nice twist.  Plus I really liked how both of them learned about their different perspectives, but while they both struggled at first they seemed to really have a better understanding towards the end of the episode.  I also liked how Rheneas was in better character (as opposed to racing in the quarry in the previous episode).  Especially when early on when he was having doubts of Millie.  The most hilarious part of this episode was watching Luke racing right into the station and the young boy shouts "Again, again!" shortly after that wild ride.  Everything about this episode was done really well, though I must be honest it was kind of silly seeing Millie scared of going into a tunnel.  
Otherwise, this episode was fantastic, written very well, and opens up the audience more to Millie as a character.

Now for Luke's New Friend... When I first read the summary of this episode, I had a bad feeling about this one.  Sadly I was proven right.  It feels like any episode from the newer series that featured animals have always turned out to be poor... Thomas Toots the Crows, Percy's New Friends, Thomas' Tall Friend, and a few more following that.  Like those episodes, I didn't find Luke's New Friend to be an enjoyable episode at all.  It was just very boring and uninteresting.  I will admit that this type of role is more suitable for Luke than the likes of Thomas and Percy, but at the same time it doesn't exactly make it a more tolerable episode.  However, I did like how this episode mainly focused on the narrow gauge engines, along with Luke finally getting an episode and appearances by Owen and Merrick.  I did find one scene touching which was Luke leaving off the deer and his driver patting him as the deer leaves.  Otherwise, like Steamie Stafford, this is another episode I don't plan on watching twice. The three-strike formula was more apparent in this episode, the moral was shoved down our throats, and to add to that it's very unrealistic... you can't make an entire quarry quiet while at work, even on everyone's own will (especially with explosions).  Also, anyone else notice the standard gauge brake van at the back of Luke's train...?  Even if it's dual track, that's not a good sign in my books.  
Honestly (after reading some comments on YouTube), I feel like some people are giving this episode too much credit due to the "cutesyness" of this episode, along with Luke finally getting an episode.  While I welcome the ladder, I can guarantee you if this featured any of the main characters like Thomas, Percy, and Toby, this episode would have gotten much more critical reviews.  Like Don't Bother Victor, I think this episode is overrated.
EDIT: Just edited my review slightly.  

And now for my thoughts on Henry's Hero...
No way, another perfect episode?  This season is just getting better and better than I thought!  What I loved so much about this episode was that it was dedicated to both Henry and Hiro.  Henry (throughout seasons 8-16) and Hiro have both had poor or dull episodes throughout the series, and this episode gives them full redemption.  The moral of this episode was great too (which is a rarity).  Henry and Hiro are both not perfect in this episode, but they both influenced each other to go far, and in the end they ended up going further than both of them thought they would.  The scenery was incredible, especially the aerial shots of Hiro and Henry's trains, it gave off a nice birdseye view with the different trees throughout the background.  Thomas and Gordon's roles were a nice addition as well, Gordon always seems to get pretty decent roles throughout episodes, even if they don't star him.  
And with Duck being added...that was just icing on the cake.  Loved his voice, and I loved how they kept his classic whistle.  I'm still not fond of his design in full CGI, but at the same time I like how the writers brought him back because they knew that was who the fans wanted to see the most.  They didn't even need to give him a big role to get everyone excited again.  
The best part about this episode though had to be Henry not needing special coal.  While I loved the season 1 episode(s) featuring it, the story notes that Henry used to run on special coal.  However in Magic Railroad, and Season 10 onward, Henry apparently needed special coal again.  Bad judgement on the writers part, but good that it won't be an issue any longer.  
Seven episodes in...two perfect episodes, three great episodes, one average episode, and one bad episode.  Already a huge improvement over everything we've seen from seasons 13-16.  Can't wait for the rest of this week!

Sometime by the end of this year.  Not totally positive on that one though.  We'll know for sure when NMRA posts their flyer.

No the wooden models are too small.  I'd suggest making custom faces or using the trackmaster faces.

Or better yet, buy the Bachmann models.

Excellent!  Good to hear!  I may post layout photos soon of my layout in it's current state.  I'll keep everyone posted on that.

I LOVE what you've done with the lighthouse!  That path you made leading up to it was a very clever idea. 

You've done great with landscaping so far, I'm very impressed.   Mind posting your track plan of your layout? 

Just saw Calm Down Caitlin.  Here are my thoughts:
There is only one fault I have with this episode which is how Sodor has become so uptight with the engines working at night.  It's been regular throughout the series, even in full CGI (See James in the Dark).  When I saw the preview I had a bit of a vibe that it would be like Early Bird, however after watching the episode, I found Early Bird to be far worse since it contradicts the third season episode Thomas, Percy and the mail train completely.  Plus it's not like Thomas hadn't pulled the mail train recently before then (See Thomas and the Spaceship).  But back to Calm Down Caitlin, given that this is about a newer character in hand, and how the pros outweigh the cons in this episode I find this to be nowhere near as bad as The Early Bird.  
That being said the pros did outweigh the cons as the mail train was being pulled at night (which is rarity in some instances nowadays), the flying kipper always gets an A in my book, and I loved the scenery throughout the episode.  Particularly final scene with Caitlin going across the Vicarstown bridge at the end of the episode.  However the quote coming from Gordon "Do you streamlined engines ever stop?" won this episode over for me.  

Looking forward to week 2!

It's hard to say, outside of Hiro actually.  We're somewhat limited here... With Murdoch out of the picture, tender engines such as Hank, Molly, Neville, and a few of the others sound highly unlikely to appear due to lack of appearances and popularity.  It seems like the smaller engines who haven't been made yet have a better chance, IMO. 

Quote from: ScotNick on June 06, 2013, 11:36:10 PM

But you have to bear in mind that Murdoch as well as all of the 9F class engines have their middle driving wheel without a flange, which equals to four wheels.

I actually didn't think of that, silly me!

Quote from: ScotNick on June 06, 2013, 11:36:10 PM
Hiro would be great, however all of the Bachmann models had real model counterparts, and not just CGI-models. I read in an interview once that HIT sends Bachmann the dimensions of their model if they decide to make one.

I don't think that's going to stop Bachmann from producing characters who were only introduced in full CGI.  They'll still be able to show them accurate dimensions in an alternative way, if they really need to. 

Aside from Oliver, I feel any engine Bachmann is going to do at this point would most likely be characters who were introduced past season 7.  It'll be a first, but I think it'd only be a matter of time before we find out who the first newer character Bachmann will introduce will be (locomotive wise that is).  I don't think Hiro would be the first one in this case, but at the same time one thing a lot of users on this forum should know at this point is that Bachmann has surprised us on occasion and will probably do so for many years to come.  Either way I think the result should be pretty interesting.

I don't think Hiro is the engine we should expect next year or maybe even in the next year or two, but his possibility of being in the range is still up in the air.  If I were to make a "top 5" list of engines I'd expect to see in the future Hiro would be 5th for that reason.  In theory, he'd be an extremely nice model and he holds the right potential, and he would be a great seller, but in reality it'd be very expensive to put together and sell.  Personally, I don't think the radius thing is that much of an issue, but I can understand why people would see that as to why that would hold Hiro back.

Quote from: Cirkit:) on June 06, 2013, 10:02:36 PM

He's a great character, but I'd rather see Bachmann attempt Murdoch, or Molly, or perhaps redesign Spencer's body...? Who knows.

It's funny you mention Murdoch...he'd be worse than Hiro if he was on a 18'' radius curve.

Bachmann makes their engines from the Thomas line from scratch.  They have never reused toolings from their other product lines, aside from some of their rolling stock and buildings.  

Also, a Niagra is too long for a Hiro model.  Hiro's wheel configuration is a 2-8-2, and a Niagra's configuration is a 4-8-4.

I think Hiro is a good possibility given that is a very popular character amongst older and newer fans alike, (not to mention internationally!), and appears in the show regularly.  For a first engine to be introduced past season 7 by Bachmann, he'd be an ideal starting point for that reason.  Though he would be an expensive model...easily over 100 dollars to put together and sell.  A locomotive with 8 drive wheels and a tender with two four wheel bogies with a wide variety of details and features that the character already has would take a lot of time and money for Bachmann to put together.  

All the same though, I have zero doubt that a Bachmann Hiro would look fantastic.