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Railway Series #3
James the Red Engine
This classic small hardcover includes four stories. James has an accident, gets the hiccups, and has trouble with his freight cars, but still saves the day by pulling the express when Gordon loses his way. Part of The Railway Series.
72 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1948
11 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
W. Awdry
1,113 books110 followersWilbert Vere Awdry, OBE, better known as the Rev. W. Awdry, was an English clergyman, railway enthusiast and children's author, and creator of Thomas the Tank Engine, who starred in Awdry's acclaimed Railway Series.
The characters that would make Awdry famous, and the first stories featuring them, were invented in 1943 to amuse his son Christopher during a bout of measles. The first book (The Three Railway Engines) was published in 1945, and by the time Awdry stopped writing in 1972, The Railway Series numbered 26 books. Christopher subsequently added further books to the series.
The characters that would make Awdry famous, and the first stories featuring them, were invented in 1943 to amuse his son Christopher during a bout of measles. The first book (The Three Railway Engines) was published in 1945, and by the time Awdry stopped writing in 1972, The Railway Series numbered 26 books. Christopher subsequently added further books to the series.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 2, 2023
It is so sweet reading these stories again. They take me back to my daughters' childhood and make me excited to read these to my grandchildren when they will soon be ready to hear them. I gave Thomas trains to my 16-month-old grandson and 10-month-old granddaughter this year for Christmas. Needless to say, their mothers were more excited than they were, but very soon, they will begin to be captivated as well, I'm sure. My grandson is already playing with cars, so trains can't be far behind, and these stories are the best.
In this set of four stories, James, the red engine, learns to work along with the other engines. I wish all children could hear/read these delightful tales.
In this set of four stories, James, the red engine, learns to work along with the other engines. I wish all children could hear/read these delightful tales.
November 14, 2010
These four stories are from the creator of Thomas the Tank Engine. What I like about Awdry's stories is that they don't talk down to children. If you've ever seen the television show you know that the language is quite sophisticated for it's age group -- although nothing a youngster wouldn't understand. The plots are fairly simple and each story usually features some type of emotional dilemma: jealousy, pride, etc.
I think some children will enjoy these but I must warn that usually nothing truly exciting happens and the illustrations, although painted quite nicely, often depict trains and their facial expressions rather than the action at hand. Some children may get bored and I know as an adult I would categorize the experience as simply "Ho Hum".
I think some children will enjoy these but I must warn that usually nothing truly exciting happens and the illustrations, although painted quite nicely, often depict trains and their facial expressions rather than the action at hand. Some children may get bored and I know as an adult I would categorize the experience as simply "Ho Hum".
May 9, 2014
Even the Rev. Awdry wished he had gone back and redone this book. It introduces James who was seen in a field in the last story of book 2. We get to see how petulant he can be and vain. Something that sticks about his character. Not one of the better ones but as the Rev. Awdry was trying to meet a deadline this book is weak because of that fact. Also he was just beginning to try and set a place for the stories to take place in and the beginning of Sodor was just beginning. Later books are much better than this one.
November 13, 2021
Book No. 3 is perhaps the most polarising of Wilbert’s volumes. Awdry himself has admitted that this is his least favorite book due to it having been written under strict time constraints, which I suppose is the first sign of corporate meddling in the franchise. This books revolves around the titular “James the Red Engine”, who would go on to become a series mainstay and one of the most recognisable characters. Throughout the franchise’s 76 year history, James has always been very prevalent and it wasn’t until more recently with “All Engines Go!” that James would be shafted to a mere supporting role but for a while, was always a part of the main cast. Although he debuted in the previous book, James really came into his own with his first spotlight book.
Before I delve into the actual book, it’s worth pointing out that this is the first one to feature illustrations by C. Reginald Dalby who took over from Reginald Payne who had only worked on “Thomas the Tank Engine” before retiring from art altogether due to mental health complications surrounding his involvement in the military. Dalby’s tenure on the Railway Series was very interesting and, for better and for worse, extremely influential in solidifying the designs of many characters in both future volumes and the television series thirty years later. I won’t go into too much detail here but in short, Dalby’s illustrations are very flawed but still very pleasant and he certainly had a great eye for detail. His faces (for the most part) are also iconic, many of which served as the basis for the clay-moulded facemasks used in the television series. However, Dalby’s main problem came down to perspective, many characters are very proportionally inconsistent and many illustrations, particularly in the first and last stories, can look quite odd. He also had a very persistent issue in straying from Awdry’s intended vision of how the engines should be portrayed visually. For example, the titular character James is based off of a G&SWR 403 Class as indicated by his own personal model of him on his layout though Dalby portrays him as a L&YR Class 28 with (for some odd reason) an LMS Fowler tender but he doesn’t even resemble that locomotive. If anything, he looks more like a one-off contractor locomotive with no real-life basis but that’s up for debate. This is a quirk that would continue throughout the remainder of the Railway Series, the Television Series and “All Engines Go!” and is how James is generally accepted to appear, regardless of whether or not this was the design Awdry has intended. James is hardly the only character to be affected by Dalby’s influence and in fairness, I do like his portrayals of the engines but this would cause problems further down the line, though that’s a story for a later time.
The first story “James and the Top Hat” picks up where the previous book left off. Side note, it’s worth pointing out that this is the first instance in which Sir Topham Hatt is referred to as “The Fat Controller” rather than “The Fat Director”, which would continue to remain his nickname for the rest of the Railway Series and the television series, eventually being phased out with “All Engines Go!”. Though to be fair, neither name would fly in a modern children’s book. This story feels more like an exposition story to establish James’ character and to set up the next story. I often forget this is its own individual story as the television adaptation combines this and the next story to form one single episode and I feel that works a lot better as the first story is quite uneventful. In summary, James accidentally blows off Sir Topham Hatt’s top hat and becomes paranoid over getting in trouble for it. We don’t see the resolution for this until the next story, making this one feel rather shallow as a stand-alone experience. At the very least, there is a largely inconsequential but fairly wholesome character interaction between Edward and James that was unfortunately omitted from the television adaption that at least makes the original version stand out but overall, this is one of Awdry’s weaker stories. It’s not bad by any means and certainly nowhere near the likes of “Edward Strikes Out” or “Fiery Flynn”, but for James’ first of many memorable and iconic lead roles, this one leaves a bit to be desired.
The second story “James and the Bootlace” immediately follows from the first and it’s here where we see some of James’ flaws - he’s somewhat quick-tempered, easy to piss off and will half-ass his work if in a bad mood. He also seems to have a bit of an ego complex surrounding his paintwork, citing that he is superior to Gordon because he is “only painted blue”. This is a more interesting line in retrospect as, when looking at the Railway Series exclusively, this is the only time in the entire series that James comments on his color whereas this would become an integral part of his character in television series, starting from the third series. In the HiT era onwards, James’ character would essentially be reduced to constant swaggering about his good looks, something that would become especially apparent in the CGI Series and has even transitioned into his relatively sparse appearances in “All Engines Go!” which makes it crazy to think that this very significant facet of his character was a mere throwaway line in the Railway Series. Beyond that, most of James’ other essential character traits are established here, potentially making this his most significant story despite the actual story not having too much to write home about. It’s yet another example of the ‘karma’ story that Awdry seems to love and I particularly appreciate that at the end of the story, James completely shuts up and goes the rest of his journey knowing that everyone else will literally kick his ass once he gets home. Much like how “Thomas and the Trucks” was Thomas’ downfall story, this is James’s, the one that brings James back to down to Earth and sets him straight. It’s an alright story with a fairly entertaining resolution but is held back by a lack of character interaction and being relatively dull even by early Railway Series standards.
If “James and the Bootlace” was James’ downfall story, “Troublesome Trucks” is his redemption story. This is easily the highlight of James’ arc and shows that, whilst he is slow to accept responsibility, he will make a genuine attempt to set things right once he does. This establishes another type of Awdry-style story, typical examples of which are “Edward’s Exploit” and “Old Faithful”, the type where a character persistently overcomes a struggle against all odds. It’s a type of story that Awdry particularly excelled at, one that is greatly benefitted by the cohesive nature of each book and the overarching narratives their individual stories form. In this case, Troublesome Trucks is the culmination of the first two stories where James is at his lowest point. The stakes here may not be as high as the likes of other similar stories, there’s no real threat of James losing his job or being scrapped but this feels more like a personal struggle. James rejecting help from Edward and continuing to preserve through a difficult job is testament to that and a great character moment for him, showing his honest desire to prove his worth on his own merits rather than relying on the help of others such as Thomas or Edward as in previous stories. It’s also somewhat poetic that he ultimately redeems himself by having to deal with trucks considering that his debut story depicts him being victim of a brutal accident at the hands of the trucks. This is a great story that I feel is benefitted by the visuals and soundtrack of the television adaptation but is a very unique lead role for James as many of his future stories don’t typically depict any of his triumphs.
Funnily enough, despite “Troublesome Trucks” being James’ tale of redemption, there is still one more story that follows it. “James and the Express” is equal parts a James story as it is a Gordon story. Aside from Edward, James hasn’t had any meaningful interaction with any other character in this book and this story rectifies that by adding Henry and Gordon into the mix. Despite having proved himself to The Fat Controller, James is still belittled by Henry and Gordon who constantly remind him of his mistakes. In true Awdry fashion, however, Gordon receives a good dose of karma and James comes out on top by pulling the express in his stead. There’s not much going on plot-wise but I love the dynamic between Gordon and James in this story. It begins with Gordon imposing his superiority on James but the moment he slips up, James is extremely quick to hop on Gordon’s ass and show him up. However, the two find a newfound respect for each other by the end and bond over their dislike of trucks, a nice callback to “Edward and Gordon”. We see this dynamic numerous times in future stories, often banding together alongside Henry to make up one of the most iconic trios in the series, one that we unfortunately don’t see beyond the fifth season of the television series but continued to have great prevalence in this books. This is one I didn’t care much about when I was younger but now I find it to be a very overlooked story and a very nice conclusion to James’ arc.
Overall, “James the Red Engine” is a decent entry, though not as good as the one that came before it. The first half of the book feels rather slow and uneventful though the second half definitely picks up the slack. It’s rather interesting that this is James’ only spotlight book in the original 26. It wouldn’t be until Christopher Awdry took the reigns that James would receive another book to himself, though he was at least the focus of several stories following this book such as “Dirty Objects”, “Double Header”’and “Buzz, Buzz”. I get the impression that Awdry did not have many plans for James beyond this book, however, as many of his roles in later stories group him alongside Gordon and Henry without much individual spotlight. I suspect this is a result of Awdry viewing this book as his least favorite and I can certainly see why that is, it’s not quite as remarkable as the other entries but is still a worthwhile read. “Troublesome Trucks” and “James and the Express” are fantastic stories and are some of the best James-centric stories the books have to offer. Whilst I believe James was better utilised and understood by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton as shown by his more frequent starring roles in the television series, this book served as the basis by how James should be written and is proof that no matter whether or not Awdry favored a particular character, he would always make an effort to make them as three-dimensional as possible.
Individual Story Ratings:
• James and the Top Hat (2/5)
• James and the Bootlace (3/5)
• Troublesome Trucks (5/5)
• James and the Express (4/5)
Before I delve into the actual book, it’s worth pointing out that this is the first one to feature illustrations by C. Reginald Dalby who took over from Reginald Payne who had only worked on “Thomas the Tank Engine” before retiring from art altogether due to mental health complications surrounding his involvement in the military. Dalby’s tenure on the Railway Series was very interesting and, for better and for worse, extremely influential in solidifying the designs of many characters in both future volumes and the television series thirty years later. I won’t go into too much detail here but in short, Dalby’s illustrations are very flawed but still very pleasant and he certainly had a great eye for detail. His faces (for the most part) are also iconic, many of which served as the basis for the clay-moulded facemasks used in the television series. However, Dalby’s main problem came down to perspective, many characters are very proportionally inconsistent and many illustrations, particularly in the first and last stories, can look quite odd. He also had a very persistent issue in straying from Awdry’s intended vision of how the engines should be portrayed visually. For example, the titular character James is based off of a G&SWR 403 Class as indicated by his own personal model of him on his layout though Dalby portrays him as a L&YR Class 28 with (for some odd reason) an LMS Fowler tender but he doesn’t even resemble that locomotive. If anything, he looks more like a one-off contractor locomotive with no real-life basis but that’s up for debate. This is a quirk that would continue throughout the remainder of the Railway Series, the Television Series and “All Engines Go!” and is how James is generally accepted to appear, regardless of whether or not this was the design Awdry has intended. James is hardly the only character to be affected by Dalby’s influence and in fairness, I do like his portrayals of the engines but this would cause problems further down the line, though that’s a story for a later time.
The first story “James and the Top Hat” picks up where the previous book left off. Side note, it’s worth pointing out that this is the first instance in which Sir Topham Hatt is referred to as “The Fat Controller” rather than “The Fat Director”, which would continue to remain his nickname for the rest of the Railway Series and the television series, eventually being phased out with “All Engines Go!”. Though to be fair, neither name would fly in a modern children’s book. This story feels more like an exposition story to establish James’ character and to set up the next story. I often forget this is its own individual story as the television adaptation combines this and the next story to form one single episode and I feel that works a lot better as the first story is quite uneventful. In summary, James accidentally blows off Sir Topham Hatt’s top hat and becomes paranoid over getting in trouble for it. We don’t see the resolution for this until the next story, making this one feel rather shallow as a stand-alone experience. At the very least, there is a largely inconsequential but fairly wholesome character interaction between Edward and James that was unfortunately omitted from the television adaption that at least makes the original version stand out but overall, this is one of Awdry’s weaker stories. It’s not bad by any means and certainly nowhere near the likes of “Edward Strikes Out” or “Fiery Flynn”, but for James’ first of many memorable and iconic lead roles, this one leaves a bit to be desired.
The second story “James and the Bootlace” immediately follows from the first and it’s here where we see some of James’ flaws - he’s somewhat quick-tempered, easy to piss off and will half-ass his work if in a bad mood. He also seems to have a bit of an ego complex surrounding his paintwork, citing that he is superior to Gordon because he is “only painted blue”. This is a more interesting line in retrospect as, when looking at the Railway Series exclusively, this is the only time in the entire series that James comments on his color whereas this would become an integral part of his character in television series, starting from the third series. In the HiT era onwards, James’ character would essentially be reduced to constant swaggering about his good looks, something that would become especially apparent in the CGI Series and has even transitioned into his relatively sparse appearances in “All Engines Go!” which makes it crazy to think that this very significant facet of his character was a mere throwaway line in the Railway Series. Beyond that, most of James’ other essential character traits are established here, potentially making this his most significant story despite the actual story not having too much to write home about. It’s yet another example of the ‘karma’ story that Awdry seems to love and I particularly appreciate that at the end of the story, James completely shuts up and goes the rest of his journey knowing that everyone else will literally kick his ass once he gets home. Much like how “Thomas and the Trucks” was Thomas’ downfall story, this is James’s, the one that brings James back to down to Earth and sets him straight. It’s an alright story with a fairly entertaining resolution but is held back by a lack of character interaction and being relatively dull even by early Railway Series standards.
If “James and the Bootlace” was James’ downfall story, “Troublesome Trucks” is his redemption story. This is easily the highlight of James’ arc and shows that, whilst he is slow to accept responsibility, he will make a genuine attempt to set things right once he does. This establishes another type of Awdry-style story, typical examples of which are “Edward’s Exploit” and “Old Faithful”, the type where a character persistently overcomes a struggle against all odds. It’s a type of story that Awdry particularly excelled at, one that is greatly benefitted by the cohesive nature of each book and the overarching narratives their individual stories form. In this case, Troublesome Trucks is the culmination of the first two stories where James is at his lowest point. The stakes here may not be as high as the likes of other similar stories, there’s no real threat of James losing his job or being scrapped but this feels more like a personal struggle. James rejecting help from Edward and continuing to preserve through a difficult job is testament to that and a great character moment for him, showing his honest desire to prove his worth on his own merits rather than relying on the help of others such as Thomas or Edward as in previous stories. It’s also somewhat poetic that he ultimately redeems himself by having to deal with trucks considering that his debut story depicts him being victim of a brutal accident at the hands of the trucks. This is a great story that I feel is benefitted by the visuals and soundtrack of the television adaptation but is a very unique lead role for James as many of his future stories don’t typically depict any of his triumphs.
Funnily enough, despite “Troublesome Trucks” being James’ tale of redemption, there is still one more story that follows it. “James and the Express” is equal parts a James story as it is a Gordon story. Aside from Edward, James hasn’t had any meaningful interaction with any other character in this book and this story rectifies that by adding Henry and Gordon into the mix. Despite having proved himself to The Fat Controller, James is still belittled by Henry and Gordon who constantly remind him of his mistakes. In true Awdry fashion, however, Gordon receives a good dose of karma and James comes out on top by pulling the express in his stead. There’s not much going on plot-wise but I love the dynamic between Gordon and James in this story. It begins with Gordon imposing his superiority on James but the moment he slips up, James is extremely quick to hop on Gordon’s ass and show him up. However, the two find a newfound respect for each other by the end and bond over their dislike of trucks, a nice callback to “Edward and Gordon”. We see this dynamic numerous times in future stories, often banding together alongside Henry to make up one of the most iconic trios in the series, one that we unfortunately don’t see beyond the fifth season of the television series but continued to have great prevalence in this books. This is one I didn’t care much about when I was younger but now I find it to be a very overlooked story and a very nice conclusion to James’ arc.
Overall, “James the Red Engine” is a decent entry, though not as good as the one that came before it. The first half of the book feels rather slow and uneventful though the second half definitely picks up the slack. It’s rather interesting that this is James’ only spotlight book in the original 26. It wouldn’t be until Christopher Awdry took the reigns that James would receive another book to himself, though he was at least the focus of several stories following this book such as “Dirty Objects”, “Double Header”’and “Buzz, Buzz”. I get the impression that Awdry did not have many plans for James beyond this book, however, as many of his roles in later stories group him alongside Gordon and Henry without much individual spotlight. I suspect this is a result of Awdry viewing this book as his least favorite and I can certainly see why that is, it’s not quite as remarkable as the other entries but is still a worthwhile read. “Troublesome Trucks” and “James and the Express” are fantastic stories and are some of the best James-centric stories the books have to offer. Whilst I believe James was better utilised and understood by Britt Allcroft and David Mitton as shown by his more frequent starring roles in the television series, this book served as the basis by how James should be written and is proof that no matter whether or not Awdry favored a particular character, he would always make an effort to make them as three-dimensional as possible.
Individual Story Ratings:
• James and the Top Hat (2/5)
• James and the Bootlace (3/5)
• Troublesome Trucks (5/5)
• James and the Express (4/5)
January 8, 2021
Third book in The Railway series introduces James and tells us the trains had been nationalised and The Fat Director from the first two books was now called The Fat Controller, who many years later who is not longer a fat man.
Anyway I digress, this is another fun four stories from this universe.
Good fun!
Anyway I digress, this is another fun four stories from this universe.
Good fun!
December 30, 2021
Yeah, I’ve gotta admit that the first two stories do feel a tad rushed. Honestly though, this isn’t too bad. Awdry probably did the best he could with alleged time constraints. The last two stories were quite nice and I personally like the illustrations. I loved James in the series and I still do. On to the next one!
November 4, 2022
The original Thomas the Tank Engine series, by Reverend W. Awdry, is a rare but impressive set of stories for young children: it includes moral lessons, complexity of character and distinctive and deep use of language. (Unfortunately, these are not captured in the more recent books spawned by the popular franchise.) The original series uses an assortment of transportation machinery (engines, buses, tractors, trucks, carriages, etc.) to bring to life various personality types and temperaments. The engines, mirroring the maturity-level of young boys, have adventures, learn about their own weaknesses, face the consequences of their decisions, and grow in character.
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Books Worth Reading
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Books Worth Reading
September 11, 2025
As a Thomas collector, this book is great. The Railway Series by the Reverend Awdry. Includes 4 fantastic stories about James the red Tender engine. This book Can be read as night stories for children, or enjoyment for collectors :)
August 13, 2023
Un libro de estoicismo para niños
James bien tranqui haciendo su chamba sin importarle lo que Gordon diga sobre el o haga para fastidiarlo. Una locomotora calmada y en control 👌😼
James bien tranqui haciendo su chamba sin importarle lo que Gordon diga sobre el o haga para fastidiarlo. Una locomotora calmada y en control 👌😼
March 31, 2025
It was a beloved children’s book in the 1980s. However as a grandchild’s book it seems to lack something. Not a story to grip the youth of today.
April 4, 2025
It's kind of a more boring version of Thomas the Tank Engine. I can understand why this was Awdry's least favorite one. But it still is good, even if not on the same level as later books in the series.
July 29, 2024
James is the engine who is often known for being boastful and overly prideful about his appearance. In this book James learns a lesson about humility short quick stories that can be read anytime and taken anywhere.
February 18, 2008
press the front cover plays a tune :)
August 9, 2016
Notes:
we read these books so many times
the classic series is the only way to enjoy Thomas
we read these books so many times
the classic series is the only way to enjoy Thomas
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews