How about Bachmann just make Stepney or Daisy so that classic fans can be happy after several years of newer engines? Nobodys screaming or raving for Sidney, Nia, Rebecca or Stanley. Heck, nobodys even screaming for Red Rosie, Black James or LBSC Thomas either. People only are mentioning those because they expect Bachmann to make those, not necessarily want them. The recent polls from multiple websites such as Facebook and Twitter show that Stepney, Daisy, Sir Handel, and Peter Sam are the hot picks among the fans.

I feel like at this point, other engines shouldn't even be considered or focused upon for the time being. The surveys have already filtered out the top choices.

It's officially Fall, so this is the results of my Summer haul. This year it was mainly focused on N scale:




With cooler weather coming around the corner, it'll soon be optimal weather to paint in again.

If Grumpy Diesel replaces Diesel, it'll be something we'll only find out once Bachmann runs out of supply of their current Diesel run, and then wait and see if regular Diesel gets restocked or not.

I thought about repaints a lot myself like a Red NWR Rosie, Black James, and LBSC Thomas, but I bit my tongue because I was afraid I might jynx it, and we'd get nothing but repainted engines in the range. I feel like if Bachmann -does- do repainted engines, they should at least accompany it with a -new- engine every so often. For example, we're already getting Paxton and Grumpy Diesel, so 2019 would be a terrible year to do more engine repaints, when the fans are craving a new engine like Stepney or Daisy. 2020 however, I feel would be a safer bet to do an engine repaint.

I even considered mentioning the Circus Train as a potential "repaint" idea that could easily work, even bringing back the Flat Bed With Paint Drums for it (but with a different load), but opted out because it might end up a bright red livery rather than the more popular grey livery. Course just by mentioning that I'm already tempting the Monkeys Paw...

Expressive, not expensive.

I feel like the boat has long since passed for Bachmann to invest in the novelty of change-able faces for Thomas engines. The newer CGI faces aren't nearly as expressive as the model era faces, and aren't as iconic of the stop motion/live action model train medium.

Course, I would like the idea of Bachmann experimenting with "Limited Run" models of characters and rolling stock that would be under a "Classic" or "Nostalgia" label, and deliberately be made to look like the model series content, or even freight cars from the Railway Series illustrations (such as Sodor China Clay and Ffarquhuar Quarry Company).

The magical world of MS Paint will fix your problem

The recent results of a two day long Twitter poll:

I'd say Stepney and Daisy seem about equally in demand, so either or I think would be a very strong choice for 2019.

Sir Handel and Peter Sam on the other hand, I feel like have equal opportunities and reasons to be the next OO9 engine made, though ThomasTankMerch's reveal of the Sir Handel prop I feel definitely put him in the publics favor. I'm sure now lots of people want their own models of Sir Handel!

Nevermind new products for 2019, will Bachmann have a 2019 range at all?

https://www.facebook.com/280631378673120/posts/1843558735713702/

Mattel is slowly laying the axe on Thomas ranges one by one. Wood failed and got pulled, Hornby retired their Thomas range, and now Adventures is being discontinued. In terms of Thomas ranges, the numbers seem to be dwindling more and more.

This raises the question if Lionel, Bachmann and Tomix are next. Will Mattel finally tire of sharing profits with these companies and cut ties? I really hope not, and I feel like that the Bachmann range is one of the most-supported ranges by the collector fandom. I'm hoping that if it -does- get discontinued, we'll at least get signs of it through item discontinuations, rather than have the rug pulled from our feet out of nowhere some time soon.

Either way, here's hoping that Bachmanns Thomas range is capable of surviving this ordeal.

looking good sean, people will love adding those to their slate wagons

Quote from: Chaz on August 21, 2018, 02:45:21 PM
(since there's no telling if Bachmann has measurements for Sir Handel yet).

Well they could always ask ThomasTankMerch...!

Should've taken design inspiration from Midlander, rather than the CG render. Hate to say it but now Bachmanns gonna miss out on all the kitbasher market potential that made Skarloey sell out more than once. I can't see many people wanting to make Midlander out of a CGI Rusty. This issue already seems to be starting, as the person who made kitbashing kits for Skarloey and Rheneas will not be doing so for Rusty: https://twitter.com/2a_rail/status/1031997221292662787

While I am personally alright with the CGI Rusty, as will other people in the Thomas community, sticking to his CGI design is going to restrict his market much more than Skarloey and Rheneas. The reason Skarloey sold so well is because he was literally a Talyllyn model in Thomas colors. Rheneas was closer to his CGI model than he was Dolgoch, and had slightly less successful sale numbers as a result, from what I last researched.

Please skip Duncan, Arc did a very poor job with his CGI render that barely resembles the character at all. It's a wonder Duncans CGI design was approved. Peter Sam has the best and most accurate CGI model in relation to his prototype Edward Thomas, so if they do another engine, do Peter Sam. I'd love Sir Handel, but his CGI model does not make an overtly accurate Sir Haydn (his prototype).

You know what, I say skip the middle man and make Stepney before he gets tainted by CGI.

Hello Bachmann Forum

In recent years, the Flat Car With Paint Drums has been discontinued, despite high demand. I feel like a thread should be in order to make the topic clear that there is definite fan interest in the product returning.

"Why is the Flat Bed so popular, anyway?" Bachmann themselves might ask. The answer is simple; it's a unique Thomas tooling for a wagon that's completely screen-accurate to the prop in the show. It's without a doubt one of the best items in the Bachmann Thomas range accuracy wise.

A recent incident I feel "paint out" the demand this item has, where it sold for a whopping 300 dollars:


To add, some Japanese fans have even made a Petition to bring it back:

And is still view-able here:
https://www.change.org/p/bachmann-trains-to-bring-back-bachmann-thomas-flat-car-with-paint-drums?recruiter=882148142&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=share_petition
However, with the Japanese part of the Thomas fandom being small, and having even less OO scale modellers, it has a modest 23 signatures. The eBay auction shows however, that there is a fair bit of a rabid fandom that wants to get their hands on more Flat Beds.

If Bachmann even considered something along the lines of a "Limited Run" of 1,000 units or so, I think they'd be sure to sell out. However, I think if Bachmann wants to make the item fresh, they should consider selling it with a new load. The CGI series already has a random assortment of flat bed loads Bachmann could consider, but I feel these loads aren't particularly "interesting."

I think some more interesting alternatives for new loadscould be as follow:

Henry's Log Cars:

While not a particularly interesting load on their own and to a non-Thomas fan, the log loads are iconic of the classic Thomas episodes a lot of older fans remember. They were seen a lot in Season 2, and became associated with Henry in later seasons due to his affinity for the forest, and would sometimes be seen pulling them. An idea I think that would sell better though is...

The Christmas Tree:

Throughout several Christmas episodes, Thomas transports a Christmas tree on the flat bed. As seen here, it stretches across the whole flatbed just fine, and is wrapped up in two red blankets for protection. Christmas themed trains also tend to be popular seller, and this would be a great item for a customer to buy in addition to the Bachmann Thomas Christmas Set. However, there is also a third, popularly demanded load for the Flat Bed...

The Chinese Dragon:

I feel like the Chinese Dragon has been popular and in demand for years now. I think the Chinese Dragon is definitely tied with the Christmas Tree in terms of marketability and potential profits, as both are unique loads that would stick out strongly to customers, and be favorable for a junior modellers layout.

Only thing for me personally is, there's two subtle difference between the Classic Chinese Dragon, and the HiT Era Chinese Dragon:

The HiT Era Chinese Dragon has a longer muzzle/nose, giving it a more dog-like shape. The pattern on the nose is also entirely different. Personally I would prefer the classic design for the head, and if Bachmann began the range in 2002 they would more than likely still have the Gullane/Britt era photo references (the same one you see above, and was used on the Thomas website back in the day, though companies like Bachmann would get access to the side and back references too), so if they really wanted to dig up the old photos, they probably could. I wouldn't be surprised if they went for the HiT version though, should they choose to make the Chinese Dragon.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts and observations on the Flat Bed With Paint Drums. I definitely would buy another pair if Bachmann decided to bring them back in the near future, and I think several people would agree, too.

I think the annual Thomas movie at the least warrants its own thread, so I don't see the harm in this thread.

We don't need to micromanage what threads get made, especially when there's already 70 pages of random threads on this forum. I don't think one more will make any real difference, and isn't worth anyone stressing out over.

Couplers should be fine. The thinner hook/loops are a OO gauge standard nowadays. The Thomas range uses older toolings, but it is still compatible with the newer and thinner hook/loop couplers. I believe the engine is DC, and would have to be converted to DCC. I don't know how easy it would be to do so, if it's not DCC ready.

I'm not as familiar with DCC operations; that might be a question better suited for one of the Admins.