James the red engine thinks he's splendid. He always minds his coat of paint and usually puts more effort into that than he does into his work. However, he is still really useful and does his best to impress the Fat Controller.
One morning at Tidmouth Sheds, the Fat Controller arrived to speak with James.
"James," he boomed "I have a special job for you."
James beamed and instantly became boastful. "Look at me!" He said to the other engines. "I'm about to get a special job. This job is obviously meant for only splendid red engines like me."
The Fat Controller cleared his throat. "James!" He boomed. "May I finish?"
James turned red with embarrassment. "Yes sir." He said, meekly. "Sorry, sir."
"Now," said the Fat Controller "your special job is that I need you to go down to help out at the China Clay Pits."
James was shocked. "But sir!!!" He cried. "I'll get all dirty there! It's-"
"Really useful engines do as they are told." Sir Topham Hatt interrupted and he left.
Once Sir Topham Hatt was gone, the other engines laughed.
"Not so splendid now, James?" Gordon chortled.
"Oh dear, how will you ever survive with your your paint all dirty?" Put-in Percy.
James sighed.
"It's alright, James." Said Thomas. "You're being a really useful engine. That's what matters the most."
James didn't feel any better, unfortunately, and he left the sheds, grumbling.
Later that day, James arrived at the China Clay Pits. He was greeted by Timothy.
"Hello, there." Said Timothy. "You must be James?
"Yes." Sighed James.
"Well, welcome to the China Clay Pits! We're glad you're here to help!"
"We?" Asked James.
"Why, yes!" Timothy Replied. "I'm not the only one working here. I work with Marion and Bill and Ben."
James was shocked. He almost forgot that Bill and Ben worked at the China Clay Pits. He became cross.
"Bill and Ben?" He cried. "I can't possibly work with those two... rats!"
Timothy was shocked. "Oh, they're not that bad, James. Yes, they play tricks often but, they're really useful."
However, James didn't agree one bit.
Just then, Bill and Ben puffed up besides Timothy.
"Hello, James." Said Ben, cheekily.
" Yes, welcome to the China Clay Pits." Added Bill. "We have some tucks to shunt for you. Follow us."
James sighed and he followed the twins to the sidings.
Bill and Ben did not treat the trucks well. The trucks didn't like Bill and Ben at all.
"Are you sure you two know what you're doing?" Called James.
"Yes!" Said Bill, straining. "Everything's just fine!"
At last, Bill and Ben successfully shunted James' train. Timothy puffed up beside him.
"Now, it's off to the docks with you, James." He said. And with that, James buffered up to his train and set off.
James was having a difficult journey. The trucks weren't behaving and James was getting annoyed.
"Come on, you stupid trucks!" He called.
However, the trucks were cross. Because of Bill and Ben, they became angry and wanted to take it out on James.
"On, on, on!" They cried. "Faster! Faster!"
"Stop! Stop!" Cried James.
Then, James reached Gordon's hill. He sped straight up and came rocketing down the other side.
"Help! Help!" He cried. He applied his brakes, but they were no use. The brake van didn't help either.
A quick-thinking signalman diverted James onto an old branch line. The rails were old and rusty. Bushes scraped James' paintwork.
"Not my red paint!" He cried.
Finally, he reached a pair of buffers. The buffers were old, however, and James crashed right through them. He stopped once his front buffer beam was deep in a muddy pond.
Soon, Harvey arrived with a crane. As he set to work, the Fat Controller arrived as well. He was very cross.
"James," he boomed "I thought I could trust you to take care with troublesome trucks."
"But sir!" James wailed. "It's not-"
"Save your excuses James." Said Sir Topham Hatt. "I don't want to hear it right now. I must go." And the Fat Controller left.
Soon, James was back at the China Clay Pits. His buffer beam was washed off, but the rest of him was left to be very dirty. Bill and Ben puffed up beside him.
"Look at you!" Exclaimed Bill. "Whatever happened?"
James was fuming! "You both well know what happened!" He cried.
"Nonsense." Said Ben, sarcastically. "We know nothing."
"You two made those trucks cross on purpose! You tricked-" but James was interrupted by the laughter coming from the twins. Bill and Ben then quickly puffed away, leaving James very cross indeed.
For the rest of the day, James stayed at the pits, trying his best to avoid Bill and Ben.
As James was shunting some trucks under the hopper, James was startled by a large shadow slowly approaching him. The shape was of something he had never seen before.
"Who's there?" James cried.
Then, to James' surprise, a steam shovel puffed up beside him.
"Hello! It's only me, Marion!" Said Marion, the steam shovel. "Did I scare you?"
"A little." James replied.
"Oh dear, I do apologize. It seems that me scaring other engines is becoming a habit!"
James looked at Marion, speechless.
"Well," said Marion. "This is is embarrassing. I don't recall meeting you before. What is your name?"
"My name-"
"Mine is Marion! I'm a self-propelled steam shovel and proud of it! I have a shovel, you see, and it works by steam and... oh, you haven't told me your name yet. I'm sorry, what is it?"
"It's-"
"You know what I love? Digging! I love digging! And when I'm not, I like to think about digging. But, thinking about digging is not as much fun as actually digging. Ah, yes, digging is what I was made for!"
"Do you want to know my name?" Cried James.
"Oh, yes. Sorry." Said Marion, meekly.
"My name is-" but James was interrupted by a siren.
Timothy shouted from the other side of the Clay Pits. "There's an avalanche in the southwest quarter! Marion! James! Get out of there!"
"Where's Bill and Ben?" Cried Marion as she began to back up.
Then, James noticed Bill and Ben right under the spot of the avalanche, about to be buried alive. Some falling rocks had dented some of their parts and they could not move. James quickly raced towards them.
"Hey, red engine!" Cried Marion. "Where are you going?"
But James didn't reply. He just puffed on towards Bill and Ben.
Bill and Ben were coupled together. Once James arrived, his driver quickly coupled him to the twins and James pulled as hard as he could.
Luckily, James pulled Bill and Ben out of the southwest quarter just in time.
After the avalanche was over and after the engines were given the "all clear", James, Marion, and Timothy set straight to work, clearing the rubble on the tracks.
That night. James was getting ready to leave for Tidmouth. His stay at the the China Clay Pits had come to an end.
Bill spoke up, "Thanks, James." He said. "You saved us from disaster."
"Yes." Said Ben in agreement. "Even though we were naughty and tricked you. We're sorry."
James was still a bit cross at Bill and Ben for what they have done, but he realized the twins really were sorry and were grateful.
"Oh, it alright." Said James. "Nobody deserves to get squashed by an avalanche. Even you two. Now, I must be going home now. I enjoyed myself here. Thank you, everyone for a great time!"
The engines cheered as James departed the Clay Pits.
"Good bye, James!" Called Bill, Ben, and Timothy.
"Oh!" Said Marion. "So, that's his name! Good bye, James!" And the engines couldn't help but just laugh.