James (also released as James the Red Engine, and marked in some catalogs as James and Tender) is a mixed traffic engine.
Product Description[]
Character Card[]
James likes to think of himself as a really splendid engine. Occasionally, James' grandiose ideas about the sort of work suitable for a noble engine such as himself lands him in trouble.
European Character Card[]
James likes to think of himself as a really splendid engine.
2018 box description[]
Meet the serious gentleman...
He may be a bit full of himself, but James has a big heart. Even if his ego gets in the way sometimes, he’ll always remember his friends are just as important as he is.
Changes[]
- 1993 (small face, skinny flat top funnel, unpainted dome, smokebox not connected to front bufferbeam, solid black painted coal, flat magnets, six wheels on engine, thin undated wheels, staples on chassis)
- 1993 (painted dome)
- 1993 (shorter flat top funnel)
- 1993 (smokebox connected to front bufferbeam, speckled painted coal)
- 1993 (beveled top funnel)
- 1993 (red outline on cab roof)
- 1994 (no staples on chassis, taller funnel, fully black painted cab roof, made in China)
- 1994 (big round magnets, dated wheels)
- 1996 (small round magnets, new face, rounded wooden funnel)
- 1997 (big, flatter round magnets, thick wheels, rounded plastic funnel)
- 1998 (plastic coal added)
- 1999 (realistic plastic funnel and smokebox)
- 2001 (gold dome, names on chassis)
- 2002 (new larger face, bigger smokebox, wide boiler, no ledge on rear, new details, shorter dome, new tender, funnel hole removed)
- Late 2002 (funnel hole added)
- 2011 (CG style face)
- 2013 (updated face, curved edges, longer magnet guards, other minor details)
- 2017 (smaller face)
- 2018 (printed details on exposed wood, larger cab, flat dome, flat rectangular tender)
- 2019 (printed details on painted wood, black buffers, metal pins in chassis, chassis built into bodies)
- 2022 (face with printed 2D details, longer length, rivet, smokebox handrail and cab handrail details, no buffers, molded dome, molded coal in tender, larger wheels with spoke details and two leading wheels on engine, detailed cab)
Variants[]
- "Buzz Buzz" James from James Goes Buzz Buzz Set
- James Express Pack
- Battery-Operated James
- Limited Edition James Goes Buzz Buzz
- "60 Years" Edition James (cancelled)
- Lights and Sounds James
- Adventures of James
- Talking Railway Series James
- Celebration James from Anniversary Gift Pack
- Early Engineers James
- James Lights the Way
- Red Metallic James
- Roll and Whistle James
- James' Roaring Delivery
- Fish-covered James from James' Fishy Delivery
- Paint-covered James from James Sorts It Out Set
- Introducing James
- Snowy James from Snowy Rails Set
- Celebration James from Celebration Engines
Availability[]
- 100 Piece Set
- Roundhouse (2009-2010)
- Classic Vehicle Assortment
- 1998 Vehicle Assortment
- Sodor Mining Set
- Lift and Load Set
- Trouble with Trees Set
- Mountain Overpass Set (2006-2008)
- Really Useful Work Set
- Sodor Rescue Team Set
- Sights and Sounds Set
- A Race to the Wharf Set
- A Day at the Wharf Set
- Quarry Mine Tunnel Set and Roundhouse
- Thomas and James Set
- Thomas Wood Replenishment Pack
- James the Red Engine Book Pack
- Book Bundle 1
- Speedy Surprise Drop Set
- 6 Engine Pack
Trivia[]
- James was one of the many engines recalled for lead paint in 2007.
- James's 2002 prototype is featured on the following boxes:
- Wellsworth Station (2002)
- Set of 3 Buildings (2002)
- Roundhouse (2002-2003)
- Conductor's Shed (2002-2003)
- Sodor Cargo Crane (2002-2003)
- Sir Topham Hatt, 1 Workman, 2 Engineers (2002-2005)
- Knapford Covered Bridge (2002-2007)
- Barrel Loader (2002-2007)
- Cranky the Crane (2002-2007)
- Arched Viaduct (2005-2007)
- James is one of four vehicles to be available every year since 1993. The others are Thomas, Gordon, and Percy.
- James is one of five vehicles to have been introduced with a back ledge who never had one in 2002. The others are Thomas, Henry, Gordon, and Percy. All other vehicles would not lose their back ledges until late 2002.
- The prototype 2022 James features a red dome, whereas the final version features the proper gold dome.
- The prototype 1999 James is featured in the 2001 pamphlet. The 1993 prototype is featured in the 2001 yearbook however.