James and the Diesel Engines

He's a really splendid engine.
Shiny, shiny engine.
He's the really splendid engine
Yep, that's our James.
That's James.

Alright. James is back in the spotlight for this book: James and the Diesel Engines.

Old Stuck Up.

A haughty diesel comes to Sodor and insults the steam engines as BoCo shows him round. James is cross and calls the diesel "Old Stuck Up". Next day, the diesel remembers all too late that he has to be refuelled and cleaned before going home, but ends up crashing into the sheds and making himself a laughing stock for the Sudrians to talk about when they get to the sheds.

I have a feeling this story is a bit... Underwhelming. It's good, but I feel it needs something extra. We haven't seen much of Bear, and here's how I think his persona would be like. After several years of being on Sodor, Bear knows that the engines trust him completely, as he trusts them completely. He is a very outgoing and friendly sort, but his feelings can be hurt rather easily. What I was thinking, is that he could talk to James to try to convince him that not every diesel that doesn't live on Sodor is like Stuck Up. But, it backfires and Bear is worried, then gets a little pep talk from Henry (as a sort of follow up to "Super Rescue", if you will.). And, maybe put Bear in place of BoCo for this story. I mean, BoCo would have work to do on Edward's branch, most likely. So, for the story itself, it doesn't hold up too badly, but it isn't great either.

Score: 7/10

Crossed Lines:

James is off put by the fact that most diesels have two cabs, as they may not be able to tell if they are coming or going. He is then made to go out on a misty day to take a goods train of well wagons. After a signalman mistakes another engine's whistle for James, he sets the points and James ends up in a mess when a well wagon knocks a signal down.

I do like the explanation of a well wagon, bogie wheels on both ends with a low section in the middle to put machinery. But, there are a few problems. How did the signalman mistake another engine's whistle for James? Was he half deaf or something? At least, that's how I put it in my rewrite. Another minor thing, is why did Sir Topham not tell the signalman off? It was his fault that well wagons crashed, not James. Now, if James was ready and he forgot to whistle, then the accident happened, that would make it James' fault. Not a perfect story, but it was pretty good.

Score: 7.5/10

Fire Engine:

The engines are talking about the paint colours they had over the course of their lives, when Henry comments that he doesn't want to be painted red as he will look like a fire engine. (What year was this book written? 2011? No? 1984. Oh.). James manages to turn the joke on Henry, and he is furious next day when he takes his coaches out, and creates a fire on the rails. Edward takes the train in his place and now the others are careful what to say around Henry when it comes to fire engines.

Zack seems to prefer the turn Christopher has taken with Henry, but, I disagree. Personally, I think we need one of the "big engine trio" to show more kindness towards the smaller engines then the other two. And, with episodes like "Henry's Forest", the big green engine seems like the perfect candidate.

Onto the story itself, I do like the mention of what colours the engines were painted prior to being a Sodor engine. And, this is somewhat unintended foreshadowing when Henry said that he wouldn't want to be red. Uh... Be careful what you say, Henry because... Oops. Can't give away anything here. The moral is good too: sometimes teasing can lead to huge consequences, like starting a fire by accident.

Score: 9/10

Deep Freeze:

A few months after the last story, James has a drink at the water tower that gets his ejector frozen. A diesel wants to help him back to the sheds, but James doesn't want to go. At last, he gives in and the diesel is so friendly that he wins James over and they become friends.

A very simple one, but it does show to James that not all diesels are bad, just like Daisy, Mavis, BoCo, Bear and Rusty at this point in time. I wish the diesel could have said something or we learned his name, but I guess we won't get that in canon. Zack also notes that the moral feels like Dragon Quest done right, but I'd say no. We gotta remember that dragons grow on greed, and if they don't, they will be Spike's age and size forever. (Hence when Spike reverts back to baby form when he remembers when he gave Rarity the fire ruby.). Diesels on the contrary, don't grow at all, instead they just learn from their mistakes and become more mature, unless they are silly enough to toss their morals out the window... So to speak. Stories like this also make me wonder if there are any bad steam engines out on heritage railways who don't learn their lessons... That would be interesting...

Score: 8.5/10

Other tidbits of info:

The engine Old Stuck Up - 40125 (D325), was withdrawn and scrapped in 1981 at Swindon Works, three years before the book was published. It's either this book takes place before the withdrawal, or the fictional diesel escaped the scrapyards somehow. Also, there are seven locos and one cab in preservation today.

Duck mentions that he knew an engine called King James I, a GWR Kings Class built 1928, withdrawn 1962 and scrapped two years later. That said however, three Kings are in preservation.

The works diesel, a class 47 who lives at Crovens Gate, is open to be called anything you want. Austin and I call him "Brush", after the place he was built at. I'm fairly certain Zack calls him "Christopher", after the 2nd author of the books, but I might be mistaken. Currently, this class of engine is being withdrawn too, but there are still about 30 of these kicking about on the mainline, and there is bond to be some preserved examples somewhere.

Final thoughts:

The book is alright, but the first story is a bit of a letdown. That being said, James does get some good character development by learning that not all diesels are the same. Still, maybe something with Bear could make for a good story?

Total score: 32/40