James in a Mess


 * “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 series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Toby the Tram Engine.

Plot
Toby and Henrietta are settling into their new lives on the Island of Sodor, though they still look very old-fashioned and need new paint. Due to their bad paintwork, the two become a subject of scorn for James who calls them "dirty objects." Offended, Toby asks why James is red and James says that it is because he is a splendid engine who is never dirty and ready for anything. Toby then teases James by reminding him of the bootlace incident, causing James to become angry.

Later, at the end of the line, James leaves his coaches and prepares for his next train. He picks up a line of trucks for a slow goods train at each station. James' mood is worsened due to his dislike of slow goods trains. Although the trucks start off behaving well, James is so rough with them that they end up being determined to pay him back. As he starts to climb up Gordon's Hill, James is supposed to stop and have his brakes pinned down. James, who had an accident with trucks before, should remember this, but forgets as he is too busy thinking of what he will say to Toby next time they meet. Seeing their chance, the trucks push James down the hill. Unable to stop, James runs out of control through the station and crashes into a line of tar tankers and derails with his trucks.

Although James is not badly hurt, he is covered from smoke box to cab in tar, while the tar tankers and some of the trucks are completely destroyed. 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. An embarrassed James pretends he had not heard them. Percy and Toby take James back to Tidmouth Sheds where the Fat Controller is waiting. He commends Percy and Toby for their hard work and tells James he needs to be cleaned.

The Fat Controller awards Toby a new coat of paint and accepts Toby's request that Henrietta have one as well. Toby happily runs off to tell her the good news while James remains silent, knowing full well that he is the "dirty object."

Characters

 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Henrietta  (does not speak)
 * Gordon  (mentioned)

Locations

 * Elsbridge
 * Maron
 * Maron Signals Runby
 * Maron Bridge  (deleted scene)
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Knapford
 * The Cow Field
 * The Viaduct  (deleted scene)

Trivia

 * When James races down the hill, the footage is sped up.
 * A deleted scene of James crashing into the tar tankers is used in the song, "Troublesome Trucks".
 * Stock footage from "Troublesome Trucks" is used.
 * On its original broadcast, this episode was paired with "Thomas' Christmas Party". However, early VHS releases have it paired with "Off the Rails", as do Norwegian and Swedish broadcasts.
 * In the Shining Time Station episode, "A Dog's Life", a few seconds of the beginning and end were cut.
 * When James crashes into the tar wagons, the crash sound in both the Ringo Starr versions is much louder than all the other versions, including George Carlin's narration.
 * In most narrations, Percy whistles after Toby's bell as they set to work clearing the mess and freeing James. It is absent in both of the Ringo Starr narrations.
 * This episode marks the last appearance of Maron Station until the sixth series episode, "Percy and the Haunted Mine".
 * A CGI recreation of James' crash was made for the twenty-third series episode, "Chucklesome Trucks".

Goofs

 * When James leaves Elsbridge, his brake coach is at the rear of his train, but when he arrives at Knapford, his brake coach has moved to the middle of his train, and his whistle is crooked.
 * During the stock footage, when James is on Gordon's Hill with the trucks, a piece of string can be seen pulling him up.
 * When James races through Maron, his brake van becomes brown.
 * In the shot of the tar wagons, James cannot be seen racing through the station.
 * The narrator said there were two tar wagons, but there are four.
 * When James crashes, the truck at the front is missing its buffers and face. Blu tack is also visible in James' tender.
 * In the scene prior to James rushing through the station, a signal tower can be seen showing all clear, even though the train of tar wagons is on the line ahead. The signal before Maron also shows all clear.
 * In the Latin American version, when the narrator says "they run into their buffers and pushed him down off the hill," James is incorrectly referred to as Henry.
 * When James crashes into the tar wagons, he comes off the rails, but when Toby and Percy come to help, his position of derailment changes.
 * When Toby says "...and you never see his paint dirty," the edge of the set is visible.
 * When Percy and Toby arrive at the yards, the man next to the Fat Controller has blu tack on his feet.
 * When Toby asks James why he is red, he is missing his eyebrows.
 * When James says "Dirty trucks from dirty sidings!" his eyes are misaligned.
 * In a picture of Percy and Toby teasing James, a few of the workmen can be seen fallen over, one of whom appears to be missing legs.
 * When James is ready to pull the trucks, chuffing sounds are heard before he moves and the tracks next to him come to an end.
 * In the close-up of James going down Gordon's hill, his tender is missing.
 * When James arrives at Elsbridge, his eyes jump up before he stops in the station.
 * In the close-up of Sir Topham Hatt, he has a hole in his chin.
 * In Ringo Starr's US narration, when James says "Blegh!" and when Sir Topham Hatt says "Fancy letting your cars run away. I am surprised," the audio from the UK version can be faintly heard in the background.
 * When Toby was talking to James, Percy's coupling hook is not hooked to him.

Merchandise

 * Buzz Books - James and the Tar Wagons
 * Ladybird Books - Thomas and Terence and James and the Tar Wagons

UK

 * Further Adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
 * Coal and other stories
 * Troublesome Trucks, Coal and other stories
 * Thomas the Tank Engine
 * Chases, Races and Runaways
 * Biggest Party Video Ever!
 * The Complete Series 1
 * Thomas in Trouble

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection

US

 * Thomas Breaks the Rules and Other Stories  (Ringo Starr's narration)
 * Thomas Gets Tricked and Other Stories  (1992 release)
 * Thomas and His Friends Get Along
 * Best of James
 * The Early Years  (Ringo Starr's UK narration)
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 1

DVD/VHS Packs

 * Special Video Collector's Set
 * Thomas' Fan Favorite Adventures
 * Best Tales on the Tracks
 * Best of Collection
 * Best of Thomas, Percy and James Platinum Edition
 * Best of James/Best of Thomas  Double Feature
 * Totally Thomas Volume 2

AUS

 * Coal and other stories
 * The Complete Series 1

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series One and Series Two Double Pack

NZ

 * Coal and other stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 2
 * Percy Runs Away and Other Stories

FRA

 * The Talkative Trains

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.6
 * A Lot of Engines!
 * The Complete DVD Box 1
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.3

PHL

 * The Flying Kipper

IND

 * Thomas and Bertie Adventures

MYS

 * Toby and the Stout Gentleman and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Tenders and Turntables and Other Adventures

NOR/FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 3

NL

 * A Nasty Case
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, James and Henry

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

GER

 * Show What You Can!
 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 3
 * Toby and the Elegant Men and 4 Other Adventures
 * In The Mine

DVD Boxsets

 * Thomas and His Friends Box Set 2

ITA

 * The Grumpy Locomotive

ROM

 * Thomas and Percy

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 1

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 2

HRV

 * Thomas in Trouble

WAL

 * Letting Off Steam and 8 Other Stories

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 4

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 3  (VCD)
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 7  (DVD)

DNK

 * Thomas in Trouble and Other Stories