James

James is a red mixed-traffic tender engine who works on the North Western Railway, usually working along the Main Line. He can be vain and sometimes boastful, but means well and is a hard worker. James was designed by George Hughes and built at Horwich Works in 1912/13 as an 0-6-0 with wooden brakes. Sometime after his build, but before going to Sodor, James was experimentally rebuilt with a pony truck, making him a 2-6-0. In 1923, James was sold to Sir Topham Hatt for mixed-traffic duties. After his first accident, he had his front sandboxes removed, was rebuilt with proper brakes and a Fowler tender (due to his old tender being badly wrecked from the crash) , and repainted red with gold stripes and black lining. He was troublesome when he returned, ruining Sir Topham Hatt's new top-hat with his steam and jarring his coaches so much that a brake pipe leaked. He was threatened to be painted blue (which James detests), but later promised to be useful again and made the line's worst trucks behave after being given a second chance. He also pulled the express for Gordon when the latter was switched off the main line, and went on strike along with Gordon and Henry. He later made rude remarks about Henry when he was using special coal, called Toby and Henrietta 'dirty objects', and subsequently got into an accident with some tar wagons. James was of the opinion that he would pull the Royal Train, much to the skepticism of the others due to the time he became stuck on Gordon's Hill. Later, James became a runaway when two naughty boys fiddled with his controls, and was rescued by Edward. He and Gordon played a joke on Percy by convincing him of the existence of backing signals. Upon Duck's arrival, Percy and the newcomer blocked James and the other big engines out of the shed as revenge for teasing them. When Diesel arrived on trial, James earned the nickname "Rusty Red Scrap Iron". James, like the other two, were turned against Duck, but were sorry after receiving proof of his innocence. In the seventeenth season, he teased Scruff, scared Percy and Stephen, and was challenged by Henry to pull "The Flying Kipper" after he accused Percy of being scared of the dark. He also slept at the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre when the turntable at Tidmouth Sheds froze. In the eighteenth season, James used Toad as his brakevan when taking some coal trucks. He began to go fast and hit a branch on Gordon's Hill, which jolted loose the coupling between him and his trucks, causing a runaway. He and Rocky later rescued Duck from some flooded track, but due to James refusing to let Rocky's crane arm being secured down, Rocky knocked a signal over. Later, when Duck told the other engines about slip coaches, James claimed the idea as his own, but did not know how to use slip coaches, causing a collision.

Persona[]

James is very proud of his splendid red paintwork. He dislikes pulling trucks and believes that he should only pull coaches. He thinks himself superior to the others and can be shallow, boastful, overconfident, naughty and vain, particularly to those who appear old-fashioned, weak, slow or dirty. This has caused him to have somewhat of a rivalry with Edward, Percy, Toby and Duck. He has acted like this, even before he was repainted red. However, on a number of occasions, he has found himself in need of help from those whom he has insulted and is, in the end, apologetic.

James was the last of the steam engines to retain a prejudice against diesels. However, after stalling on a cold day, he was rescued by the Works Diesel and had to admit that nothing was wrong with diesels. This appears to be one of the few lessons that has stuck.

James has also been portrayed as a prankster, often tricking or scaring the other engines for fun or to get out of jobs he dislikes doing. However, following a particularly mean-spirited prank he played on Percy in Tale of the Brave, this gimmick seems to have died down.

Despite all of that, James has shown a caring side, is normally hard-working and like everyone else, wants to be responsible, reliable and really useful on Sir Topham Hatt's railway.

Livery[]

James is painted in NWR red with black lining and gold boiler bands. His dome is brass and his number is painted on the sides of his tender in yellow with black lining. In the Railway Series, James' black lining became blue after Main Line Engines. His roof colour was also inconsistently illustrated as either black or red; since Clive Spong became illustrator, James has been consistently illustrated with a red cab roof.

James has also been seen in several other liveries aside from his red one:

In the Railway Series, James would have originally been painted in L&YR passenger black, but any white has never been depicted making his appearance akin to their goods livery instead. In the television series, James was originally depicted as having always been red, even when he was a new engine, (except for his appearance in his black livery in The Adventure Begins. He also had red lining on the back of his tender, which was removed after his repaint).
In The Green Controller, James was mistakenly painted in yellow and black stripes on Percy's orders. He was quickly repainted back into his original livery when the problem was noticed.
In Tickled Pink, James was painted in a pink undercoat before his standard red coat could be applied. Although he was said to be in an undercoat, James still retained his lining, number and black wheels and smokebox.
In The Great Race, James was painted in golden floral patterns for the Great Railway Show. He was repainted back into his original livery when he returned to Sodor.
In An Engine of Many Colours, after hearing Kevin mention the Steamworks did not have any red paint, James dreamed he was painted in many different colours including blue, green and silver. But by the end of the episode, he was repainted in his normal red livery.

Main Weaponry in Stuington and Hiatt Grey's Series.[]

Engine[]

Lewis [aircraft] machine gun

Trainsformer[]

Plasma Cannon
Rocket Launchers

Trivia[]

James met Winnie the Pooh and his friends in Pooh's Adventures of Thomas & Friends: The Adventure Begins.
James met the PAW Patrol in The PAW Patrol, Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
James will meet Ash Ketchum, Littlefoot, Simba, SpongeBob, Tai and their friends in Ash's Adventures of Thomas & Friends: The Adventure Begins.
James made his first debut in Thomas' Adventures of Sleeping Beauty.
James meet Ed, Edd, n Eddy in Ed, Edd, n Eddy's Ed-ventures of Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
James along with Thomas, Percy, Toby, Gordon, Henry, Edward and Emily were going to be guest starring in Pooh and Ash's Adventures of Scooby-Doo: Halloween Hassle at Dracula's Castle.
Tigger refers to him as "Jamesy-boy".
James is the main deuteragonist of Journey Beyond Sodor.
In Stuington and Hiatt Grey's series, James is Rarity's boyfriend.
James is great friends with Top Hat.
James is best friends with Coco Pommel.
In Iamnater1225's series, James is also Molly's boyfriend.
James will meet Ryan Freestar, Meg Griffin and their team in Ryan's Adventures of Thomas and Friends: The Adventure Begins.