I have no idea what's taking over 2 1/2 years just for them to have an unpainted sample of Sir Handel, but they already got Stanley in the unpainted stage in less than a year since he was announced. Maybe he was much easier to make.

If any new Narrow Gauge products get announced, they'd have to be made from existing toolings, like Narrow Gauge Brown and Gray Brake Vans and Box Vans. Bachmann can easily make those since the tooling for that already exists. Nothing is holding them back for those.

It's not likely that N Scale Edward or Henry will get announced this NMRA, considering we haven't heard any updates on N Scale Diesel yet, but they're much more likely to get announced for the 2025 catalog. If any N Scale rolling stock gets announced, they could be Red Express Coaches, or the regular Red Coaches, along with non-troublesome open wagons in blue, red, and green with a coal load. Let's not forget some generic 20-Ton Brake Vans in dark gray, light gray, or brown. Any of these could be possible. A Christmas N Scale Thomas set is also possible.

HO Scale is anyone's guess for what comes next. A repaint like Sidney (but with an altered eye mechanism), along with new toolings like Nia or Whiff. Doug Blaine still hasn't acknowledged whether or not Harvey or Diesel 10 are possible because of their attachments. The latter three mentioned characters are the only ones left who appeared in both model and CGI. If Rebecca sells well, Hiro can be considered. As for rolling stock, the best new tooling would be the Works Unit Coach; in green, orange and blue. The Chocolate Syrup and Toffee Tankers are still exclusive to Large Scale. Some good choices for repaints include the Italian Blue Coaches, Gordon's Special Coaches, and Troublesome Truck #7 being made from a 12-Ton Van.

Once again. still no sign of Sir Handel just yet, but they did tease an unpainted sample of Stanley, which will be shown in the August Trainworld Stream in like three weeks. They managed to get Stanley ready before Sir Handel, who was announced long before.

They just recently got unpainted samples of the Narrow Gauge High Side Wagon and Stanley. Other products awaiting unpainted samples include not just Sir Handel, but also the Narrow Gauge Gondola, Gunpowder Wagon, Duncan, the HO Scale Open Carriage, Bulgy, N Scale Diesel/Paxton and the Express Coaches. It's going to be a while before we hear progress on Duncan or the Gunpowder Wagons. The N Scale Express Coaches are still not up for preorder.

Still no update on Sir Handel or Stanley, but they FINALLY revealed an unpainted sample of the Narrow Gauge High-Side Wagon. Once fully painted, there will be three colors of them. Still no sample of the other Gondola yet, but at least one new unpainted sample has been shown. Looking forward to seeing the High-Side Wagons fully painted. Might be within a few months that we'll see fully painted High-Side Wagons in brown, green and red.

It was exciting to see something we haven't already seen. Maybe soon, they will have an unpainted sample of the Narrow Gauge Gondola, and then they'll really start catching up on Narrow Gauge rolling stock.

Duncan is still under development. Bulgy was confirmed to have been started on, and going through the design process. Doug can't confirm or deny that we're getting N Scale Edward and Henry yet, but they were acknowledged. He knows those products are highly-requested.

With more products said to be coming by the end of year, we can hope the 2025 catalog will have some very exciting announcements.

For Narrow Gauge rolling stock, two repaints of existing toolings that still haven't been announced yet are a Brown Brake Van and Box Van. We still need those. They got other Narrow Gauge rolling stock in brown coming, so why not a brake van and box van in brown? They could be announced in the NMRA, or the 2025 catalog. I don't see why not, since the tooling is already there. There are three new Narrow Gauge rolling stock toolings that still haven't been shown unpainted, being the Gondolas, High-Side Wagons, and Gunpowder Wagons, but the former two did have progress made. Still waiting for them to be shown unpainted with Sir Handel. The CGI mandate is the only thing holding Bachmann back from making recolors like Smudger. Once Sir Handel finally does get shown, we can hope progress has been started on Duncan; another new tooling, which was announced last year.

Diesel 10 would be a huge seller in HO Scale. Mattel has to let Bachmann make Diesel 10, considering he appeared in both model and CGI. To meet NMRA standards, some compromises would have to be made to the claw, like making it removable. Can still be posable, but not perfect. He could become the second larger diesel for the HO Scale range. Someone needs to ask Doug about the possibility of characters like Harvey and Diesel 10, and how to get models like them to meet NMRA standards. Those two, along with Nia and Whiff, are the best choices for newly-tooled engines in the HO Scale range, and if Rebecca sells good, Hiro can be considered. Harvey, Diesel 10 and Whiff are the only engines left for the HO Scale range that appeared in both model and CGI.

Doug Blaine hasn't confirmed that Harvey CAN'T be made, so he is still very much a possibility, and he would also be a very welcome addition to the HO Scale range, since he appeared in both the model and CGI series. Harvey may not have moving eyes, but neither did Beau, who had a working headlight instead, so Harvey's gimmick can be the operating crane, which can rotate, and the gear can be the knob that brings the hook up and down. That shouldn't be too hard for Bachmann. They've made HO Scale rail cranes outside the Thomas range, and Harvey is just one that's self-propelled, so there isn't anything really holding them back from making Harvey. If Harvey gets announced, that would open up the possibility of Diesel 10, with an operating claw; another character Doug Blaine hasn't deconfirmed, despite his gimmick.

For HO Scale recolors, if a new tooling isn't viable at this time since we still haven't seen Stanley yet, Sidney can be made. Although Sidney would reuse Diesel's tooling, his eye mechanism has to be fixed. Blue Bill and Ben, as well as Green Salty, are rather niche recolors, but still doable. Like you said, they only appeared in one episode, but so did Busy Bee James. Plus we have Yellow Rheneas, which only appeared at the end of one special.

Bachmann just recently released Beau, as well as the Large Scale Toby's Museum Coaches, so that's a few products out. Other products with painted samples like Rebecca, 12-Ton Vans, N Scale Gordon and Emily (along with her coaches) as well as Henrietta, are expected to be available by the end of the year if all goes well. Products that still don't have unpainted samples shown include Stanley, Open Carriage, Bulgy, Sir Handel, Duncan, Narrow Gauge High-Side Wagons, Gondolas, Gunpowder Wagons, N Scale Diesel/Paxton and Express Coaches. That's unfortunately still quite a bit that hasn't even been shown unpainted. They said they would be getting the unpainted samples of Sir Handel and Stanley soon, considering they both had designs ready, but it hasn't been soon enough, especially for Sir Handel, which has already been 2 1/2 years without a single sample shown. Must be a new record. Sir Handel has to be the longest it's ever taken to get an unpainted sample. The N Scale Express Coaches are still not up for pre-order.

With that list of products that still haven't even been shown unpainted, I really have no idea what to expect this NMRA, or even the 2025 catalog. With so much fallen behind on, there's still currently no big plans for the 80th Anniversary. If anything, we could get more repaints. Sidney needs to finally happen in HO Scale, since he would reuse Diesel's tooling, but would need a new eye mechanism. N Scale desperately needs non-troublesome variants of the 7-Plank Wagons, like red, blue, or green with a coal load. If we absolutely CAN'T get N Scale Henry or Edward at this time, due to so many other new molds not being ready yet, Bachmann may just have to settle on N Scale LBSC Thomas and Origin James, so they'd have something for the 80th Anniversary, even if it has to be repaints like those. As much as I want N Scale Edward and Henry, it may be a while before either of them get announced. For HO Scale, if Rebecca proves to be a popular seller, Bachmann may consider Hiro.

Forgive me for bumping this thread, but Beau just arrived here earlier today, and he turned out to be a great model. Another product finally released. The next products I have to look forward to are N Scale Gordon and Emily.

This month's Trainworld stream revealed painted samples of the four 12-Ton Vans. Still no sign of Sir Handel or Stanley. Next month's reveal might most likely be Sir Topham Hatt's Car fully painted. At some point, Bachmann is going to tease the unpainted samples of Sir Handel and Stanley, once they arrive. Sir Handel is taking far too long, and it's getting ridiculous.

Beau just arrived in stock. I preordered him from Trainworld, and will most likely ship very soon.

The Large Scale Toby's Museum Coaches are also finally in stock.

With N Scale Gordon and Emily due for release by the end of the year, as well as Henrietta, progress has to have been started on Diesel/Paxton by this point, and we should see an unpainted sample by the end of the year. I still hope N Scale Henry gets announced this NMRA. If not, then for sure the 2025 catalog. More N Scale rolling stock is bound to be announced this NMRA, like some non-troublesome variants of the 7-plank wagons (which we desperately need), Red Coaches, or a 20-Ton Brake Van. If another new tooling gets announced for HO Scale this NMRA, or the 2025 catalog, the best choices would be Whiff or Nia, or for rolling stock, the Works Unit Coach, which can be made in green, orange and blue. Winston in HO Scale would also be a great choice with the figure packs in mind; Sir Topham Hatt can drive him.

Doug said there were currently no big plans for the 80th Anniversary at this time, since they're still catching up on lots of previously announced products that haven't been released yet. Fortunately, many of them will be released by the end of the year if all goes well. Beau is supposed to arrive in stock by the end of June. Unpainted samples of Stanley and Sir Handel are on the way, and bound to be revealed this summer. We've already seen HO Scale Rebecca, as well as N Scale Emily and Henrietta fully painted; awaiting delivery dates. Sir Topham Hatt's Car is in the unpainted stage, and we'll soon see all four 12-Ton Vans painted.

After seeing HO Scale Rebecca fully painted, she would look great in N Scale too, but N Scale doesn't even have Edward and Henry yet, and after Henry, the next priority for a 'big' engine in N Scale would be Spencer.

Bachmann is just waiting for the unpainted samples of Sir Handel and Stanley to arrive, and they could literally be teased any day, with full unpainted reveals within the next few months.

At last, we finally get to see HO Scale Rebecca fully painted. Beau is expected to arrive in stock by the end of June. N Scale Gordon has been pushed back to October, most likely so that there's not so much of a gap between him and the N Scale Express Coaches, which they have made progress on. It was N Scale Diesel and Paxton that hadn't been started on at the time the catalog was released. N Scale Emily, as well as her coaches and her set, are expected to arrive in November, if nothing goes wrong. They're still waiting on the first unpainted samples of HO Scale Stanley and Sir Handel, which there has been good progress on those. We might see them within the next few months.

There are currently no big plans for the 80th Anniversary next year at this time because they are still catching up on lots of products that haven't been released yet. They just recently revealed N Scale Henrietta fully painted, and her having a face had very mixed reactions. Some were okay with it, but I've seen many who were quite disappointed, all because she didn't have a face in the model series. It made perfect sense for Henrietta to have a face, so that she could better interact with Toby. Hannah can be made using the same tooling. Lots of products are supposed to arrive in stock this year, and maybe we'll get some big surprises in the 2025 catalog.

At last, Bachmann has Rebecca's painted sample ready, for real this time. In a couple more weeks, we'll get to see HO Scale Rebecca, fully painted, in her entirety. That will be the big reveal for the May Thomas Tuesday. Hopefully N Scale Gordon in the package as well.

Whether or not Bachmann makes Hiro will depend on how well Rebecca sells, so it's going to be a while before they announce him. If Rebecca ends up being a hot seller, then Bachmann can definitely consider making Hiro. It's very clear that the most likely next two newly-tooled engines for HO Scale are Nia and Whiff.

In a nutshell, the biggest thing going against Norman is his minimal usage in the actual show. Charlie is also brought up because of his unique livery, and his simplistic design for a new tooling, although his fanbase is non-existent, and he was rather infamous.

Quote from: Chaz on April 05, 2024, 08:59:57 PM

Quote from: TrainFan97 on April 05, 2024, 04:18:36 PMThe next new tooling for HO Scale could be Nia, Whiff, or Norman to be the best choices,

I'll admit, you lost me at Norman being one of the "best choices" Bachmann would make for the next new tooling.  The other choices, including Hiro, I could see happening at some point, but I'm not so sure on Norman to be honest.

I think Bachmann's taking the "catch up year" plan a lot more seriously since they seem to be focusing a lot more on making progress on previously announced products.  I'm thinking the NMRA will probably just consist of some rolling stock announcements in HO and N, and once more products are released this year or have made a lot more progress we will probably see a much larger lineup ready for 2025 during the brand's 80th anniversary.  When that happens I think that's when we will see the next new HO engine tooling announcement along with N scale Henry and Edward once Gordon and Emily are eventually released.

I guess Norman isn't exactly one of the best choices for a new tooling in HO Scale, largely due to his minimal usage in the actual show, despite having many fan-made stories that actually use him. It's also unlikely he'll return in the reboot. The better choices for the next new HO Scale tooling are Nia, Whiff, Hiro, or even Winston. I say Winston because he'd be something the Sir Topham Hatt figure could ride on, and Bachmann UK makes Wickham Trollies. Samson was also mentioned, and being a cabless engine, he can have crew figures onboard, and Bachmann UK has the tooling for Bradford. Probably the simplest new tooling for HO Scale would be Philip because of his small box shape. Unlike Norman, Philip had several episodes dedicated to him. Even Timothy might be a better choice than Norman because at least he had a few episodes.

The tooling Bachmann would use for Braford:
https://www.bachmann.co.uk/product/midland-railway-20t-brake-van-with-duckets-lms-grey/38-552b