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James the Red Engine
Author Wilbert Awdry
Publication date 14th September 1948
Published by Egmont Publishing
Edmund Ward
Publication Order
Preceded by
Thomas the Tank Engine
Followed by
Tank Engine Thomas Again

James the Red Engine is the third book of the Railway Series.

Foreword[]

Dear friends of Edward, Gordon, Henry, and Thomas,

Thank you for your kind letters. Here is the new book for which you asked.

James (who crashed in the story of Thomas the Tank Engine) settles down and becomes a Useful Engine.

We are nationalized now, but the same engines still work the Region. I am glad (too) to tell you that the Fat Director (who understands our friends' ways) is still in charge, but is now the Fat Controller.

I hope you will enjoy this book (too).
The Author

Stories[]

James and the Top-Hat[]

James is to take a passenger train with Edward in order to familiarise coaches. Despite the concerned illustration showing the big station, their journey starts at Wellsworth. At the platform, James accidentally showers water over the Fat Controller's new top-hat, and James - afraid of the consequences - forces Edward to start quickly. He then proceeds to almost overshoot the next station (Crosby), and to top everything off, coming back from the big station as far as Maron, he disturbs an old lady with his hiccups, after hearing about the time Edward had to help Gordon up the hill. That night at the shed, James is scared of what the Fat Controller will say.

James and the Bootlace[]

James is grumpy after being threatened with being painted blue and, being ridiculed by Gordon, having to fetch his own coaches. It takes the biscuit when no one comes near him at the platform, and James is so determined to show them that he doesn't take care with his coaches and causes a leak in the brake-pipe. The crew determines that they need newspaper and leather bootlaces to fix it until they get home, and after a great amount of persuasion a man named Jeremiah Jobling hands his bootlaces over and the train gets home. James is very worried.

Troublesome Trucks[]

James is shut up in the shed for several days, but when the Fat Controller comes to see him, James apologizes and is let out to take a goods train. The trucks play tricks on James and break away on Gordon's Hill, but James tries again and (with encouragement from Edward) gets the train home. The Fat Controller is pleased, and allows James to keep his red paint.

James and the Express[]

Gordon brags that he knows the right line by "instinct", but is proven wrong when he is switched off the main line onto the 'loop' line. The Fat Controller asks James to take the Express, and after a successful run and the promise of being allowed to take the Express, James returns to see Gordon shunting. The two become mutual friends, and Gordon refrains from teasing James about the bootlace incident.

Characters[]

Trivia[]

  • The Reverend W. Awdry often stated this was his least favourite book, as, instead of being written from experience, it was published merely to meet a deadline.

Worldwide date[]

  • September 14, 1948 (UK)
  • December 15, 1948 (USA)
  • June 19, 1952 (Australia)
  • November 22, 1952 (Russia)
  • December 25, 1952 (Italy)
  • March 20, 1953 (France)
  • May 30, 1953 (Germany)
  • November 10, 1973 (Japan)
  • May 22, 1980 (Canada)
  • July 23, 1982 (Brazil)
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