Bachmann needs to bring back 'Arry and Bert. Possibly with new and improved faces because the faces being almost identical is what severely hindered their sales and got them discontinued. Maybe give them grumpy faces. Maybe even give them N Scale models too, though Henry is the #1 priority for N Scale at this time.

As for Splatter and Dodge, the only thing holding them back is the fact that they were one-off characters from a 20+ year old movie. Bachmann still makes old model series rolling stock, but for some reason, Mattel won't let them do the same with engines, even if they're repaints. Another engine recolor with the same dilemma is Smudger. With all the customs of Splatter and Dodge modellers made, it's clear that there is a market for them in HO Scale, and that people do want them.

One CGI character Bachmann has yet to make in any scale that would recycle Diesel's tooling is Sidney, which people have asked for years, but he still hasn't been on the cards.

We finally have a little update on Sir Handel. No unpainted prototype yet, but preorders are available, including a price. Sounds like progress is finally happening on Sir Handel.

If the CGI mandate could get lifted, Bachmann could use the UK toolings to make Arthur, Murdoch, Derek and Class 40. Just like how they used the American 4-4-0 tooling to make Beau.

If they use the existing tooling to make Mighty Mac, they wouldn't have buffers, but then again, neither does the model of Beau. This would be better than investing in new toolings specifically for them.

Lionel has Halloween train stuff, as seen on Trainworld:

https://www.trainworld.com/model-trains/trains/halloween.html

But, Bachmann has never done their take on a Halloween train set before. I think it's about time that Bachmann should make one for HO Scale. They have several Christmas train sets, including a few Thomas ones, but they've never done Halloween before. I have an idea for a Halloween set.

A USRA 0-6-0 or GP40 in spooky colors, or could even have glow-in-the-dark paint, as an idea. Rolling stock can include a vampire coffin flatbed, a witches' brew tank car, or maybe a spooky-themed box car and caboose. Monster passenger cars are another idea.

Just something I thought of.

I normally stick with the Thomas & Friends board, but as we get closer to the holiday season, I do have some ideas for non-Thomas products that can use existing toolings, including more Christmas-themed locomotives and rolling stock. A wider variety of separate sale North Pole & Southern locomotives and rolling stock. Currently, the only locomotive under that roadname is the USRA 0-6-0. Here's a list of others that I think would look great Christmas-themed:

Steam:
American 4-4-0
Baldwin 4-6-0
2-6-2 Prairie
USRA 4-6-2 Light Pacific
Russian Decapod (Might be the most expensive)

Diesel:
GP40
GP7
FT-A
44-Ton Switcher
70-ton Switcher

For rolling stock, NP&S passenger cars would be a great idea, including the old-fashioned 1860-1880 era, as well as heavyweight passenger cars, caboose, and maybe a flatcar loaded with a Christmas tree.

Hopefully, some of those ideas could possibly get made at some point. Any of them would expand the Christmas variety and you would get to create whichever Christmas train you want. You might have ideas yourself that you'd like to share.

Bachmann needs to start offering more HO Scale Christmas rolling stock separately, including the 1-Plank Wagon with Presents, and the red Christmas Brake Van. The first piece of Christmas rolling stock to be sold separately will be the Christmas 12-Ton Van. It would also be appreciated if the 1-Plank Wagon with Santa's Sleigh and the Naughty and Nice Brake Van could also be sold separately. Other ideas include an Egg Nog Tanker, a Christmas Coach, and a Flatbed with a Christmas Tree. It would be a nice and convenient way to set up a Christmas train without having to buy another set.

For engines, they could even make Percy with a snowplow and Santa hat.

So tonight's big reveal was HO Scale Rebecca in the unpainted stage. The first new-tooled tender engine for HO Scale since Donald and Douglas. Quite a big reveal. Still no update on Sir Handel, or N Scale Emily. We can hope N Scale Emily gets revealed fully painted by the end of the year. It's also possible that HO Scale Rebecca will be fully painted by the end of the year, but not guaranteed.

For HO Scale, recolors like Green Salty or Mainland Diesels would be too niche, like Yellow Rheneas, which ended up being the first real flop for Narrow Gauge. Hope they can fix the eye mechanism for Sidney. They should do a cream 12-ton van as Troublesome Truck #7.

Henry is definitely the most obvious choice for N Scale, and he must be announced for the 2024 catalog. Edward being the close second behind Henry. Duck and Mavis are also two very good choices for N Scale. Toad was made, despite there being no immediate plans for Oliver. The Spiteful Brake Van, as well as some faceless open wagons should also be made, along with the Red Coaches. The Red Express Coaches would also be possible for N Scale. Maybe for next NMRA. Special Coaches would be great for Spencer, once he's brought into the picture.

Non-rail characters would be great introduced to N Scale, including Bertie the Bus, Terence the Tractor, and Harold the Helicopter.

The only thing holding Bachmann back from making BoCo is the CGI mandate. For some reason, Mattel lets Bachmann make model series rolling stock, but not engines, which I don't get. BoCo was going to return in Season 22, but was dropped because Mattel would rather put out their resources to more female characters, but that's a completely different topic.

Diesel 10 was considered long ago, and Pinchy raises a lot of questions. Bachmann has made rail cranes and electric engines with pantographs, but has never made a diesel with a posable claw mounted on top, which would make Diesel 10 a very unique model. Doug Blaine never explicitly stated that Diesel 10 can't happen because of his claw. His last piece of merchandise was Wood. Daisy is currently the only longer diesel with bogies in the HO Scale range, and Diesel 10 is the only other one that appeared in the CGI series that's not international. I hope for him to be made someday, as he would sell really well. We'd wonder how Bachmann could design the claw.

Just recently, Bachmann teased the unpainted sample of HO Scale Rebecca, which will be shown in the next stream. Within a few weeks, Doug Blaine will show us Rebecca in the unpainted stage. It's taking a long time to show N Scale Emily fully painted. If that were to be shown, Bachmann would tease that too.

The stream covered all the Thomas products announced in the recent brochure, and showed the Mr. Jolly and Brendam Bay vans in their packaging, as well as the Talyllyn HOn30 Scale model in the three different liveries. No N Scale Emily update just yet.

Hopefully, if this mandate ever ends, Bachmann eventually will give us Stepney, BoCo and Duke. Class 40 is another good choice for a model series character, and another larger diesel, since he was also made by Hornby. Bachmann could do the Beau move and recycle their UK Class 40 tooling, though he wouldn't have moving eyes.

So it seems that Stanley's tooling will be 100% new, including the chassis, since his wheels aren't exactly like Thomas' despite being the same configuration.

At least Bachmann is actually willing to listen to the fans, and they continue to stray away from the infamous reboot known as All Engines Go. They're pretty much the only Thomas merchandise left that's actually good. Stanley was a popular request that's finally on the cards, and he's appeared in both model AND CGI.

But for some reason, Mattel is okay with Bachmann making model series rolling stock, but not engines, which really doesn't make sense. It's what's holding Bachmann back from making Stepney, BoCo or Duke. Bachmann knows how much we want Stepney, but Mattel just won't let them do it. Diesel was the first HO Scale model to have a CGI face, and that was before Mattel took over, while Duck was the last HO Scale model to be based on the model series.

It would be most wise that once Gordon and Emily are out of the way, Henry and Edward will get announced for N Scale. Once Diesel and Paxton are out of the way, Duck should get announced for N Scale, since he had a rivalry with Diesel in one of the earliest seasons of the show. It's already been a decade since Duck's HO Scale model hit the market, and has consistently been a popular seller since then. He was also the last engine in the HO Scale range to be based on the model series. In N Scale, Duck will be based on his CGI render, but no big deal. With Toad coming soon, Oliver shouldn't be too far off from N Scale, as he too was a popular seller in HO Scale. Since Oliver was based on his CGI render, Bachmann can easily just scale down his HO Scale tooling to work in N Scale.

The best next choices for N Scale engines are Henry, Edward, Duck and Oliver, apart from Diesel recolors like Sidney, 'Arry and Bert. For N Scale rolling stock, I'd be most happy with a generic or Spiteful Brake Van, Red Open Wagon, Coal Wagon w/ Load, Red Coaches, and a Gray Box Van.

If Sidney can't happen in HO Scale because of the eye mechanism, he could be announced for N Scale and Large Scale instead. It's been several years since Paxton first came to HO Scale, and still no sign of Sidney on the cards for any scale. N Scale would especially be easy for him, since the eye mechanism isn't an issue. With that, Sidney could become the first character in N Scale that doesn't already exist in HO Scale. Hope he could be announced with N Scale Henry in the 2024 catalog. As for 'Arry and Bert in N Scale, they would need distinctive and malicious faces, so they'd sell better in N Scale than they did in HO Scale.

If HO Scale can't get much in the 2024 catalog, due to Rebecca and Stanley, recolors like a Mainland Diesel or two, or Fernando can be possible, using Diesel's tooling. They could get their first pieces of merchandise. Narrow Gauge has Sir Handel and Duncan, with the former having no significant update just yet. If Mattel lets Bachmann do model series characters again, especially for Narrow Gauge, Rheneas' tooling can be used for Smudger, while Sir Handel's can be used for Proteus.