NWR Editorial: 2015 Bachmann Range

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FAN BASE

NWR EDITORIAL:

2015 BACHMANN RANGE

With preparation for the 70th anniversary of the Railway Series well underway for 2015 and that Hornby had announced that they'll be bringing back their Thomas range, Bachmann had announced their release for 2015. Here are my views on the 2015 range.

I think the big surprise for all fans is the announcement of Oliver and Toad . There has been many fan requests for it since the incarnation of Bill, Ben, Donald and Douglas as well as Duck and considering that a Bachmann representative had stated that they had no plans for them on a video from a fan on Facebook sometime last year. However I will say this to some fans. Don't expect them to be like there classic series model since now that he has been rendered into CGI.

Another surprise would have to be Skarloey and it's a first time they're introducing an N gauge range, although I'm really interested in seeing how a HO scale model running on N scale track as it's something that I've never seen before. It'll be interesting, and if I have some money saved up, to start a collection of these and I hope Bachmann creates more of the Skarloey engines.

With the 70th anniversary underway Bachmann has a way to celebrate the anniversary there own and here is the picture of there 'Celebration Thomas'. Personally the metallic blue livery reminds me of the old ERTL toys that they've released in 1995 for the 50th anniversary. I am looking forward to the model, however I hope Bachmann would improve the Thomas and Percy models. I know that they're improving James and I believe they might release him next year.

For the large scale range it was surprising that Winston was announced even though no fan have a demand for him. I know that Winston is not the best character, but he is growing a persona since the new writing staff had entered in 2013. Plus I think it is quite interesting to have character with a unique basis. I'm not a big collector on the large scale models, considering that I don't have the garden size nor the money to spend on the models. I know there are other models such as the red coaches and from the looks on a video from Bachmann on YouTube, the coach looks splendid. 

OVERALL

I think this is a good range of models and to be honest, I'm glad that they're not introducing sets that look cheap like their Christmas set they had a few years back. Bachmann had been doing good models since 2002 and I'm glad that they're open towards fan's wish lists. So let's hope 2015 is good for Bachmann and the 70th anniversary.

NWR Editorial: Sam

THESE ARE SOLEY MY OPINIONS AND NOT FROM THE THOMAS & FRIENDS FAN BASE

NWR EDITORIAL:

SAM

Last year, Thomas Wooden Railway had released Logan as a 'exclusive character' for merchandise across the United States. Now in 2015 we will see another one entering in that canon with the newly revealed Sam. To be honest I'm glad that Fisher Price, who run the Thomas toy brand, didn't over hype him like they did with Logan last July by putting him on the official Thomas website claiming he's a 'new friend' so that fans and parents of the brand might mistaken the new character as a TV series one. So well done to them.

I understand that design won't fit the British loading gauge but design shown in the promos like the picture above looks excellent with the detail. I understand that with Logan getting a CGI render and a possibility of a part in the TV series, which I doubt because I think it ruins the uniqueness of him being exclusive. But as Chris Tomson said on his TTTE Wikia blog that if he's to be in the TV series it seems unlikely considering that we have Hiro and Murdoch introduced as the goods engines as his basis the 2-6-6-6 'Virginian Railway Blue Ridge' haul coal trains. But looking at an earlier promo for Sam I notice that the sign on the book cover was promoting a railway show at a museum so it's more likely we'll see him more as a visitor rather the being an engine for the Fat Controller.

Now onto with the face. To be honest, I'm fine with the face. Yeah it looks too real but compare the facial design towards Logan when they've revealed him. I think Logan's face was poorly designed as you can clearly see the likes of Victor and Salty so it's good that we see a proper design rather then a rushed look of a photoshopped face. I more prefer Logan's face made by Arc Productions and who knows we might see Sam's promo video later on in the coming months or the next year maybe.

As of the 'exclusive character' thing made by Fisher Price and Mattel, the latter who owns HIT Entertainment. I'm fine with it all as started with Logan he was a 'one-off' with purpose and I believe that Sam will have purpose as a 'one-off'. Plus children who purchase the set or the book pack can make up there own personalities for either Sam or Logan or react with the book. Nowadays toys are the lifeblood of the show's existence with such brands like Pokemon for example. 

SAM AND THE BIG BELL

WOODEN RAILWAY BOOK WILL BE RELEASED

SOMETIME IN 2015