I know that I have talked a lot about if Bachmann were to re-tool the entire HO/OO scale Thomas and Friends Range, but what if Bachmann were to add a Next18 pin DCC socket to every character locomotive in standard gauge, or narrow gauge. I picked a Next18 pin DCC socket because it has contacts for a sound speaker to be connected, that way, there are sound fitted versions of the characters available. Also if Bachmann were to add pre fitted lights to every character locomotive in standard or narrow gauge, (like the lighting inside the cab, a flickering firebox, head lamps and tail lamps.) that would elevate the Thomas and Friends HO/OO Scale range to a new standard. The only novelty that Bachmann should keep for the Standard Gauge Thomas and Friends range in HO/OO scale is the moving eye mechanism.

That's ok. I guess I can agree with the eye mechanism adding character, and also being a major selling point.

Does anyone think that if Bachmann Trains can afford it, they could retool the existing Thomas and friends range to have proper separate bearings on the driving wheels of each character locomotive, no moving eye mechanism (I don't like the moving eye mechanism, because it puts a load on the motor that also has to drive the wheels, and it leaves a gap in the faces of each character.) a DCC socket, and if possible, a water based smoke unit? (Though this would only be for the HO scale STD gauge character locomotives because I don't think it would be possible in HO scale narrow gauge.) I think Bachmann should definitely do that. Do you guys think that too?

I don't know about you, but is Bachmann starting to make side characters for the TTTE Range? I don't know who was the first side character that Bachmann made, nor if we will see other side character locomotives and rolling stock.

Well regardless of what characters we want to see being made by Bachmann trains, I'm sure they can be good products. Besides, Bachmann have yet to make Z gauge EZ track (For Z gauge locomotives and for the miniature engines on the arlesdale miniature railway, and n scale rack and pinion track, (specifically for the engines on the Culdee fell mountain railway) but that's for another thread.

How possible would it be for Bachmann trains to model Mike, jock, Rex, and Bert the miniature engines?

Maybe you guys are right. Without DCC, Rocky, Judy, Jerome, Harvey, and Diesel 10 would be possible, I think Bachmann should make Rocky, Harvey, Judy and Jerome without DCC, but rather with a long key to operate their functions like for Rocky (in this case) maybe a sliding door to access the arm winch and an external axle where the key engages to operate the hook. There should also be a crane body rotation through 360 degrees without the said key. (I can say the same thing for Judy and Jerome.) For Harvey, only the winch and the crane arm rotation are possible, one of them without a key (rotation of the arm) and one with the said key (raising and lowering the hook), Diesel 10 on the other hand is a different story, he should have pinchy being posed by mini hydraulic cylinders with metal pistons and plastic cylinder jackets. However, it may not be possible to add miniature hydraulic pistons to open and close pinchy, despite being able to rotate. In fact, the whole arm on Diesel 10 should rotate through 360 degrees. Apart from those 5 characters, I sure would like to see more Thomas & Friends and railway series characters being released by Bachmann trains.

Hello, I'm new to this thread, But I would like to add on the future suggestions. To begin, I think Bachmann Should make Rocky the Rescue Crane with DCC on Board. the DCC Decoder will power functions like raising and lowering the arm, raising and lowering the hook (Connected to the piston rod and Crankshaft), and rotating the crane body through 360 degrees of rotation (Connected to a moving eye Mechanism).

Bachmann Should also release Judy and Jerome in my opinion. Again to reiterate, the same functions that are on Rocky, should also be on Judy and Jerome as well as a DCC Decoder

what do you guys think?