James Gets a New Coat

"Magnificent!"

- James admiring himself

James Gets a New Coat is the fifth episode of the eighth season.

Plot
James has been repainted and he boasts to the other engines that he is a very special engine because he has bright red paint. This makes Percy upset, thinking that the Fat Controller would not think that he is special because he is green instead of red. Thomas tries to put some sense into James' smokebox, explaining that looking splendid is not the same as being really useful. But James thinks looking splendid and being really useful makes him even more special, leaving Thomas and Percy speechless.

The next morning, the Fat Controller sends James to the coaling plant to help Percy fill and deliver an important order of coal to the docks. However, James ignores the Fat Controller's orders and puffs along a canal to see his reflection and goes to various stations and branch lines so that people can see him. Thomas, seeing James on his branch line, reminds him that he should be working, but James takes no notice.

At the coaling plant, Percy is struggling to fill the coal trucks on his own and time is running out. The Plant Manager is concerned that the order will not be filled, but he knows that it is not Percy's fault - James should have arrived hours ago. At last, James arrives at the coaling plant, very late. Percy is cross and so too is the Plant Manager. Due to the delay, a very long line of coal trucks must be taken to the docks to make up for lost time. James takes the trucks, excited to be going to the docks where people can see his new coat of paint. Percy warns James that the coal trucks are being naughty, but James takes no notice.

On his way to the docks, James is quick to realise that Percy was right as the coal trucks bump into each other and into James, covering him in coal dust. Soon James no longer has a new coat of red paint - he has a new coat of black. Now James does not want to be seen, however, Emily, Edward, and Thomas pass by him and, at the Docks, Gordon is surprised to see James so dirty.

At last, all of the coal had been delivered to the docks on time. James is tired and upset, whilst Percy with the rest of the coal trucks admires James' "new" black coat. Soon all of the trucks are laughing and even James laughs about his "new" coat too.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * James
 * Percy
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Edward (does not speak)
 * Gordon (does not speak)
 * Emily (does not speak)
 * Henry (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)
 * Cranky (cameo)
 * Toby (deleted scene)
 * Henrietta (deleted scene)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * The Coaling Plant
 * Brendam
 * Wellsworth
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Sodor River Bridge
 * The Canal

Trivia

 * A photograph from this episode was released as a Royal Mail stamp in 2011 to mark the Reverend Awdry Centenary.
 * Going by production order, this is the twenty-third episode of the eighth season.

Goofs

 * When Henry puffs past the camera at the beginning, a wire is visible underneath him.
 * How could James' paint dry so quickly?
 * As Percy puffs past the camera with three trucks the first one is missing its right buffer and, although the trucks appear to be coupled together, their couplings are really dangling.
 * The signalman directs James, so James should have gone straight to the coal mines.
 * The truck in front of James' train has a face at both ends.
 * When James passes Emily, she has Henry's whistle sound.
 * When Thomas is working with Emily, Thomas' right eye is wonky. At the end of the episode, Percy's right eye is wonky. And in the next scene, James' are too.
 * James' driver should have made James go to the coaling plant.
 * The way the coal flies out of the trucks is unrealistic.
 * Before James passes Thomas, Thomas' whistle sound is high-pitched.
 * How did Percy reach Brendam before James?