James' first try

based on "James and the top-hat" and "James and the bootlace" by Rev. W. Awdry

James is a tall, slender boy. He has short blonde hair and wears a bright red T-Shirt. He goes to Knapford preschool with Thomas in his class. Recently, James had recovered from his accident at the field, when his bicycle's brakes caught fire. But after Thomas saved him, he received a new bicycle with better proper brakes, and he was also given a new choice of clothing and a new haircut. Now, he felt like a whole different person. Instead of being casual and occasionally friendly, he began to act more vain and confident.

One morning, after Edward was done preparing for the tender engine's passenger train and he was having a rest at the platform, Sir Topham Hatt came to see Edward.

STH: Well done, Edward. I've never seen a child work harder on my railway than you do. I'm very proud of you.

EDWARD: Thank you, sir.

STH: Now, I want to tell you something. You know James, don't you?

EDWARD: Yes I do, sir. He is in my class at Knapford preschool.

STH: That's good. Because he is new to working with engines, I want you to help him work properly with them and learn the ways of our railway.

EDWARD: I won't let you down, sir.

Sir Topham Hatt smiled and then went back to his office.

Later, James got a call from Edward, and Edward told him what Sir Topham Hatt had told him. James agreed to his idea and promised to meet him the next day.

On the next day, James left his house and went to Knapford station. Edward was waiting at the platform and was pleased to see James when he arrived.

EDWARD: Hello, James. Are you ready to prepare for your passenger run?

JAMES: I am absolutely ready, Edward! Show me how it's done.

Edward remembered everything he had been taught earlier and passed over the advisory to James. He showed him how to couple up the engine to the coaches, with help from the shunter and to wait patiently until all the passengers got on board, and the guard on board the brakecoach. James really liked being helpful at the station. And when Edward's driver and fireman friends backed down their engine in front of the engine James was in, he got more excited. He wanted to begin the journey right away, so he pulled on a switch in the engine's cab. But instead of making it go forward, James unintentionally made it wheesh a lot of steam, all over Sir Topham Hatt, who was out on the platform observing the engines. Now, his top-hat was all wet.

JAMES: Oops…

James was worried. He really wanted to begin the journey quickly, not because he was excited, but because he wanted to leave before Sir Topham Hatt found out about him. At last, the two tender engines pulled out of the station and went on their way along the main line.

Everything ran smoothly from there, and James took care to stay out of trouble. They came to a stop at Elsbridge. This was the junction with the Ffarquhar branch line. Thomas was waiting at the platform for the passengers to board the tank engine's coaches. Then he saw Edward and James.

THOMAS: Hello Edward! Hello James! Are you enjoying your day?

JAMES: I am, Thomas! I love being on the main line!

THOMAS: That's good.

Then he heard the guard's whistle.

THOMAS: Oh, sorry. Can't stop. I have to get back on the branch line. See you later James! You too, Edward!

And with that, the tank engine puffed away, and so did the two tender engines.

At the next few stations they stopped at, James was on his behaviour. When they finally came to Vicarstown, the big station on the far east of Sodor, Edward and James got out of their engines and decided to have a rest on the platform, while they waited for the engines to turn around and get ready for their journey home again.

JAMES: I'm bored…

EDWARD: Do you want to hear a story, James?

JAMES: Yes, please.

So Edward told James about when Henry got trapped in a cave, and how he and Henry had to deliver the wagon of books for Gordon. James found the story so funny that he laughed a lot. He laughed so hard that after that he got hiccups, and frightened an old lady who was standing nearby and made her drop her parcels. Some porters had to run over and help pick them up for her.

JAMES: Oh no…

Now James was even more worried and that he was really going to be in trouble now.

EDWARD: I'm sorry, James. I don't think I should've told you that story and caused this accident.

JAMES: Don't worry, Edward. It's not your fault, I shouldn't have laughed so loud…

After a while, the two tender engines returned to Knapford station. James thanked the driver and fireman, and waved goodbye to Edward. He hoped he wouldn't be found about everything he caused that day. But he would eventually find out soon enough.

When he got home that day, his parents were in the living room. They didn't look happy at all.

MRS. HUGHES: We have received a phone call from Sir Topham Hatt, that you made his top-hat wet at Knapford station, and a lady drop her parcels at Vicarstown.

JAMES: I'm sorry. I never meant to cause any of that to happen…

MR. HUGHES: We forgive you, James. But you'd better be on your best behaviour now. The next time if you don't we could take away your new clothes and give you back your old ones.

James didn't like the sound of that. He promised both his parents he won't mess up again.

The next day when he came Knapford station, he was still nervous about what his parents warned him, and then became cross. He didn't like having to fetch the coaches and bring them to the platform. When all the passengers boarded the train and the guard waved his green flag, the tender engine puffed out of the station.

JAMES: I'll show them that I can pull coaches just like anyone else!

James pulled on some switches in the cab. The tender engine built up more speed and went faster. The faster the engine went, the harder the coaches began to bump into each other.

DRIVER: James! You shouldn't mess with the controls!

FIREMAN: If we go any faster, there might be an accident!

Then suddenly, the passenger train started to slow down, until it finally came to a stop.

FIREMAN: We'd better go and inspect the damage.

The driver and fireman got out of their engine and walked back to inspect the coaches. The guard came out of the brakecoach and inspected them as well. At last, they were able to figure out the problem.

DRIVER: There's a leak in the pipe. James has banged the coaches hard enough to make a leak in anything.

GUARD: How should we mend it?

FIREMAN: We'll do it with newspapers and a leather bootlace.

GUARD: Has anyone got a bootlace?

None of them had, so they asked the passengers to come out of their coaches. At last, a man who was wearing leather bootlaces on his shoes came out.

GUARD: You there. I see you have a leather bootlace. Please give it to me.

JEREMIAH: No, I shall not.

GUARD: Well, then the train will just have to stop where it is.

Everyone told the guard and the engine's crew what a bad railway it was. At last, the man gave them his bootlace, and the crew was able to tie the newspapers secure over the hole in the pipe to stop it leaking. Now, the train could get moving again. The guard returned to the brakecoach, and the engine's crew went back to their engine. James overheard everything while he waited and felt really foolish now. As the engine continued the journey, he had a feeling his parents would hear about this very soon.