Trainz - James in a Mess (RS)

"Look here, Percy. Whatever is that dirty object?" "That's James, didn't you know?" "It's James' shape, but James is a splendid red engine, and you never see his paint dirty!" ―Toby and Percy teasing James Dirty Objects, retitled James in a Mess in American releases, is the twenty-third episode of the first season. In the US, it aired on the Shining Time Station episodes Finders Keepers in 1989 and A Dog's Life in 1991. Toby and Henrietta are settling into their new lives on the Island of Sodor, but they still look very old-fashioned and could use new paint. Due to their bad paintwork, the two become a subject of scorn for James who calls them "dirty objects." When Toby asks why James is red, James says that it is because he is a splendid engine who is never dirty and ready for anything. Toby then reminds James of the bootlace incident, causing James to become furious. Later, James leaves his coaches and picks up a line of cars for a slow freight train. James' bad mood is made even worse due to his hate of slow freight trains. Although the cars start off behaving well, James is so rough with them that they vow to pay him out. As he climbs Gordon's Hill, James is supposed to wait and have his brakes pinned down. James, who had an accident with cars before, should have remembered this, but forgets as he is too busy thinking of what he will say to Toby next time they meet. Seizing their chance, the cars push James down the hill. Unable to stop, James runs through the station and crashes into some tar tankers. Although James is not badly hurt, he is covered from smoke box to cab in tar, leaving him looking very dirty. Percy and Toby come to help clean up the mess and Toby makes fun of James reminding him that, as a red engine, he is supposed to look splendid and ready for anything. Percy and Toby take James back to the sheds where Sir Topham Hatt is waiting. He thanks Percy and Toby for their hard work and tells James that he needs to be cleaned. Sir Topham Hatt awards Toby a new coat of paint and agrees when Toby requests one for Henrietta too. Toby happily runs off to tell his coach the good news while James remains silent, knowing full well that today he is a "dirty object."