James the Second Best

"You're finally in a poster. maybe you are good enough after all."

- Thomas seeing James in Edward's poster

James the Second Best is the twenty-seventh episode of the tenth season.

Plot
James is shocked to discover Edward has been chosen to appear on a railway poster. He tries to be as good as Edward by treating his trucks nicely and being useful, but he is held up after being cleaned, and is afraid Edward will finish his passenger journey before him. James uses the main line to get ahead of Edward, but when he goes onto the same line as him he stops suddenly for a signal and Edward is unable to stop in time. Edward therefore bumps behind James and James is pushed forward, ironically, into Edward's railway poster. Although Thomas jokes he is the poster engine now, the Fat Controller is less than impressed and tells James the children will be unable to visit the seaside now that Edward is damaged. However, James acts as a backing engine for Edward.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * James
 * Percy
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Emily (does not speak)
 * The Photographer (does not speak)
 * Gordon (mentioned)

Locations

 * Knapford
 * The Coaling Plant
 * Maron
 * Bluff's Cove
 * Ffarquhar
 * The Works
 * Tidmouth Sheds (mentioned)

Trivia

 * In Japan, this episode is called "James' Second".

Goofs

 * How did the Fat Controller know Edward was damaged when he could not see him?
 * Surely, it would be difficult for the signalman to change the points for Edward within a matter of seconds, after James gets in front of Edward.
 * The photographer took Edward's picture in a shed, but on the poster, Edward was pulling two red branch line coaches.
 * The narrator says that the engines are at Tidmouth Sheds at the start of the episode, but it is really the goods shed nearby.
 * James cannot choose to take Gordon's line.