Leyland Nationals and new Thomas characters

[Phil Parker]

 

A couple of interesting (for railway modellers) pieces in the latest Bachmann MCC video - new Leyland National liveries, and some additions to the Thomas range. Including Edward, who was the best engine.

[andyman7]

Also interesting to see a scale model GM 'Fishbowl' bus from the film 'Speed; in 1:43 in the Greenlight range. That bus is as ubiquitous to the US 70s/80s scene as the Leyland National is to the UK 

[Compound2632]

On 08/12/2022 at 09:31, Phil Parker said:

some additions to the Thomas range. Including Edward, who was the best engine.

 

I'm glad to hear you think so. But the question has to be: what is the coupled wheelbase, and the driving wheel diameter? 

 

The less said about that very oddly-proportioned Henry the better, You wisely didn't mention him, so I apologise for being less discrete.

[Legend]

On 10/12/2022 at 12:56, Compound2632 said:

 

I'm glad to hear you think so. But the question has to be: what is the coupled wheelbase, and the driving wheel diameter? 

 

The less said about that very oddly-proportioned Henry the better, You wisely didn't mention him, so I apologise for being less discrete.

 But actually pretty close to the TV Series models ie Ringo Starr narrated ones . Look pretty good to me . Capture the essence . They are fictional you know 

Edited December 11, 2022 by Legend

[KeithMacdonald]

is the Fat Controller organising a Replacement Bus Service?

[Compound2632]

3 minutes ago, Legend said:

They are fictional you know 

 

No, don't say such things!

[Flying Pig]

They need to do those mods in a railway scale.

 

[Compound2632]

15 minutes ago, Flying Pig said:

They need to do those mods in a railway scale.

 

What, you mean @Phil Parker et al.? I've got an idea some of them have had the Modelu treatment already.

 

Real fame comes with being a Lego Minifigure.

[Flying Pig]

8 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

 

What, you mean @Phil Parker et al.? I've got an idea some of them have had the Modelu treatment already.

 

Real fame comes with being a Lego Minifigure.

 

Shouldn't that be Phil Parka?

[GEARJAMMER]

Bachmann and Hornby seem to have gone down two different routes with their Thomas and friends characters... Hornby seemed to model them on the real life locos, such as Henry being a black 5 (painted green) used the black 5 tooling, and never really quite right. Bachmann seem to be modeling them as per the gauge 1 locos that were used for the original TV series, hence look a lot better in my eyes.

Im half tempted to collect the main characters myself, as thats where the whole train interest started.

[Compound2632]

37 minutes ago, GEARJAMMER said:

Bachmann and Hornby seem to have gone down two different routes with their Thomas and friends characters... Hornby seemed to model them on the real life locos, such as Henry being a black 5 (painted green) used the black 5 tooling, and never really quite right. Bachmann seem to be modeling them as per the gauge 1 locos that were used for the original TV series, hence look a lot better in my eyes.

Im half tempted to collect the main characters myself, as thats where the whole train interest started.

 

Hornby adapted their tooling for existing models, mostly, with the results that looked reasonably probable as real engines. Bachmann have preserved the improbabilities of the TV series models. I believe that's down to the licencing arrangements in each case. But to my mind there is nothing like studying period illustrations if one wants accurate models. (I grew up on Dalby's illustrations, which I know are controversial in themselves among devoted Awdryites, but to me are what the engines really looked like.)

Edited December 10, 2022 by Compound2632

[Butler Henderson]

Not to forget Henry got rebuilt in the books to a Black Five likeness, having originally been shaped akin to Gordon and even at times shown as a 4-6-2  https://awdrysrailwayseries.fandom.com/wiki/Henry

[No Decorum]

13 hours ago, Butler Henderson said:

Not to forget Henry got rebuilt in the books to a Black Five likeness, having originally been shaped akin to Gordon and even at times shown as a 4-6-2  https://awdrysrailwayseries.fandom.com/wiki/Henry

Could that be what led Hornby to produce Pacifics with sort of half-way house trailing wheels? 😀

[phil_sutters]

On 10/12/2022 at 14:14, Compound2632 said:

 

What, you mean @Phil Parker et al.? I've got an idea some of them have had the Modelu treatment already.

 

Smart Models certainly have -  https://www.smartmodels.co.uk/fg18---mods-in-parkas-on-scooters.html  .

Modelu isn't the only figure manufacturer around, although credit where it is due, it must have been one of, if not, the first of the scan & print brigade. I have found that Scale 3D  figures are generally as good as Modelu. This gent is now a foreman for Bland's timber yard on Highbridge Wharf. https://www.scale3d.co.uk/collections/all-collections/products/mm004-1-76-oo-gauge-doctor

Edited December 12, 2022 by phil_sutters

[Compound2632]

1 minute ago, phil_sutters said:

Modelu isn't the only figure manufacturer around, although credit where it is due, it must have been one of, if not the, first of the scan & print brigade.

 

It's gone a bit hoover. They're synonymous with the process.

[Les1952]

Somehow with Rapido bringing out Leyland Nationals Bachmann reissuing theirs is hardly a surprise.

 

Les

[John M Upton]

On 13/12/2022 at 22:33, Les1952 said:

Somehow with Rapido bringing out Leyland Nationals Bachmann reissuing theirs is hardly a surprise.

 

Les

 

A bit of a Hornby style tactic I think, especially as the Leyland National is the thirty plus year old EFE tooling which wasn't great in the first place and can be found for a fiver including postage.

[Phil Parker]

On 13/12/2022 at 22:33, Les1952 said:

Somehow with Rapido bringing out Leyland Nationals Bachmann reissuing theirs is hardly a surprise.

 

Les

 

This news story would suggest otherwise.  Days after Rapido said they were off to look at the Leyland National, Bachmann had the model for sale. If that's a reaction, it's an impressively fast one. And both companies, and every bus enthusiast, knew it was the LN's 50th birthday, so if you have a model bus range, it's always going to be an obvious one to bring out this year beyond the prototypes ubiquity.

 

1 hour ago, John M Upton said:

 

A bit of a Hornby style tactic I think, especially as the Leyland National is the thirty plus year old EFE tooling which wasn't great in the first place and can be found for a fiver including postage.

 

Essentially, 30 years ago, EFE "reacted" to a firm which didn't exist and whose one day owner was still at university in Birmingham, by producing a Leyland National. If it was a reaction, I can only assume either a crystal ball or time machine was involved...

 

 

[Phil Parker]

On 10/12/2022 at 17:17, Compound2632 said:

 

Hornby adapted their tooling for existing models, mostly, with the results that looked reasonably probable as real engines. Bachmann have preserved the improbabilities of the TV series models. I believe that's down to the licencing arrangements in each case. But to my mind there is nothing like studying period illustrations if one wants accurate models. (I grew up on Dalby's illustrations, which I know are controversial in themselves among devoted Awdryites, but to me are what the engines really looked like.)

 

I believe you have a point about the licencing agreements. Bachmann America work closely with Mattel and so they will be aware of all the legal details. If you want "accurate" locomotives, you better make your own. Mattel's customers want locos that look like the ones they see on TV.

[Talltim]

I thought this thread was going to be about a Leyland National in the Thomas range

[JSpencer]

I just saw this which according to a Thomas fandom website says Mattel have revoked their license to Bachmann in December:

https://thomasbachmann.fandom.com/wiki/2023

 

The first question is obviously : is it true? (I found no other source saying this)

 

If so, are models previously announced, but not yet released (ex. Sir Handel, Rebecca..) still going to be produced?

[Moxy]

Bachmann USA is still listing the models

 

https://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=756_772_975

 

which if the license had been revoked they wouldn't be allowed to do.  So I suspect it's just gossip and not true.

 

I can't see it being true, because Bachmann hold almost all the worldwide rights to Thomas electric trains (except Japan Tomy/Tomix).  Who else would be in the position to take over manufacturing a Thomas range?

Edited January 19, 2023 by Moxy

[willjam39]

That would be a shame for the narrow gauge market. the Thomas range has provided some nice basis for 009 engines. 

[JSpencer]

If true, it would be a big shame, Sir Handel was announced last year and is the last of the original 4 Skarloey engines. But at this stage, no EP photos have been released and I doubt Bachmann would continue development if true. Then there is Duncan & Duke (the rest that have not been done either barely had a mention in the books or never existed in the books, so I don't care about them).

 

On the chassis front, Bachmann have already advertised Talyllyn variants so those would never be blocked.

 

We'll see when they announce their 2023 range.

[D9020 Nimbus]

7 hours ago, JSpencer said:

I just saw this which according to a Thomas fandom website says Mattel have revoked their license to Bachmann in December:

https://thomasbachmann.fandom.com/wiki/2023

 

The first question is obviously : is it true? (I found no other source saying this)

 

If so, are models previously announced, but not yet released (ex. Sir Handel, Rebecca..) still going to be produced?

When I click on the link the page displayed says that Bachmann will be announcing more Thomas and Friends items in the (to be announced) 2023 range. No mention of a revocation. So looks like the answer to the first question is "no".