New N gauge Thomas and Friends by Bachmann (US)

[TimWay4]

So I know a few people collect N gauge Thomas stuff, and I'm interested on people's thoughts of what will happen to the Tomix line, with the announcement that Bachmann (US) are going to be starting their own line of Thomas N gauge. 

 

I put this here as I didn't know where else to put it, but it is relevant to people's interests and it is a new release announcement 

[railsquid]

Do you have any more details on the Bachmann announcement? I can't find anything.

 

 

 

[EdF]

I could only find HO scale, N gauge narrow gauge Thomas.  Which seems super niche. 

[bill937ca]

Bachmann USA website only shows HO.

 

https://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=258_259&zenid=bpmhmuvtm64aesb6bi3pag9of6

[katoftw]

A link would be great.

[Kiha66]

I believe bachmann posted in their forums that the N scale release of Thomas and friends would be announced with the 2019 catalog, which should be out any week now.

[EdF]

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php?PHPSESSID=tg8itro17boh48ouhuoh3e5hb0&topic=35649.0

[railsquid]

6 hours ago, TimWay4 said:

So I know a few people collect N gauge Thomas stuff, and I'm interested on people's thoughts of what will happen to the Tomix line, with the announcement that Bachmann (US) are going to be starting their own line of Thomas N gauge. 

 

 

I imagine Tomix will continue producing for the Japanese market, for which I assume it has an exclusive license and where the vast majority of its sales are.

[EdF]

I assume they will be 1/160, and maybe dcc. 

[railsquid]

11 minutes ago, EdF said:

I assume they will be 1/160

 

That will make them very small then...

 

The Tomix ones are not exactly 1:150.

[Kamome]

Yeah, Tomix Thomas is a big lad

 

I guess the big big selling point with the HO ones from Bachman is the fact they look like the models from the TV show in the 80s unlike the horrible Hornby ones from my childhood. 

 

Nothing hugely exciting about the N announcement and unless they have added features, the Tomix might remain the better buy. They could of course just be the Tomix ones rebranded like the “Dapol” cleaning car.

Edited February 21 by Kamome

[Sheffie]

2 hours ago, railsquid said:

The Tomix ones are not exactly 1:150.

 

Ah, but how big is Thomas in real life?

[Kiha66]

Well the prototyle is a standard gauge 0-6-0T which was 33 ft long and weighed 50 tons.  So he should be wider than a C11 but about 10 feet shorter and about 10 tons lighter.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LB%26SCR_E2_class

[Kiha66]

Bachmann US catalog released.  Mostly just re-runs with limited road names, but the Thomas line is officially announced.  Not much info but tomix still seems like the better buy unless the prices are significantly lower.
https://resources.bachmanntrains.com/Bachmann2019catalog/html5/index.html#

[railsquid]

Tomix Thomas and mainline coach vs a Dapol 0-4-2 tank engine and Gresley coach, which are the closest equivalents I have:

 

 

 

The difference is obvious with the naked eye, doesn't show up so well on photos, which is why I've swapped the coaches around.

 

Thomas is about the same length as the 0-4-2 but considerably wider and taller.

 

I imagine a true scale 1:160 Thomas would be smaller than the 0-4-2 tank, which itself is barely viable as a motive power unit (a good one will haul up to two coaches on the flat).

 

[TimWay4]

Yeah sorry, putting a link never crossed my mind (total brain failure there) I'm curious I think to see if this spurs Tomix on to make more, I'll probably give the Bachmann ones a chance, but as they make a wide range of Thomas HO stuff, I'm hoping at the very least that even if Tomix doesn't make more then Bachmann will produce a solid range, would much rather model Thomas N than HO. 

[Lawrence]

On 2/22/2019 at 1:12 AM, Sheffie said:

 

Ah, but how big is Thomas in real life?

British OO gauge

[Space Beaver]

On 2/23/2019 at 7:47 PM, Lawrence said:

British OO gauge

 

Yep, the original TV series was all filmed with 00 models.

 

I still dream of some day, somehow, getting to see the layout/s for real!

[railsquid]

The very original short-lived attempt at a Thomas live broadcast in the early 1950s was apparently 00 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_%26_Friends#Predecessors ).

 

The 1980s series used locomotives in Gauge 1 scale, which are now in the Hara Museum in Yokohama: http://blog.thomasandfriends.jp/3580

[Ochanomizu]

On 2/22/2019 at 12:12 PM, Sheffie said:

 

Ah, but how big is Thomas in real life?

 

=:o   Huh

[EdF]

An E2 class is 33'3", the British model he is based on

JNR C11 is 41'6", the engine Oigawa dressed up.

 

Edited March 1 by EdF

[Drunkenclam]

I guess this would be a good place to post this 

 

 

[Welshbloke]

Hornby no longer have the licence to sell Thomas models in the UK market. Informed speculation is that it's a combination of worn out tooling (the Thomas range were older models with faces stuck on and sometimes other adjustments), demands for ever-higher fees by the licensors, and dwindling sales. Part of the problem is that they have to describe the models as being unsuitable for small children due to having sharp points and small parts, and by the time said child is old enough they'll probably be past Thomas and want a proper model. Gordon for example had a list price in three figures, making it unlikely that parents would buy one for the train set market. Meanwhile a kid old enough to pick their own presents will probably want something from the Hornby Railroad range for the same money.

 

It's sad in that something I remember from childhood is ending, but at the same time I'm hoping Bachmann will be interested enough to officially import their OO Thomas range. There are a few models in there with useful conversion potential, as well as 009 Talyllyn locos which just need the face replacing with a smokebox door...

[chadbag]

And then said kid becomes an adult and suddenly wants a Thomas again 🙂

 

[Welshbloke]

If the Tomix ones weren't gigantic compared to other British N stock I'd probably have bought Percy by now!

 

I do have a handful of the Thomas and Friends Minis range, the trucks fit well on Peco 9' chassis kits and the coaches fit Peco 10' brake van chassis. Total cost about £5-£6 plus a few pence worth of glue. If you carve a little bit off the internal ribs the flat metal weight which comes with the chassis will sit flush and form a floor, which gives you more contact area for gluing the chassis to it. Snag is that while they're pretty much spot on for 1:148 they're much smaller than the Tomix range...