This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the Dutch DVD, the Malaysian DVD or the magazine story. |
- "Magnificent!"
- ― James admiring himself
James Gets a New Coat is the fifth episode of the eighth series.
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 feel inferior (simply upset), thinking that the Fat Controller does 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. James claims that looking splendid and being really useful makes him even more special and falls asleep. Leaving Thomas and Percy speechless.
The next morning, all the engines are busy - Percy is at the coaling plant, Thomas and Emily are working together to take passengers up and down the branch lines and Gordon is pulling the express. 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 (only to not be able to since everyone keeps leaving once he arrives). 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, but he is very late which makes Percy and the Plant Manager cross. 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 once again 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, but then, Emily, Edward and Thomas pass by him. Thomas chuckles and points out that the only red thing left on James was his face, much to James' embarrassment. Then, at the Docks, Gordon is surprised to see James so dirty once James arrived at Brendam Docks.
At last, all of the coal had been delivered to the docks on time. James is tired, humiliated 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
- Troublesome Trucks
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Mr. Hobson (not named)
- Edward (does not speak; role replaced with Percy)
- Gordon (does not speak)
- Emily (does not speak)
- Henry (cameo)
- Annie and Clarabel (cameos)
- Cranky (cameo)
- Big Mickey (faceless, cameo)
- Toby (deleted scene cameo)
- Henrietta (deleted scene cameo)
Locations
- Tidmouth Sheds
- The Coaling Plant
- Gordon's Hill
- The Runby Bridge
- Wellsworth
- Brendam Docks
- Tidmouth Beach (deleted scene)
- Tidmouth Lighthouse (deleted scene)
- Sodor Slate Quarry (dropped)
Trivia
- Going by production order, this is the twenty-third episode of the eighth series.
- A photograph from this episode was released as a Royal Mail stamp in 2011 to mark the Reverend Awdry Centenary.
- A deleted scene implies that Toby was originally going to appear in this episode getting a laugh out of James' coal truck predicament, but this was left unused from the final cut due to time constraints.
- In a promotional picture, Thomas is not pulling Annie and Clarabel, he also has his angry face instead of his suspicious one, and he is on the same track as James.
- This episode marks the first time Wellsworth is addressed by its name.
- From this episode to Gordon and Rebecca, Coming Through!, Emily has silver buffers.
- When James is by the canal, Cranky and Big Mickey can be seen in the distance, implying that the set was close to the set for the docks. It makes sense because both sets include water.
- According to the 2003 writers' bible, Edward was meant to take Percy's role, and James was collecting trucks from the slate quarry.
- Extended pre-filmed footage from Percy's Big Mistake is used.
Goofs
- When Henry puffs past the camera at the beginning, a wire is visible underneath him. Additionally, his driver and fireman are also not in his cab.
- 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 actually dangling.
- When James gets covered in coal dust for the first time, studio equipment can be seen on the top right corner. Also, the back of the truck James is pushing is missing to blow the coal on James' face.
- In the US dub on The Greatest Stories DVD and the German dub, the troublesome trucks' laughing are omitted.
- When Thomas and James pass each other for a second time, the tracks are curve, but in the next shot, the tracks appear to be straight.
- When Thomas is working with Emily, Thomas' right eye is misaligned. Also, at the end of the episode, Percy's right eye is misaligned, and in the next scene, James' eyes are also misaligned.
- When Gordon first goes up his hill, he has two express coaches. But later, when leaving a station he has three coaches. Then later, at the docks, he has two again.
Merchandise
In Other Languages
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Home Media Releases
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DVD Boxsets
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HKTWN |
#01 Thomas and the Tuba | #10 Emily's New Route | #19 Fish |
#02 Percy's New Whistle | #11 Thomas and the Firework Display | #20 Emily's Adventure |
#03 Thomas to the Rescue | #12 Gordon Takes Charge | #21 Halloween |
#04 Henry and the Wishing Tree | #13 Spic and Span | #22 You Can Do It, Toby! |
#05 James Gets a New Coat | #14 Edward the Great | #23 James Goes Too Far |
#06 Thomas Saves the Day | #15 Squeak, Rattle and Roll | #24 Chickens to School |
#07 Percy's Big Mistake | #16 Thomas and the Circus | #25 Too Hot for Thomas |
#08 Thomas, Emily and the Snowplough | #17 Thomas Gets It Right | #26 Percy and the Magic Carpet |
#09 Don't Tell Thomas | #18 As Good as Gordon | |