James and the Trouble with Trees

“If you can't push trucks properly, Henry, why not talk to a tree instead? You know how much you like the forest!”

― James taunting Henry

James and the Trouble with Trees is the fifth episode of the fifth season.

Plot

Thomas had been working at the coaling plant all day and is disappointed when he cannot receive a wash-down due to a broken hosepipe, now afraid that the other engines will make fun of him. However, when Thomas returns to the shed, he finds James boasting. James believes he deserves a new coat of paint, as Sir Topham Hatt has told him that he is the pride of the line. Henry contradicts James by saying they are all pride of the line, but James ignores him.

The next morning, while Henry shunts some trucks, they run into a few solid boxes making the first two of them derail. James insults him, saying he should go talk to trees instead. Henry tells James that the Fat Controller was working on removing trees that were too close to the line. Later, James meets Thomas, Percy, and Terence while in the forest removing the trees. James thinks that trees are silly, so the others try to warn him, but the red engine just ignores them.

James then arrives at the station to collect the express, but the Fat Controller re-assigns him to an important goods train. This puts James in a very bad mood. The trucks tease James about shunting and he sets off with the train. They soon reach a hill and begin to climb. An old tree by the side of the line was being blown by the wind. Rain had softened the soil and the tree slowly slides onto the tracks, blocking James' line. Immediately James comes to a stop. He tries to reverse, but the train is too heavy. Luckily, Thomas comes to James' rescue. At first James is afraid Thomas would tease him, but he does not. Thomas helps James move out of the way before the tree falls over.

Back at the yard, James thanks Thomas. Edward comes in to tell them that Thomas will get a re-paint, while James will finally pull the express.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

The third season episode, Henry's Forest is referenced.
The scene of the tree sliding down the embankment is similar to the scene in the 1970 British film adaptation of E. Nesbit's classic children's novel, "The Railway Children", when the three children watch trees sliding down a cutting, causing rocks to fall onto the rails.
In the US version, when the troublesome trucks derail, the crash sounds are completely different.

Goofs

After James leaves Brendam, his trucks lose their faces.
When James' driver applies his brakes to prevent hitting the tree, James' front bogie is derailed.
James says he is to pull the express, but he couples up to red branch line coaches.
At the shunting yard, the two trucks to James' right move positions between the wide and close-up shots.
When Thomas and James start to back away from the tree, Thomas' driver's head looks up, possibly coming off its joints.
When James and Thomas back away from the tree, the tree is standing up again.
In the final shot of James, his face is not fitted properly as the gap between his face and eyes is exposed.
James has a different whistle sound when he leaves the forest, Kirk Ronan, and Brendam Docks.
Thomas is covered in coal dust at the beginning of the episode, but when James is warned about the trees and when Thomas rescues James, Thomas is clean. Then, when James apologizes to Thomas, he is covered in coal dust again.
In the first close-up of James looking shocked, the edge of the set can be seen.
When Thomas is being coupled up to James's brakevan, he is some centimeters away from it but when Thomas say "I'm ready!" his buffers are touching the brakevan's buffers.
In the scene of Thomas and Percy looking angry, Percy's face is crooked.
When Henry is shunting the trucks, he is coming from a dead end.
In the Japanese version, Henry has Gordon's voice during the scene at Tidmouth Sheds.
When Thomas pulls James away, James' brake pipe is crooked.
Edward's whistle is at a slightly lower pitch than it usually is.
In the second and third close-ups of James looking shocked, a white light is seen in the top-left corner and James is on the other side of the set as the tree can be seen behind him.
From James' Point-of-view when he stops in front of the tree, the camera was obviously wet, as a white smudge mark can be seen across the tree trunk.
In the first close-up of James looking shocked, his face is dry but in the next close-up of him looking shocked, his face is wet.

Merchandise

Wooden Railway (discontinued)
Take Along (discontinued)

In Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Spanish	James en Peligro	James in Danger
Swedish	Träd problem för James / Trädtrubbel för James	Tree Trouble for James
Norwegian	James og trøbbel med trærne	James and the Trouble with Trees
Danish	James og hans møde med et træ	James and his Meeting with a Tree
German	James und die Geschichte mit dem Baum	James and the Story of the Tree
Italian	Temporale per James	Time for James
Japanese	ジェームスがあぶない	James is Dangerous
Czech	Jakub a potíže se stromy	James and the Trouble with Trees
Slovenian	Jakob in Težave z Drevesi	James and Problems with the Trees
Russian	Джеймс и проблемы с деревьями	James and the Problems with the Trees
Hungarian	James és a fa	James and the Timber
Welsh	Helynt y Coed	Tree Trouble
Greek	Το ατύχημα του Τζίμι	The Accident of James
Romanian	James şi Problema cu Copacii	James and the Problems with Trees
Slovak	Jakub a problémy so stromami	James and the Problems with Trees
Polish	Kuba i Kłopoty z Drzewami	James and the Trouble with Trees
Chinese	詹姆士及来自树的故障	James and Fault from the Tree

James and the Trouble with Trees

Contents

Plot

Characters

Locations

Trivia

Goofs

Merchandise

In Other Languages

Home Media Releases

UK

US

AUS

DVD Packs

GER

NOR

SVN

JPN

Gallery

Merchandise Gallery

Episode

Fan Feed