Keeping Up with James

"You must slow down and take care!" "I am taking care! Taking care to finish first, I'm going to pull the presents' train!"

- Edward and James

Keeping Up with James is the twenty-fifth episode of the ninth series.

Plot
The Christmas season has arrived on Sodor. The engines are getting their snowploughs fitted at the fitters' yard. The Fat Controller tells them that when the lines are clear from snow, that one of the engines would get to take the presents train to the Christmas party at Knapford as an award. James is teamed with Edward to clear a path through the snow to Knapford. This ends up annoying James, who wants to get all of his jobs done quickly so that he can pull the present train and does not like how slow Edward always is. James overtakes Edward and passes Henry who tells him to slow down, but James is not listening as he is still thinking about pulling the present train and is soon going high speeds on the icy rails sliding all the way to Maithwaite.

James and Edward later go to collect coal from the coaling plant. Edward arrives at Knapford a little later then James, which makes James impatient. During the journey, James slides excitedly down Gordon's Hill to Edward's shock. He tries to warn James to take care on the icy rails while they are filling up with coal, but to no avail. James starts to go faster and is enjoying himself. But his enjoyment is short lived. His wheels start slipping on the icy rails. He and Edward try to brake, but James derails into a snowdrift.

Later, the Fat Controller arrives onboard Salty, cross that the two engines were not taking care. James owns up that he was the one hurrying despite Edward wanting to go slow in an attempt to finish first to collect the presents train. After telling James that he will not be doing that, the Fat Controller gives the job to Edward, as he has been more careful. He warns Edward that the present train is very heavy, so James offers to be Edward's back engine, and the Fat Controller agrees, as long as James puffs slow and carefully. Once Edward helps James back onto the tracks, they pick up the presents train and James is quick to listen to Edward when taking care. Once they deliver the presents, James thanks Edward and says how much of a really useful blue engine he is.

Characters

 * Edward
 * Henry
 * James
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * The School Choir
 * Gordon
 * Salty
 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Emily
 * Cranky
 * Charlie Sand
 * Sidney Hever
 * Stephen Hatt

Locations

 * The Coaling Plant
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Shipping Company
 * Maithwaite
 * Knapford
 * Gordon's Hill
 * The Works

Trivia

 * Going by production order, this is the twenty-third episode of the ninth series.
 * A deleted scene shows Thomas and Percy passing James and Edward. An alternate angle of the same scene is edited for a promotional image to show Thomas wearing a Day Out with Thomas face.
 * Percy's snowplough is Duck's from the sixth series episode, Toby Had a Little Lamb.
 * In 2011, Hilary Fortnam expressed her dislike of this episode, saying that her father would be distressed if he saw it. The reason was because the term "Christmas" was omitted in favour of "winter holidays."
 * This episode marks:
 * The first time Edward's tired face is shown since the second series episode, Edward's Exploit.
 * The last appearance of James' new smug face which was modified and re-casted from his unused sleepy face from the first series.

Goofs

 * When Edward and James pull the presents train down Gordon's Hill, the narrator says that James applied his brakes, but his wheels still continue moving.
 * When James' wheels starts slipping and sliding for the third time, a small red wire can be seen in front of his middle wheel.
 * When James realises he is going too fast, he applies his brakes, but his wheels are visibly still moving in the very next shot.
 * Before James crashes into the snow, the track can be seen sloping towards the spot where he crashes.
 * In the first scene of James and Edward clearing snow, James' leading wheels are derailed.
 * As the scene fades to James and Edward going up Gordon's Hill with the empty trucks, James stops.
 * When James and Edward leave the coaling plant, the chuffing sound is heard before they start moving.

Merchandise

 * Magazine stories - Keeping up with James

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Little Engines Big Days Out
 * The Complete Series 9
 * Christmas Express
 * The Best of James

DVD Boxsets

 * 5 Adventurous DVDs
 * Classic Collection
 * Official DVD and Book
 * The Best of Friends
 * The Ultimate Collection
 * Ultimate Christmas Gift Set
 * Adventure Pack

AUS

 * Little Engines Big Days Out
 * The Complete Series 9

DVD Boxsets

 * 3 Disc Set
 * Complete Series 1-10
 * The Essential Collection
 * The Great Adventures of Thomas and Friends
 * Series Nine and Series Ten Double Pack
 * Series Nine and The Great Discovery Double Pack

US

 * Tales from the Tracks
 * Winter Wonderland

CAN

 * Tales from the Tracks

DVD Boxsets

 * 4-Disc DVD Box Set
 * Let's Explore with Thomas
 * Steam Engine Stories
 * 3 DVD Lunchbox Set

DK

 * The Magic Lamp

NOR/SWE

 * Little Trains on a Day Out

FIN

 * The Little Locomotive Excursion

CZ

 * Thomas the Rescuer

HUN

 * Thomas' Day Off

THA

 * Holiday Express
 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 32

CHN

 * Holiday Express

MYS

 * Thomas' Day Off and Other Adventures
 * Holiday Express
 * Thomas and the Toy Shop and Other Adventures

ZA

 * Thomas Tries His Best

SPN

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 7

DVD Boxsets

 * Second Season

JPN

 * Thomas' Surprise Plan
 * Thomas the Tank Engine Series 9 Vol.6

KOR

 * Thomas the Little Engine and Friends Season 4 Vol. 3

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 28
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 22

TWN
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 16

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