2014 Trackmaster redesign

As much as I don't like this redesign, as the engines look like tractors and the open wagons look like tiny mine carts to be pulled by horses/mules...

Or to be ridden by apes! I have a particular disdain to the redesigned Edward. I mean seriously, look at that fake wheel and where his siderods connect!

Doesn't matter if we are upset are not Fisher Price could care less. They are just trying to make a quick buck.

On the other hand, this seems to be very much of a "New Coke" situation. And if many of us don't like the changes, then we stop buying, sales drop! At some point, Fisher Price will have to realize that something's not working. Hopefully they will address the issues with the line...

I went to my local Target today with my mom and I went to the Thomas section. I saw Pre-Redesign Gordon, Thomas, Toby, Percy, Dash, Light-up Percy, Light-up Thomas, Maron Station Starter Set, Castle Quest Set, and I think I saw BoCo. I saw the redesigned Diesel and Diesel 10. I think Diesel's face is too small. I also think Diesel 10 looks to squished and boxy and his face is too large. The tires were smaller than I thought they would be. The only redesigns I think I would get are Scared James, Timothy, Gator, and the two truck packs but that is pushing it for me. Oh yeah I also saw Stephen "the Rocket" and Caitlin's Passenger Express packs. So that just about wraps up the post for right now. -TrainMan2001

While we have already seen what we have been able to purchase, what do you think is going on with all the stuff we haven't seen released yet?

We were expecting Marion on that Severnside Wholesalers website but we got Scared James with the same #SKU in its place, and the listing now says that Marion is discontinued.

We are waiting for the next Greatest Moments wave with a new engine (whose name may be Samson or Skiff), a Scruff pack, and a Flynn pack.

The Fisher-Price website also listed a lot of products with a muddy theme, and the products sound a lot like reskined versions of the 2014 Sodor Snow Storm series products. I managed to retrieve their #SKUs, but they got deleted on the website a few days later, including Muddy Spencer, Muddy Gordon, Muddy Mayhem Expansion Pack, and Mudslide Mountain Set. Another product called Motorized Thomas and Percy Engines was also listed. I didn't get the SKU but based on the description, it just sounded like a value pack of Thomas and Percy.

Thoughts? Speculation?

Perhaps (and this is just an idea) they are shutting down all of the new product stuff due to, well most people hating them. Maybe if we are lucky

the single engines and 3 packs sold really well here. the track and truck sets... nope. my main store doesnt appear to have a sold a single unit, while the engines flew out within days [and havent been restocked...]

I think there will be loads of returns around Christmas.
Parents will not understand why the new models don't free roll, without making that horrendous clicking sound - they sound like they are already faulty and when the new models get stuck on the older tracks, parents will think they have been sold a pup, for sure !!
Toys r us and Argos, etc, will just take the models back from customers and issue refunds without understanding the issues. They will just say "oh there's loads of these coming back" !!
At some stage, probably early 2015, truckloads of the new Trackmaster locomotives will end up back with Fisher Price/Mattel.
This is a public relations disaster in the making and I hope they will have come up with a fix before sales have plummeted beyond the point of no return !
It's like they've just pressed the self destruct button and the clock is ticking between now and Christmas, which is only three months away !

[HankAmericanEngine]

While we have already seen what we have been able to purchase, what do you think is going on with all the stuff we haven't seen released yet?

We were expecting Marion on that Severnside Wholesalers website but we got Scared James with the same #SKU in its place, and the listing now says that Marion is discontinued.

We are waiting for the next Greatest Moments wave with a new engine (whose name may be Samson or Skiff), a Scruff pack, and a Flynn pack.

The Fisher-Price website also listed a lot of products with a muddy theme, and the products sound a lot like reskined versions of the 2014 Sodor Snow Storm series products. I managed to retrieve their #SKUs, but they got deleted on the website a few days later, including Muddy Spencer, Muddy Gordon, Muddy Mayhem Expansion Pack, and Mudslide Mountain Set. Another product called Motorized Thomas and Percy Engines was also listed. I didn't get the SKU but based on the description, it just sounded like a value pack of Thomas and Percy.

Thoughts? Speculation?

To be honest, not much of a surprise that the corporation doesn't have plans for making Marion; same could be said of Millie. The company claimed to have been working on making a model, but kept "delaying" the release date; Ferdinand suffered this in 2010 - 2011, begin released in very late of the latter year. To this day, no actual proof of Millie being made has surfaced at all, not even an unpainted prototype.

I think the company is slowly starting to realize their downfall with the new redesign, as the few times I've checked store shelves, 3-packs of Scared James, Timothy, and Gator are all present on the shelves, with 3 of each; when I used to have the money, all of the Gators would disappear that day.

None of the redesign stuff is actually reaping any kind of profit from what I can see, especially as a number of the cons outweigh the pros. Granted that I may be pampered/spoiled by my exceeded expectations from TOMY USA, TAKARA TOMY, and the late HiT Toy Company, there are only a handful of pros I can see to this redesign.

My speculation on the "disappearance" of the "Muddy Mayhem" line was a possible leak from one of the employees to the press when it was not going to be continued whatsoever; besides, if the "Muddy Mayhem" is anything like the "Greatest Moments" 3-pack of "Muddy Ferdinand", I'd rather buy a used "Greatest Moments" Ferdinand from eBay and make him muddy myself.

This did remind me a bit of Millie, except I was fortunate enough to see these previous listings. Actually, Ferdinand was released at the very end of 2010.

I believe that it was decided to make a series themed for mud but it got switched to snow so there would be continuity with the last Snow Storm products, and there might have been various products that were about to be produced but they had to be narrowed down to a particular amount. Every plan must have got put on the Fisher-Price website by mistake. I think Muddy Gordon and Spencer would've have a snap-on piece like their Snowy counterpart.

To be honest, I don't think that the next few months are going to be as bad as they seem. The big sets rarely sell due to their cost and size and the core characters are still going to be hot items, but people out there usually can't make an effort to go out and return something because there's one problem with it and the child might've put up with it.

[Ucwepn]

They have lost business from me I would have bought every loco and set if they were the older type, now I am just buying new characters only. Seems only recolors/snowy/muddy variations are coming in the near future. Its good means I save money

my main supplier of thomas clearanced the last 3 motorized tidmouth sheds to make room for the avalanche escape set. $150NZD i wont be buying anytime soon.

one the good side, this frees up my money for plarail and older stuff.