Alpha Group Co., Ltd. (simplified Chinese: 奥飞娱乐股份有限公司; traditional Chinese: 奧飛娛樂股份有限公司; pinyin: Aòfēi Yúlè Gǔfèng Yǒuxiàngōngsī) is the current toy master licensee for Chuggington as of 3 June 2019. A "broad range of toys across vehicles, track sets, radio-control toys, plush, games, electronics, smart toys, novelty, and seasonal products are all in development" for release in Autumn/Winter 2021 (though some exclusive items received an early release within July 2020 in China, and one set was eventually released as a December 2020 holiday exclusive on Amazon US).[1] The main toyline "will bring new innovation to well-loved train play patterns, giving fans the opportunity to re-enact the series’ adventures like never before with universal track sets, scenic location-based play sets and trains from the Chuggington world."[2]
First revealed at the London Toy Fair 2020, the new line is divided into three scales; large-scale "Feature" chuggers including "Pop and Transform" Chuggers (with a surprise transformation) and rereleased and slightly redesigned Remote Control Chuggers, mid-scale "Traintastic" die-cast vehicles and playsets with "Look Alive" Chuggers (with moving facial expressions), "Touch and Go" Chuggers (with innovative technology to start and stop), and small-scale Mini Chuggers with "Fold 'N Go" playsets.[3] The Traintastic and Feature scales will release in Q4 2021, with the Mini Scale launching Spring 2022.[4]
Alpha has also been working with the Herschend Entertainment Studios team in partnership for the sixth series. However, the series and toyline's repeated delays dwindled synergy between the two companies.
Initial production runs of Look Alive Wilson give him a black-colored lower jaw. It is unknown how many of these were produced, though one is currently in the hands of a fan going by "FinnishChugger"; from runs started in July and onwards, they have his proper red-colored jaw.
Some prototype models of the Look Alive and Touch and Go chuggers depict them with grey rear couplings (though the front couplings on the Look Alive chuggers remain blue tile the original Learning Curve toys.) This is because the coupler design for the toys were taken directly from TOMY's StackTrack series of toys.
For unknown reasons, several prototypes of the Look Alive Frostini depict the character with a blue roof as opposed to a brown one.
