James and the Coaches

"If you can't behave, I will take away your red coat and have you painted blue!"

- Sir Topham Hatt

James and the Coaches, retitled James Learns a Lesson in American releases, is the eighth episode of the first season. It aired in the US on the Shining Time Station episodes, Pitching in and Helping Out in 1989 and The Mayor runs for Re-Election in 1993.

Plot
James is settling into his new life nicely. Sir Topham Hatt tells James that he is a mixed-traffic engine, so he can take coaches or trucks easily but must learn from his mistakes. James, who had a nasty accident with trucks on his first day, knows exactly what he means by that.

James' first job of the day is to double-head a train of coaches with Edward, who warns him that the coaches do not like being bumped. People have arrived on the platform to admire James, who quickly gets full of himself and lets off steam without warning causing a shower of water to fall on Sir Topham Hatt's brand new top hat! It is time for the train to leave and James tries to get out as fast as he can which angers Edward and the coaches. This causes trouble at the first station when James causes two of the coaches to run beyond the platform forcing the train to reverse to let the passengers out. However, it seems that no one knows what happened with Sir Topham Hatt, much to James' relief.

Next James and Edward stop at the station on Thomas' new branch line, where the tank engine greets James before leaving. The train then passes the field where James had crashed. Finally, the journey ends and after unloading the passengers James and Edward head for home, with James still wondering what Sir Topham Hatt will have to say about his top hat.

The next morning, the Fat Controller visits James in the shed and severely warns him that if anything else goes wrong, then James will be punished by being painted blue. James hates the idea of losing his red coat, however rather than calming down James gets very angry and takes it out on the coaches while bringing them to the station. He grumbles about having to fetch them on his own, unlike Gordon. To make matters worse, none of the passengers dare go near James, which makes him even crosser.

James pulls the coaches very roughly and runs too fast for comfort. Eventually, the coaches force James to stop. His driver explains that James' rough treatment has caused a leak in a coach's brake pipe. The crew inspects the damage and the guard's one and only recommendation is to plug the leak with newspaper and a leather bootlace. However, none of the crew have a leather boot lace on them. The guard asks the passengers and the soon finds a man with a leather bootlace, who initially refuses to give it up. The guard explains that without the boot lace, the train cannot continue. The other passengers get very angry, both at the railway and at the man. Under pressure, the man finally hands over the boot lace and the damage is temporarily repaired allowing James to finish the journey.

James carefully proceeds on his way, knowing that he is going to be in a lot of trouble with the Fat Controller, and takes care to never bump coaches again.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * James
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Jeremiah Jobling (not named)
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
 * Stephen Hatt (cameo)
 * Gordon (mentioned)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Knapford
 * The Bus Yard
 * Dryaw
 * Elsbridge
 * The Cow Field
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Maron
 * Henry's Tunnel

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the stories James and the Top-Hat and James and the Bootlace from The Railway Series book, James the Red Engine.
 * A flashback of Thomas and the Breakdown Train is used.
 * A train passing Edward and James, when they are in front of the Fat Controller, has a truck with "NE" painted on the side.
 * The two coaches at the end of James' train are Annie and Clarabel (in that order).
 * George Carlin's US narration was not released on home video until 2002 when it was included on Best of James.
 * After the narrator says "James was still wondering what The Fat Controller would have to say about his top hat," James' whistle sound is actually the same audio of James whistling in Thomas and the Trucks, when Sir Topham Hatt asks Thomas what he is doing at Maron Station. Here, the first note of James' whistle is cut off slightly.
 * This episode marks the last appearance of Henry's Tunnel until the fourth season, though it was mentioned in the second season episode, Percy Takes the Plunge.

Goofs

 * Clarabel is facing the wrong way when Thomas leaves the junction.
 * When James is getting his branch line coaches ready, the brake coach is in the middle of the train.
 * A member of James' crew is blond at the beginning, but when his crew wonder how to fix the leak, all three have dark hair.
 * When the train passes James and Edward, a brake van is in the middle.
 * When James and Edward overrun the platform, they are at Dryaw, which is on Thomas' Branch Line.
 * In the restored version, when James bumps the coaches at Knapford on the second day, the bumping sounds are out of sync.
 * In the first close-up of The Fat Controller, ink is visible on his right (viewer's perspective left) hand.
 * Even though the narrator says, "The fence was mended and the cows were back again.", there was never a fence there, to begin with!

Merchandise

 * Magazine Stories - James and the Coaches
 * My Thomas Story Library - James (discontinued)
 * Engine Adventures - James

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (Betamax/VHS)
 * Thomas and Gordon and other Stories
 * Thomas and the Breakdown Train and Other Stories
 * Bumper Special
 * Thomas and Gordon, Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * My Little Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends Video
 * The Complete Series 1
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * The Best of James
 * Thomas and the Breakdown Train (DVD)

DVD Packs

 * Classic Collection
 * The Best of Friends
 * The Fogman and The Very Best of Thomas and Friends Double Pack

WAL

 * Thomas and Gordon and other Stories

US

 * James Learns a Lesson and Other Stories
 * Best of James
 * Thomas' Fan Favorite Adventures
 * The Early Years
 * Thomas and Friends Classic Volume 1

VHS/DVD Boxsets

 * Special Video Collector's Set
 * Best Tales on the Tracks
 * Best of James/Best of Thomas Double Feature
 * Totally Thomas Volume 9
 * Best of Collection
 * Platinum Edition

AUS

 * Thomas and Gordon and other stories
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * The Complete Series 1
 * The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 1
 * My First Thomas with James
 * My First Thomas with The Fat Controller

DVD Boxsets

 * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
 * Complete Series 1-10
 * My First Thomas
 * My First Thomas (3 Disc Set)
 * Classic Collection
 * Series One and Series Two Double Pack

NZ

 * Thomas and Gordon and other stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 1
 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 3

FRA

 * The Adventures of Thomas

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.2 (Japanese VHS)
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.2
 * Anytime With James! (Japanese DVD)
 * The Complete DVD Box 1
 * Don't Be Defeated by Thomas and Friends!!

PHL

 * Thomas and Friends Collection

DNK

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories (Danish DVD)

GER

 * All Beginnings Are Difficult
 * The Freight Wagons and 4 Other Adventures

SE

 * Thomas and the Guard (Swedish VHS)

SA

 * Volume 1 (VHS)

NL

 * ...Taken by the Nose!
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, James and Henry

NOR/FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1 (Scandinavian VHS/DVD)

ITA

 * A Freight Train Troublemaker

ROM

 * Thomas and the Trucks (Romanian DVD)

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 1

MYS

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Adventures

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 1

ISR

 * Welcome Thomas!

HRV

 * Thomas and Gordon (Croatian DVD)

IND

 * Thomas and Gordon and Other Stories (DVD)

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4 (DVD)

TWN

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 1 (Taiwanese DVD)

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 2 (Thai DVD)
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