All Engines Go NEWS

[Super]

Load up for the Holidays ... lol

The race for the sodor cup is literally a ripoff of a mediocre film: the great race. Why are they overusing the "race" idea

They are overusing everything. Look at the first two (of now three) sets. In the first one they at least put something new (new Carly), but the second one is a carbon copy of some previous set (Super noticed that), they just changed the colours and, of course, Thomas.
Trashmaster.

[Super]

Although I am not fond of this new style, I do find the face on the Diesel above to be quite cute. Wonder how long it will be before we start seeing these faces customized onto the original Tomy/Trackmaster trains or even on the Revolutions?

I am no fan of the whole project, but I cannot say these toys are (as toys) garbage. They are most certainly not. It is about quality workmanship (at least as far as can be seen in the photos) without the use of stickers, beautiful colours and a multitude of details. Just look at Percy's dome and whistle - it's actually a separate piece of plastic:





These trains are made much, much better than "standard" FisherPrice models. Of course, it would be nice to see "normal" Thomas & Friends made in such a quality and beautiful way, but...

Coming up in following months and next year:

Fisher-Price® Thomas & Friends™ 3-in-1 Package Pickup


Product#: HGX64
Released:  2022
Battery Info:  No batteries required
Ages:  3 Years and up

Product Description
Preschoolers can create their own exciting railway adventures with this Thomas & Friends™ 3-in-1 Package Pickup train set from Fisher-Price®. Young conductors can flip the switch to send motorized Thomas racing around the track, and when he passes under the hopper, the loaded crate drops down into the cargo car! Featuring 17 track pieces that can be arranged into three different layouts, little engineers can choose which railway path Thomas takes to deliver cargo. Plus, kids can also load Annie and Clarabel coaches with passengers waiting to travel all around the Island of Sodor! Connect this train set with other Thomas & Friends™ tracks, except wood, to create more railway adventures! (Additional track sold separately and subject to availability.)

Features:

Thomas & Friends™ train set with 3 different track layouts featuring motorized Thomas and Annie and Clarabel passenger coaches

Kids can load Annie and Clarabel with passengers and attach the coaches to battery-powered Thomas engine to send them racing around the railway Loaded crate drops down into the cargo car as Thomas passes under the hopper!

Connect to other Thomas & Friends™ track sets, except wood, for expanded railway play (Additional track sets sold separately.)

For preschool children ages 3 years and older Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends 3-in-1 Package Pickup Train Set

1 motorized Thomas engine, Annie and Clarabel passenger cars, 17 pieces of track


New AEG Annie & Clarabel!
Since their last appearances in Thomas and Friends, the two have gained notable changes in their designs:

• Their names have been replaced with ornate patterns.
  
• The two now have iris colours: Annie's are orange, matching her paintwork, while Clarabel's are grey.
  
• The two now have eyebrows.
  
• Clarabel has gained freckles.
  
• Clarabel has lost her guard's compartment.
  
• Both coaches no longer have doors.
  
• Clarabel faces forward when coupled up behind Annie instead of facing backwards, pretty much like how she was seen facing forwards several times in the original series' model era.
  
• Annie and Clarabel are used as regular coaches and are pulled by a variety of engines, instead of only being pulled by Thomas as in the original Thomas & Friends series.
  
• Annie and Clarabel gained the ability to move by themselves.
  
• Unlike in the original series, Annie and Clarabel have separate voice actors instead of a shared one. However, in the Japanese version, the Original Series also had individual voice actors.
  

* * *

Fisher-Price® Thomas & Friends™ Connect & Go Kana™ Shed




Product#: HGX73
Released:  2021
Battery Info:  No batteries required
Ages:  3 Years and up

Product Description

Preschool conductors can build their own Tidmouth Sheds at home with this Thomas & Friends™ Connect & Go Shed and redesigned Kana™ engine from Fisher-Price®! After a day of loading and hauling play, kids can open the shed doors and roll Kana™ in for a good night’s rest. This take-along storage shed easily connects to any Thomas & Friends™ track set and comes with a push-along Kana™ engine. (Track sets sold separately.) Collect all 3 Connect & Go Sheds and connect them together to recreate the iconic Sodor location! (Each shed sold separately and subject to availability.)

Features:

Kids can recreate one of their favorite locations from the Thomas & Friends™ show with this take-along storage shed and push-along Kana™ engine

Open the shed doors and roll die-cast Kana™? in for storage

Shed connects to any Thomas & Friends™ track and play set (Each sold separately and subject to availability.)

Collect and connect the 3 engine sheds to create even more Sodor adventures! (Each shed sold separately and subject to availability.)

For preschoolers ages 3 years and up Thomas & Friends Connect & Go Shed with Push-Along Kana Engine

Storage shed and 1 die-cast engine.

* * *

Fisher-Price® Thomas & Friends™ Knapford Station



Product#: HGX63
Released:  2021
Battery Info:  No batteries required
Ages:  3 Years and up

Product Description

Bring the hustle and bustle action of Sodor's train station to life with this Thomas & Friends™ Knapford Station train and track set from Fisher-Price. Kids can press the roof of the passenger car to see people "board" the train before sending the push-along Thomas engine racing down the track. This reconfigurable train set includes 23 track pieces, an underpass, and a bridge for young conductors to push Thomas across. And when playtime is done, the station house doors close and it becomes a storage case for this 26-piece set. The handle on top allows kids to carry their favorite engines and track on the go (Additional track sets, vehicles and accessories all sold separately and subject to availability.)

Features:

Thomas & Friends train and track set featuring the iconic Knapford Station, a push-along Thomas engine and a passenger car full of travelers

Little engineers can push down on the passenger car to see travelers "board" the train

An easy-carry handle lets kids bring the playset (and their favorite engines) along wherever they go. (Additional engines sold separately and subject to availability.)

Kids can imagine and create their own reconfigurable railway with 23 track pieces

For preschool children ages 3 years and older Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends Knapford Station Train Set

Knapford Station, 23 track pieces, bridge and die-cast Thomas train with passenger car

* * *

Fisher-Price® Thomas & Friends™ Friends of Sodor Engine Pack




Product#: HGX66
Released:  2022
Battery Info:  No batteries required
Ages:  3 Years and up

Product Description

Little engineers can recreate their favorite Sodor adventures from the Thomas & Friends™ show with this set of 5 Thomas & Friends™ push-along train engines from Fisher-Price®. Featuring Thomas, Percy, James, Diesel, and Nia™, preschool conductors have an epic team of engine friends ready to work together and play together! Kids can push to send each die-cast engine racing along any Thomas & Friends™ track for limitless railway play. (Track sets sold separately and subject to availability.)

Features:

Set of 5 die-cast metal, push-along engines featuring Thomas & Friends™ characters Thomas, Percy, James, Diesel, and Nia™

Compatible with any Thomas & Friends™ track (Track sets sold separately and subject to availability.)

Comes with plastic connectors to attach to other Thomas & Friends™ trains, vehicles, cargo cars or tenders (Additional vehicles and play pieces sold separately and subject to availability.)

Helps develop gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and inspires imaginative play

For preschool conductors ages 3 years and older Thomas & Friends Friends of Sodor Push-Along Engine 5-Pack

5 die-cast engines

..................................................

As we can see, the sets are (except the engines, of course) pretty much all re-releases, just in different colours. Nothing much new here. 

Knapford Station set is the worst. Of all Knapford Station variations they chose this ugly one with the handle!  Ugh! The AEG trains are so much more sophisticated than Trackmaster2 trains. Why then the crappy layout elements? Why not a variation of the classy four platforms Trackmaster "Celebration" Knapford Station, only this time with lights! 

And the CGI versions will officially be discontinued

[Super]

Pretty weird (or cheap) that they don't have side rods and yet they have the hole ready for them in the traction wheels.

Yes! Side rods could be installed, if you have some to spare!
But the models don't have them because they don't have them in the TV-show either, and they wanted the toys to look just the same as in the show, I suppose...

I’m beginning to believe that the reason they rebooted the show to AEG was so that they could finally make accurate toys

[Super]

@Mr No

So the new cartoonish series engines all have no side rods? LOL...I assume that the rear wheels have a hole in the new show too.

I suppose that if that hole is the right diameter and the wheel base is the right length one could modify an engine with Revolution side rods but the front split axles would have to be swapped out for longer ones and the chassis over the rear wheels may have to be altered if the rod hits it. I suppose, if one where into these new trains, they could use donor Revolution engines and swap the wheels too. I am interested to see if the faces are easily removed and the correct size to modify an original with.