James and the Tar Wagons (magazine story)

This article is about the magazine story. You may be looking for the episode, the Dutch VHS/DVD or the Buzz Book.

James and the Tar Wagons
Story Overview
Writer	Rev. W. Awdry (original story) Andrew Brenner (adaptation)
Issue	Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends 12
Published	2 April 1988

James and the Tar Wagons is a magazine story based on the episode Dirty Objects from the first series of the television series.

Plot

James makes rude remarks about Toby and Henrietta's appearance when he meets them one day, to which Toby retorts by reminding James about his incident with the bootlace. James leaves in a huff and gets ready to take a slow goods (much to his own dismay). James bumps the trucks so much that they decide to pay him back once they reach the top of Gordon's Hill. Soon James is thundering down the hill at dangerous speeds and ends up colliding with some tar tankers and is covered from smokebox to cab. Toby and Percy help clear the mess whilst also teasing James for his accident. When The Fat Controller meets Toby, he rewards him and Henrietta with a new coat of paint and warns James to be more careful with trucks.

Characters

• James
• Toby
• Troublesome Trucks
• Sir Topham Hatt
• Percy (does not speak)
• Henrietta (does not speak)
• Gordon (mentioned)

Locations

• Elsbridge
• Gordon's Hill
• The Viaduct
• Maron

Trivia

• The writing on the sides of the tar tankers are yellow rather than white.
• The illustration of James crossing the Viaduct is recreated from a deleted scene of Dirty Objects, which in turn was recreated from the original story of The Railway Series.

Goofs

• One Troublesome Truck is missing its mouth.
• James' lining on his wheel arches, cab and tender are yellow and his wheels are grey.

Gallery