James Goes Too Far

"I'm sorry Sir, I put my own job first!" "But you learnt your lesson and helped Diesel. You are a really useful engine!"

- James and The Fat Controller

James Goes too Far is the twenty-third episode of the eighth season.

Plot
Percy is taking the mail and pulls up alongside James at a red signal. His signal turns to green and James is cross as he was there before Percy; but his driver explains that Percy's mail is more important than James' slow-goods. Later, James is still grumpy when Thomas gets to cut in front of him at the water-column as he is a guaranteed connection.

Later, James is given an important job to deliver coal to all the stations. Feeling important, James refuses to wait to take on more water and will not help Edward with his jobs. However, once he collects the coal trucks and starts his job, James soon runs out of water. Edward arrives with his passengers, but he can't help James as he's running late. Edward warns the signalman up ahead, and soon Salty arrives to help James. Salty scolds James about not helping Edward and reminds him that no job is more important than helping another engine.

With Salty's help, James gets more water and carries on with his deliveries. However, when James sees Diesel broken down, he remembers Salty's advice and helps Diesel to the fitter's yard. After that, he carries on with his coal deliveries and, the next day, the Fat Controller praises James for helping Diesel and getting his job done.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Salty
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Diesel (does not speak)
 * Emily (cameo)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)
 * Bridget Hatt (cameo)
 * The Storyteller (cameo)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * The Coaling Plant
 * Sodor River Bridge
 * Maithwaite
 * The Lighthouse

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the tenth episode of the eighth season.
 * In one scene, a White Star line poster and a Southern Railway poster are seen.

Goofs

 * How does Edward collect slate trucks and get ahead of James when he was at the back of the queue at the water-column when James passed him some seconds earlier?
 * James' driver says "your water tanks have run dry" when James, being a tender engine, only has one water tank which is in his tender.
 * If James ran out of water, he would not have just come to a stop. The driver and fireman would have to put out his fire in order to stop James's boiler from exploding.
 * Even if James did not want to help Diesel, he had to as Diesel was on his line.
 * Emily has Henry's whistle sound.
 * A brakevan should have been added to Percy's train.
 * When James' water tank runs dry, a steam platform is visible just before he stops.