Thomas the Tank Engine Wikia
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This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the vinyl record, the New Zealand VHS, the book or the magazine story.
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James and the Express, retitled A Proud Day for James on North American releases, is the tenth episode of the first series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book James the Red Engine.

Plot

Although James has made a good impression on the Fat Controller after his success with some trucks, one night, he is with Gordon and Henry, who ridicule him for the time he needed a bootlace was to help him finish a journey with some coaches. James tries to counter their insults by reminding them of their own problems, but neither of them let up. Gordon boasts about being the only engine strong enough to pull the Express alone, and states to have never lost his way knowing the line by instinct, forgetting that it is the signalman who ensures that engines do not get lost.

The next morning, James and Gordon prepare for work. Gordon once again gloats about getting to pull the Express while James is left with odd jobs before sending the red engine to fetch his coaches. James, now knowing to be extra careful with the coaches, takes them nicely into the station. He tells the coaches that he would love to be able to take the Express, before leaving them for Gordon, who couples himself to the train as noisily and importantly as possible. The Fat Controller and other important people are onboard, and Gordon starts as soon as he hears the guard's whistle. James waits until the express has departed, then goes back to work shunting trucks and fetching coaches for another train.

Later, James has brought the next train's coaches to the platform, when Gordon quietly and sheepishly pulls into the station, trying not to be noticed. But James notices him and asks if he "lost his way", to which Gordon admits that he was mistakenly switched off the main line and forced onto the loop back to the station; therefore, it was more like his way lost him. While James finds this funny, the passengers are furious and demand refunds, but the Fat Controller calls their attention and promises them a new train immediately. With Gordon no longer able to pull the express today, and no other engines available, the Fat Controller asks James if he will take the train. James is more than happy to and quickly couples up. The Fat Controller wishes James luck and he pulls out of the station. The journey goes without incident and upon reaching their destination, the passengers thank James for a nice journey. The Fat Controller is very impressed and asks James if he would like to pull the Express sometimes. James excitedly says "Yes" to this at once.

The next day, James sees Gordon shunting trucks. The larger engine is enjoying simpler work and getting to teach the trucks some manners. He then congratulates James on his success with the Express. Gordon and James soon become good friends. James sometimes takes the Express for Gordon to allow him to rest. Gordon no longer talks about bootlaces, and the two very much agree when it comes to their opinion of trucks.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • In an interview with Sodor Island Fansite, Christopher Noulton stated that some of the passengers were made out of Plasticine for this episode.
  • Extended stock footage from James and the Coaches as well as alternate stock footage from Thomas and Gordon is used.
  • This is the first episode of two things:
    • The first episode in which Edward does not appear since his introduction in Edward and Gordon.
    • The first episode in which James and Gordon interact with each other.
  • George Carlin's dub of this episode was never featured on Shining Time Station. It first appeared on Mister Moose's Fun Time in 1998 and later on the Best of James VHS and DVD release in 2002.
  • Gary Wilmot was the first presenter responsible for introducing the individual episodes of the first series until this episode and was replaced by Rod Hull and Emu on 2 December 1985 for the continuity of the airings until 20 December 1985 with the twenty-sixth episode aired as the last remaining standalone episode outside of Children's ITV until the second series on 24 September 1986.

Goofs

  • After Gordon leaves Knapford, the van in front of James changes, and another workman appears out of nowhere.
  • In the close-up of James, he can be seen outside of the station, but in the next scene, he is inside the station.
  • In the scene after the passengers are rushing to the ticket window, a blonde woman in red clothing has blu-tak underneath her shoes.
  • When the Fat Controller asks James if he would like to pull the Express sometimes, the tree on the left behind him wobbles.
  • A wire is visible near Gordon's trailing wheel when he asks James to get his coaches and James' eyes are pretty wonky.
  • Because stock footage is used, James brings the other coaches to platform 5. Then when Gordon arrives back at Knapford, James is at platform 3, and the brake coach is in the middle of the train.
  • James places the coaches into Knapford at a point where the first coach was at the front of the platform. However, when Gordon buffers up to them, they have moved back without Gordon pushing them and he is then at the front of the platform.
  • During the scenes of Gordon at Tidmouth Sheds, his buffers and lamp irons are crooked.
  • In George Carlin's dub, James and Gordon's whistle sound effects are muted when they are at Knapford.
  • After James backs up Gordon's coaches into Knapford, there is a close-up of him, and there is blue sky in the background. When he is then uncoupled from the train, he is back at Knapford.
  • When Gordon backs on to his train, James disappears then reappears in the next scene.
  • When Gordon asks, "What are you doing, odd jobs?" James' eyes are wonky.
  • The coach James backs on to has no buffers or coupling hook.
  • Gordon was coupled to his trucks before he gave them a bump, but when he gives them a bump, he is further away and uncoupled.
  • Some of the passengers at Knapford have blu-tak under their feet.
  • In the close-up of Gordon's whistle, Knapford is nowhere to be seen.
  • In both of Ringo Starr's narrations, the very beginning of the busy theme is cut off and fades in.
  • In a close-up of James, his dome is very scratched up.
  • The official Thomas & Friends YouTube channel misnamed this episode as the previous episode (Foolish Freight Cars), and the upload had no sound. The video was set to private in April 2023, likely for this reason.

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Brazilian Portuguese Um dia de orgulho para James
Chinese Mandarin 詹姆士和特快列车
Croatian Jurica i ekspresni vlak
Czech James a rychlík
Danish James og eksprestoget
Dutch James en de sneltrein
Finnish Jaska ja pikajuna
French James et le train express
German James und der Schnellzug
Greek Ο Τζίμι και το Εξπρές
Hebrew ג'יימס והרכבת המהירה
Hungarian James és az expressz
Icelandic Jakob og hraðlestinn
Italian La rivincita di James
Japanese ジェームスのうれしいひ
Korean 제임스, 자랑스러운 날 (DVD Acadamy)
고속 열차를 끌게 된 제임스 (JEI TV)
Latin American Spanish Un gran día para James
Norwegian James og eksprestoget
Polish Kuba i ekspres
Romanian James şi rapidul
Russian Джеймс берет реванш
Serbian James i brzi zoz
Slovak James a rýchlik
Slovenian Jakob in brzovlak
Swedish James och expresståget
Turkish James ve Ekspress Treni
Welsh James a'r Trên Chwim

Merchandise

Magazine story

Home Video Releases

UK

UK VHS/DVD Boxsets

WAL

  • Troublesome Trucks and 8 Other Stories

US

CAN

  • James Learns a Lesson and Other Stories (Ringo Starr's US dub)
  • Best of James (George Carlin's dub)
  • The Early Years (UK dub)

US/CAN VHS/DVD Packs

AUS

AUS DVD Packs

NZ

ZA

MYS

PHL

ITA

FRA

ROM

ROM DVD Pack

NL

NL DVD Boxsets

GER

GER DVD Boxset

NOR

DK

SWE

FIN

  • Thomas and the Guard

ICE

  • Thomas the Tank Engine 1

SVN

HRV

SRP

GRC

GRC DVD Boxset

TUR

ISR

THA

JPN

JPN DVD Boxset

KOR

CHN

HK

Episode

References



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