Strange HiT Toys James?

Hello BPT. I've been looking to post about this strange train ever since I found it whilst scrolling through Ebay. It is a Trackmaster HiT Toys James, except it's got some quirks that I cannot seem to find information about. It seems to be a hybrid of multiple James models. The body of a regular James, the face of an R/C James, and the bottom of a flip-face James (?). The bottom is strange, because it has holes that look like they would hold the switches for a face-switching engine. I don't have a flip-face James to compare to (or any James' aside from a Motorized and 2015 Plarail one), however I did have a flip-face R/C Thomas, and that switching area of the underside does appear to be similar in shape with this James. My question is, well, what is this James? Is it a factory error, a prototype, or some strange design that was included in a set? 

Comes from the HiT Toys "James Works It Out" set, based on an episode from the TV series. Why exactly they decided it should have an exclusive face, much less the strange construction, is beyond me.

That James is Just like the RC james except it does not have the white running board or extra details. As for the holes IDK. Perhaps they just recycled some old RC James', which may have been retooled from the flip face James.

[Super]

Welcome to BluePlasticTracks Stuart

Welcome, S&TA.

I knew which version this would be about, but I had no idea it had holes for Flip Face switches. That's news to me. Along with other similarities, even the tender has a longer curve at the front than at the back. The whole engine must be the Flip Face version altered to resemble normal variants in some ways. Either the regular James moulds were worn out by then, or they were already transferred to Mattel (the set is from 2009).
 

That James is Just like the RC james except it does not have the white running board or extra details. As for the holes IDK. Perhaps they just recycled some old RC James', which may have been retooled from the flip face James.

The RC one has an oversized cab and firebox to fit the RC drive unit (which has a similar shape to the "Thomas type").