Bachmann

Bachmann Trains is a model railway company that has made Thomas & Friends models in HO scale since 2002 and G scale since 2009, with models in N scale set to be released in 2019. The range's models are made from special toolings to resemble the characters as depicted in the television series. Nearly all of the locomotives have a special moving-eyes-mechanism that allows the eyes to look back and forth across the tracks while the locomotives are in motion.

The HO models are not available outside of North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, as Hornby holds the OO/HO Thomas license overseas, although the Bachmann models are compatible with the Hornby models by virtue of having identical coupling systems. After Hornby had discontinued their Thomas & Friends range in 2018, Bachmann secured the rights to distribute their HO scale products in the UK and Ireland with further availability stated to expand in 2020.

2002

 * Thomas
 * James
 * Percy

2005

 * Henry
 * Gordon

2006

 * Toby
 * Spencer

2007

 * Emily

2008

 * Edward
 * Mavis

2009

 * Salty (discontinued)

2010

 * Bill
 * Ben

2011

 * Donald
 * Douglas
 * Diesel

2013

 * Duck

2014

 * Sound-Chipped Thomas
 * Iron 'Arry
 * Iron Bert

2015

 * Celebration Thomas

2017

 * James
 * Oliver
 * Rosie

2018

 * Thomas
 * Grumpy Diesel
 * Paxton

2019

 * Rosie  Coming soon

2020

 * Daisy Coming soon

2002

 * Annie
 * Clarabel
 * Troublesome Truck #1
 * Troublesome Truck #2

2005

 * Red Express Composite Coach
 * Red Express Brake Coach
 * Brake Van
 * S.C. Ruffey
 * Blue Open Wagon
 * Cargo Car
 * Milk Tanker
 * Tar Tanker
 * Fuel Tanker
 * Fred Pelhay
 * Rickety

2006

 * Gordon's Express Composite Coach
 * Gordon's Express Brake Coach
 * Emily's Composite Coach
 * Emily's Brake Coach
 * Oil Tanker
 * Red Open Wagon

2007

 * Cattle Wagon
 * 6-Ton Wagon
 * Salt Wagon
 * RF Container Wagon
 * Well Wagon
 * Coal Wagon with Load
 * Cream Tanker
 * Raspberry Syrup Tanker

2008

 * Henrietta
 * Spencer's Coach
 * Mail Coach

2009

 * Flatbed with Paint Drums
 * Ventilated Van

2010

 * Troublesome Truck #3

2012

 * Ice Cream Van

2014

 * Troublesome Truck #4

2015

 * Red Coach
 * Red Brake Coach
 * Mail Coach

2016

 * Toad
 * Troublesome Truck #5
 * Sodor Salt Wagon
 * GWR Cattle Wagon
 * Live Lobster Refrigerator van

2017

 * Ventilated Van - Great Western
 * Ventilated Van - Sodor Fruit & Vegetable Co.

2018

 * The Spiteful Brake Van
 * Water Tanker
 * Sodor Diesel Co. Tanker
 * McColl’s Cattle Wagon

2019

 * Gordon's Composite Coach
 * Gordon's Express Brake Coach
 * Mining Wagon with Load - Blue Coming soon
 * Sodor Coal Co. Wagon with Load Coming soon
 * Sodor Scrap Co. Wagon Coming soon
 * Sodor Logging Company Flat Wagon with Logs Coming soon

2020

 * Oil Tanker Troublesome Truck #6 Coming soon
 * 1 Plank Wagon with Brendam Cargo and Freight crate Coming soon
 * 1 Plank Wagon with Brendam Bay Shipping Co. crate Coming soon
 * 1 Plank Wagon with Sodor Steamworks crate Coming soon

Narrow Gauge
The narrow gauge line is still in HO scale but runs on N gauge track. This is commonly known as "HOe" or "HOn30".

2015

 * Skarloey

2017

 * Rheneas

2019

 * Rusty

2020

 * Peter Sam Coming soon

2015

 * Open Wagon
 * Blue Box Van
 * Red Box Van

2017

 * Slate Wagon with Load
 * Slate Wagon with Load #101
 * Slate Wagon with Load #164

2019

 * Red Carriage Coming soon
 * Blue Carriage Coming soon

2020

 * Thomas Coming soon
 * Percy Coming soon

2020

 * Annie Coming soon
 * Clarabel Coming soon
 * Troublesome Truck #1 Coming soon
 * Troublesome Truck #2 Coming soon

2002

 * Bertie
 * Harold
 * Cranky
 * Sir Topham Hatt

2008

 * Guard

2009

 * Terence

2010

 * Farmer McColl

2014

 * Jeremy

2007

 * Signal Gantry
 * Water Tower
 * Coal Hopper
 * Pedestrian Bridge
 * Sodor Junction Station

2009

 * Switch Tower

2010

 * Tidmouth Sheds with Manually-Operated Turntable
 * Tidmouth Sheds Expansion Pack
 * Sodor Lighthouse with Blinking Light

2011

 * Knapford Station Building Kit
 * Motorised Windmill

2016

 * Round Water Tower
 * Square Water Tower

2014

 * Maithwaite Station
 * Black Loch Folly
 * Signal Box
 * Brendam Warehouse

2015

 * Engine Shed
 * Trackside Station
 * Corrugated Hut
 * Storage Shed

2002

 * Thomas with Annie and Clarabel Set
 * Percy the Small Engine Set
 * James the Red Engine Freight Set

2005

 * James the Red Engine Freight Set

2006

 * Gordon's Express Set

2007

 * Emily's Passenger Set

2008

 * Deluxe Thomas and Friends Special Set
 * Thomas' Fun with Freight Set
 * Thomas' Holiday Special Set

2010

 * Salty's Dockside Delivery Set

2013

 * Thomas' Christmas Express Set

2015

 * Whistle & Chuff Thomas!

2019

 * Thomas' Christmas Delivery

HO Scale Parts

 * Hook-and-Loop Couplers
 * Track Play-Tape

2009

 * Thomas
 * Percy

2011

 * James

2012

 * Emily

2013

 * Toby

2016

 * Thomas with DCC sound
 * Percy with DCC sound

2017

 * Winston

2018

 * Diesel

2009

 * Annie
 * Clarabel
 * Troublesome Truck #1
 * Troublesome Truck #2

2011

 * Emily's Composite Coach
 * Emily's Brake Coach
 * Tidmouth Milk Tanker
 * Sodor Fuel Tanker
 * Oil Tanker
 * Tar Tanker
 * Coal Wagon with Load
 * Cargo Car

2012

 * S.C. Ruffey
 * Brake Van

2014

 * Raspberry Syrup Tanker
 * Blue Open Wagon
 * Cream Tanker
 * Red Open Wagon

2016

 * Ice Cream Wagon
 * GWR Box Van
 * Explosives Box Van
 * Sodor Fruit & Vegetable Co. Box Van

2018

 * The Spiteful Brake Van

2019

 * Toffee Tanker Coming soon
 * Water Tanker Coming soon
 * Chocolate Syrup Tanker Coming soon

2012

 * Thomas' Snowplough

2017

 * DCC Sound Module

2009

 * Thomas with Annie and Clarabel Set
 * Percy and the Troublesome Trucks Set

2012

 * Thomas' Christmas Delivery Set

Trivia

 * The 2002 Product Catalogue oddly showed a Lionel O scale Thomas on the front cover.
 * The first HO scale products released in 2002 (Thomas, Percy, James, Annie, Clarabel, Troublesome Trucks, Bertie, Harold and Cranky) were based on promotional artwork in circulation at the time.
 * The HO scale oil tanker, cream tanker, raspberry syrup tanker and mail coach were all first released as they appeared in the model series, but were revamped with their CGI Series graphics in 2011.
 * Thomas, Percy and James' HO models do not have front couplers, but strangely, all the other HO scale locomotives do.
 * Thomas, Percy, James, Gordon, Henry and Toby's HO models have grey coupling hooks. Henry and Gordon additionally also have grey brake pipes and lamp irons. Curiously however, the sound-equipped Thomas has black coupling hooks. In late 2018, the normal Thomas had his coupling hooks painted black.
 * On Emily's HO model and G scale model, her water filler cap is green instead of black.
 * Later releases of Thomas' HO model feature two holes behind his front bufferbeam so that his snowplough can be fitted.
 * Henry's HO model tender is noticeably shorter in height than in the television series.
 * On James' original HO model, the wheels and axleboxes are painted grey and his smokebox saddle is painted red when they should all be black. The handrails are also white when they should be silver. The large scale model is devoid of these errors; however, the wheels are unpainted.
 * In an official forum post, a Bachmann representative revealed plans to update James to look more like his television show counterpart in 2015. However, once update artwork was sent to the factory, it was too late to change the production line at the time. James' updated model was released in late 2017, with black tender axle boxes, underframes, drawbar and dummy coupling hooks, as well as silver handrails. The dome, whistle and lining were also painted in a brass colour as opposed to the gold colour of the original model. However, the smoke box saddle remains red, the wheels became unpainted and it still has no front coupler. It is likely the James model was updated in response to feedback from fans.
 * On Percy's HO model:
 * The coal bunker is painted grey instead of black and is oversized.
 * The cab steps are mounted on the side of the running board instead of under it. Strangely, his prototype model did not have this problem.
 * Percy is the only HO locomotive not to have a rear dummy coupling hook.
 * He is slightly taller than his television series counterpart due to the way the cylinders are fitted.
 * On Duck's HO model:
 * The buffer housings are black instead of red.
 * The prototype model had a black footplate similar to Duck's CGI model and the top of his safety valve was also painted black, but they were changed to grey and green respectively on the production model.
 * Donald and Douglas' HO models lack cab side handrails that support the roof.
 * The large scale GWR box van and Sodor Fruit and Vegetable Co. van are depicted as single-vent vans like the ice cream wagon. The HO versions are instead depicted as double-vent vans.
 * Oliver, Rosie and Paxton are the only HO locomotives to be based purely on their CGI renders. All other models, including those with CGI faces, borrow elements from the television series models.
 * Oliver's model lacks the tank front handrails.
 * Diesel, 'Arry, Bert, Oliver, Rosie and Paxton are so far the only engines in the HO scale range to have CGI-styled faces.
 * Diesel's model was used as the basis for 'Arry, Bert and Paxton, possibly due to all of them being Class 08 shunters.
 * Paxton is the first CGI character to be introduced into the Bachmann range for HO Scale.
 * Winston is the first CGI character to be introduced into the Bachmann range
 * Currently, Thomas, Diesel and Rosie are the only HO scale engines with more than one variant.
 * On Annie and Clarabel's HO models:
 * The underframes are painted grey instead of black.
 * There are no dummy coupling hooks.
 * The roofs are attached and have plastic frames and rectangles attached underneath them to resemble windows unlike the Large Scale models that have unattached roofs. Emily's coaches and the Christmas coaches have similar features.
 * Clarabel is missing her guard's compartment.
 * The coaches in the Thomas' Christmas Delivery and Thomas' Christmas Special sets are Emily's coaches repainted.
 * Terence's HO model has a removable snowplough.
 * Winston is currently the only character to date to be made in Large Scale but not HO scale.
 * In addition, he is also the first character that was first made in Large Scale, unlike the other characters who were all first made in HO scale and then made again into large scale.
 * The human figures were originally marketed as HO scale. But they are larger than HO scale and ever since the introduction of the Large Scale line, have since been relabelled as Large Scale items.
 * The Sodor scenery accessories are recycled models from Bachmann's Plasticville line.
 * The HO models of Thomas, Annie, Clarabel and Emily's coaches made a cameo within the 2015 film "Ant-Man".
 * In close-up shots, Thomas' large scale model (with a different face, curiously) is used.
 * Percy's large scale prototype had a green coal bunker.
 * Most wagons throughout the Bachmann range are reused moulds of wagons made in the Bachmann Branch Line and Mainline Model Railways ranges, only with less details to suit younger children. The Narrow Gauge rolling stock also seems to be based off of Peco 009 gauge rolling stock, but without brake pipes.
 * The blue narrow gauge van has the letters "SR" painted on the side which stand for "Skarloey Railway" while the red van does not. Interestingly enough, the large scale Brake Van similarly has the letters "NW", meaning North Western.
 * The narrow gauge van's roofs were most likely originally painted grey, but were later changed to white as evidenced by the fact that the underside of the roofs is painted grey and visibly painted white on top afterwards. This change is also likely since the roofs are slightly darker than the Peco models' roofs as a result of being repainted.
 * Bachmann models were used as guides for the Percy, James, Gordon and Emily replicas at Thomas Land.
 * Skarloey is the first locomotive model in the range to not have moving eyes and the first HO scale tank engine with an open cab.
 * The Thomas Deluxe Whistle and Chuff set is similar to the Percy and the Troublesome Trucks set.
 * The Trackside Station resembles the fourth series Glennock station building, but without the canopy.
 * Thomas and James' G Scale models are featured in the I Love Toy Trains DVD "Ticket to Ride" operated by Dave Simkowski.
 * Unlike the red version of the mail coach, the green version does not have its CGI mail emblems nor 'Sodor Mail' written in white. In fact, the green mail coach seems to be a "freelance" model as there was never a green mail coach in the television series.
 * Spencer's prototype model had differently shaped eyebrows and did not have his whistle, buffers, coupling hook or lamp irons.
 * Packaged Bachmann models of Skarloey and Rheneas are on display at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Tywyn.
 * In the Large Scale range, all the locomotives have CGI faces; but strangely, Annie, Clarabel and the two Troublesome Trucks retain their model series faces.
 * The G scale models are the only Bachmann Thomas models to be released outside of North America, Australia and New Zealand (Hornby holds the license to make OO Thomas Models overseas).
 * The G scale models are larger than the Gauge 1 Model Series models.
 * Thomas and Percy's HO models were used as different Bachmann models with the same mould. Thomas' model was repainted into engines such as 2005, Billy and Stuart. Percy's model was repainted into GWR locomotives and Greg.
 * Contrary to popular belief and what is stated many times above, the range is actually OO scale; this is through the amount of stock re-used from OO toolings. The HO label is only included for the fact they are predominantly sold in HO standard countries. Likewise, the narrow gauge range is in OO9 gauge.
 * Gordon's express coaches were the first Bachmann Thomas products to be reintroduced following discontinuation. In addition, these coaches were given a yellow stripe to match their CGI counterparts.
 * The Red Rosie's window and cylinder lining is strangely silver instead of light grey. She is also lacking her rivets.
 * An HO Scale model of Thomas, along with faceless versions of Annie and Clarabel, was used in "High Noon-ish", the third episode of the fourth season of the American detective comedy-drama show, "Psych".