At the NMRA Show I was told they would ship early December.

 You could get a lot of ideas from this guy: https://twitter.com/SodorRyModeler
[/quote]
Thank you! I have seen some of his work, and he definitely does excellent stuff with his models.

Here are my hopes for the 2020 announcements:
HO Scale:
Stepney (I wouldn't mind if it took them a couple of years after his announcement for him to be released, as long as they can make him)
Tar Tanker (I would love to see this reintroduced, especially since they returned in Season 23 with their Season 1 designs)
Red Express Coach
Red Express Brake Coach

Narrow Gauge:
Brown Brake Van
Blue Brake Van
(I could see them saving the red brake van for another year)

N Scale:
Thomas with Annie and Clarabel Starter Set

Large Scale:
LBSC Thomas
Troublesome Van

I do hope that Large Scale could get better announcements than those listed, I just don't know what people would think is popular for that range. Other than that, I feel like everything else would restore faith in Bachmann more than the NMRA announcements and I believe everyone would buy these items in a heartbeat. Plus, Stepney is pretty muchgarunteed money and the other items are relevant to the series, which Mattel should have no problems with.

I definitely also agree that Stepney should be made first, for all reasons stated across the thread. It would be perfect for the 75th anniversary.

I have been waiting for a while to post my thoughts in this thread, but I might as well speak up, since everyone else is. I would also really like Bachmann to do a model of Stepney. It would be the perfect way to celebrate the 75th anniversary, plus it would fit in really well with the recently released Rusty model. I would love to see Stepney announced for 2020.

I am definitely more excited for Peter Sam. I love the HO range, but the Narrow Gauge range is such high quality it beats anything the HO range produces.

Quote from: TerencetheTractor525 on July 13, 2019, 10:05:01 PM
WOW! So not only did Bachmann make an incredible new product announcement yesterday, but they also made the narrow gauge carriages using two separate toolings! This just goes to show that the Bachmann reps take our comments very seriously. The only small complaint I have is that the shade of blue they chose for the blue carriage is a little on the dark side, but other than that I'm very happy!

Terence, the darkness is only due to my phone always making pictures slightly dark. The blue is actually quite bright in person, plus there was another shelf above with bigger products on it, which might have blocked some of the light. The blue as far right on the carriage in the first photo is actually closer to what it looks like in person, even with the slight glare.

STL, they said that the carriages are expected to start shipping around November or early December.

I had the opportunity to go to the NMRA Train Show today, and I saw the Narrow Gauge coaches in the flesh. I can confirm that they will be two separate toolings and they are expected to start shipping around November 2019. I'm also excited about the announcements of Peter Sam and Daisy.

I think it's a very well thought out and spoken letter. I wouldn't worry too much about the lack of a response from Bachmann; they probably wouldn't be able to reveal whether or not they decide to take these considerations because then people would have knowledge of probable announcements before they are made and people wouldn't be surprised. It's also possible that they could be working out some sort of compromise with Mattel, who would probably still want Bachmann to make bright and colorful rolling stock regardless of the anniversary. Only time will tell, but I think a lot of options you mentioned could have a chance at being made.

Wow, that is awesome! What kind of sauce are you going to put on it? Marinara, Alfredo, Meat...

In all seriousness though, good job doing that even with the limitations of set track.

This actually makes me more hopeful that they will be made in 1:148. It would make more sense, at least.

The Large Scale range is already in the UK market. It wasn't against the licensing deal for Bachmann to sell them there.

I suppose I should get my predictions in before it's too late.

HO Scale:
As much as I would like to see Stepney, it doesn't seem like we are going to get more new toolings for HO scale at this point in time. Maybe if the brand gets taken over by someone other than Mattel, I could see that changing, but Mattel currently doesn't seem to care that Bachmann is supposed to be more realistic than Trackmaster or Wood (I'm looking at the Sodor Mining Co. Wagon and Live Lobsters Wagons specifically). With that said, I will post what I think will happen next year.

-LBSC Thomas
-Black James

I am going to say now that Mattel should stop pushing the pointless wagon recolors from Bachmann. They just don't fit the theme of the range well and those resources could be used in other areas instead. There are also currently 42 pieces of rolling stock in the range, 11 of which are recolors from the toy lines that we just never really needed. People probably aren't even going to collect all of them anyways, especially since there are still quite a few wagons that have actually been in the show. If we absolutely have to have a wagon recolor next year, I suggest a Celebration Coach, keeping with the 75th Anniversary theme and maybe being a Red Coach recolor with banners or something on the side with a 75th Anniversary logo. Then the recolors can stop there. We don't need almost a third of the rolling stock being stuff from the toy lines that don't fit with the appearance of the range or what the range is supposed to be.

Narrow Gauge:
I know that the rolling stock recolors aren't that expensive for bachmann to produce, but without the added cost of those announcements, maybe they would be just enough for them to squeeze in two new engines rather than one next year, especially since the range is so popular. Also, this year there have been a few limited edition items released in Bachmann's normal range, which are no doubt going to be popular since they are tied to the Golden Spike. Maybe these items will be enough to subsidize Bachmann's normal ranges next year, leaving more funds for the Thomas range (yes, I know this is wishful thinking). With that said, here are my thoughts.

-Peter Sam
-Sir Handel

Narrow gauge modelers have been asking for both of these engines almost equally because of all of the different real engines they could be turned into. Done correctly (which is almost no effort other than rivets for both), they will both be extremely accurate to their bases, and they will have even more appeal to modelers than Skarloey and Rheneas. These two could easily be freelance industrial locomotives, visitors to other lines, the Corris Railway could easily be modeled for the first time. They also have several variations within the Thomas universe as well, which some people will probably model.

-Brake Vans (Red, Blue, and Brown)

I think that brake vans could also possibly happen in 2020, however that entirely depends on when the Blue and Red Carriages get released, and if Bachmann can do this many new toolings for the Thomas range this year. Although, even if they can't do brake vans this year, they could probably do them in 2021, and there are alternatives in the meantime. Elsbridge Productions has made 3D printed ones, and Peco have 3 different types of brake vans on the way, so we could get some place holders until Bachmann can announce some.

N Scale:
Bachmann themselves confirmed that the new range will not be out before 2020 in their TCA Spring video. I think that they may produce a starter set with Thomas, Annie and Clarabel, but I wouldn't be surprised if this range is otherwise left untouched for this year.

Large Scale:
I feel like the Large Scale modelers deserve something nice, since they haven't gotten anything for a long time. Maybe a new engine is possible next year, since nothing was announced.

-Mavis

She would be fairly easy for Bachmann to produce, sharing the same chassis design as Toby, after all. She also seems to be somewhat popular as well, considering she is the third engine to get a Day Out with Thomas model. However, Plow Bender has brought up several good points about why both a new engine and a diesel wouldn't get as good of sales as we would hope for, and considering Bachmann Large Scale in general has been thinned out considerably over the last few years, I could see why a new engine couldn't be made.

-Red Coach
-Red Brake Coach

People have been hoping for them to make these in large scale for years, and they are really popular in HO, so they could be really popular in Large Scale too. It also wouldn't be that difficult for Bachmann to make these.

I don't think it sounds completely unreasonable, considering 2016 when Rosie, Rheneas, the slate wagons, Oliver, and the large scale box vans all had to be done, not to mention the Sound decoders. However, considering the slower runs with Bachmann in recent years, and that they said the new N scale line won't be out until 2020, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't announce anything new for the N scale line. I still feel like it's a little too early to tell what could happen next year since, barring N scale, we only have the new HO scale repaints, Rusty, and the narrow gauge coaches to wait for. Depending on how early all of these get released, what could happen next year would vary quite a lot.

If anything, it would be the faces that sell the models, especially on Thomas, Percy and James. I think a jam/trousers covered Percy with a sad face could work well. They could also do something like a Thomas with a shocked face and quarry dust like in Trust Thomas.