A Railway Poster is to be produced, and the Fat Controller needs an engine to be the centre of it – and that engine is decided to be Edward. James is most jealous of Edward when he learns of the news. He wanted to be the engine on that poster. So James decides to try and prove to the Fat Controller that it should be him, and not Edward, who gets the gig.

James the Second Best

Michael Angelis

Paul Larson

Thomas and Skarloey's Big Day Out

Thomas and the Treasure

Thomas is not happy that James is collecting the flour for the cakes to be had at a children’s party. Thomas is so cross that he is stuck shunting trucks instead, he bangs James’ flour truck hard, which causes the door to fly open, resulting in all the flour pouring out! Thomas goes to get a replacement flour truck but by the time he reaches the mill, it is shut. But there is one last hope: There is another truck full of flour – behind a whole lot of empty ones.

Follow That Flour

Sir Handel has been away for a long time, on a big job during the summer, but he has now at last returned. Sir Handel’s first task back at home is a job assigned by Mr. Percival to carefully transport a stock of apples. Once Sir Handel is away, everything seems all and well – but then he starts to rattle terribly, upon traveling up hills. To cover up, Sir Handel asks Peter Sam to help him transport the stock of apples. But when Sir Handel has to take Mr. Percival and his wife on a picnic, he may have no choice but to tell of his problem.

A Smooth Ride

Thomas must collect a group of children from the Airport, and take them to the Sodor Summer Picnic. When Thomas arrives at the Airport, he meets a new Jet Plane for the first time, named Jeremy. Jeremy comes off to Thomas as being rather boastful, when he says how splendid it is to fly high in the air, and so Thomas decides he won’t be talking to him again, anytime soon! However, Thomas still wonders what it would be like to be a jet plane, rather than a steam engine for a change. Soon after Jeremy has taken off, he notices a storm is brewing, and descends back down to warn Thomas. Will the picnic have to be cancelled?

Thomas and the Jet Plane

The carnival has arrived on the Island of Sodor. There are many sights to see, such as the Chinese Dragon. The Steam Team are each given a part of the carnival’s attractions to transport – except for Percy. He is very sad that he is stuck merely pulling coal. Percy attempts to join in the fun by trying to help the other engines out, but forgets about his coal duties…

Percy and the Funfair

Lady Hatt assigns Percy to tell the other engines what their jobs are on this day, as the Fat Controller has unfortunately lost his voice. Percy refuses help from Thomas, even though he does have many things to keep in his mind, to tell the engines. Percy soon ends up all befuddled and tells Gordon, James and Toby completely the wrong things! The results prove quite disruptive…

The Green Controller

The hill clock tower’s bell needs to be given a good polish off for the country fair. The Foreman tells Duncan to travel slowly with the bell, but Duncan ends up becoming so enraptured by the bell’s sound it makes, going along the bumpy sections of track, that he doesn’t listen. It is only when the bell flies off his flatbed truck, upon hitting a dip, that Duncan realizes he should have listened. Duncan will have to put in quite an effort to retrieve the bell – which has become dangerously stuck in a tree. Any second, it could fall.

Duncan Drops a Clanger

When Thomas arrives at the Wharf and explains to Peter Sam and Duncan that he has been sent to collect a Christmas Tree from Sir Handel, the pair tease him, taking it that Thomas does not know what a Christmas Tree looks like. Thomas is absolutely fuming. He very well knows! So cross, Thomas becomes, he decides to accept help from no-one for the rest of the day. Before long, Thomas eyes a flatbed truck, on which a tarpaulin is covering what appears to be in the shape of a Christmas Tree. Thomas hastily hauls it away, but it’s no Christmas Tree under there, as he finds just down the line…

Thomas's Tricky Tree

Toby thinks he has the afternoon off, and so plans to visit the farmyard and see the animals, which he enjoys greatly. But Toby is soon worried upon the Fat Controller assigning him three very important, and very out of the blue special trains. He couldn’t possibly make it in time to the farm now, or at least on his own. To try and still make it, Toby asks the other engines if they are able to help him out at all, but they are simply much too busy for the poor little Tram Engine. But with great luck for Toby, choppy seas delay one of the special deliveries till the next day, which means Toby will now make it to the farm, or so he thinks.

Toby's Afternoon Off

One more, just one more time is all Gordon needs to break his Express record. When he is given Henry’s special coal by mistake, he speaks not a word of it, thinking it will make him reach greater speeds. But when Henry’s firebox becomes blocked, due having to survive on regular coal, Gordon feels bad. He goes back to Henry, and swaps tenders with him, so Henry can puff along again with no trouble, even it means having to miss out on setting the Express record.

It's Good To Be Gordon

Thomas puffs wildly from stop to stop, leaving all the holidaymakers behind, to try and prove he can be speedy too, upon Gordon saying he would be able to do the run much quicker. Bertie the Bus observes the stranded passengers, and takes it in his stride to collect them all and get them to Thomas before it’s too late.

Seeing the Sights

After several years, Fearless Freddie the Warhorse Engine, has come back to the Narrow Gauge Railway on Sodor. Freddie challenges brothers, Skarloey and Rheneas, to a race, boasting he is the fastest in the hills. But Freddie cheats and uses a shortcut route. When Skarloey and Rheneas challenge Freddie to race yet again, he takes another shortcut! But not only that, this time, in Rheneas’ desperation to get ahead of Freddie, he ends up running right off the rails. It will be up to Freddie to help Rheneas get his wheels back on the rails again.

Fearless Freddie

At Arlesdale End, Toby’s shed roof is leaking. Thomas thinks it would make Toby most happy if the roof was fixed, and so gets down to sorting out a new roof being built for the Tram Engine. But to Thomas’ surprise, upon Toby’s seeing the new roof, he is most distraught. What could possibly be tugging at Toby?

Toby's New Shed

Sodor is in the grip of winter. Farmer McColl needs an engine to haul some heavy goods for him, and when Gordon ends up being assigned to the task, of which he is most boastful about, Henry is sad he wasn’t given a chance. The engines, not pleased with Gordon’s pompousness, tell him that Henry could do just as good a job, giving him the title: ‘Big Strong Henry’. But Henry is concerned. Will he be able to live up to such a title?

Big Strong Henry

A fancy dress party is being held for some children, where Thomas shall be giving them rides. Thomas wonders deeply about what he could possibly wear as a costume. Upon being given a good clean at the Washdown, Thomas comes up with the idea of going as a giant bubble bath! But his “bubble” is soon burst when he ends up crashing into Toby the Tram Engine, due not being able to see through the soap in his eyes! After two more incidents still, the first involving getting cloaked in toffee apple and the other getting covered in leaves and nasty branches, Thomas is in quite a state. But little does he know that his state will turn out all for the better.

Sticky Toffee Thomas

Rusty is very hasty, and tells the workmen he is taking around to get their direction sign painting done as quickly as possible at the various locations. Rusty then takes the Fat Controller and his family down the line for a walk around the mountains. They are supposed to meet him back at the tea rooms, but when they do not return, Rusty grows concerned and goes out of his way to look for them. When Rusty finds several people at all the wrong places as he goes along, he realizes that it must be the direction signs that are causing all the bother!

Which Way Now?

Thomas is taking some engineers to the Power Station, but at the same time really wants to see a special shooting star, which will be showing itself up in the sky anytime now. Not wanting to miss it, Thomas makes sure to only travel down lines which will not block his vision of the sky. But this means not taking the quickest route possible to the Power Station, which is in no way a good thing.

Thomas and the Shooting Star

Edward doesn’t think too highly of a new rail crane who has arrived on the Island of Sodor, named Rocky. The crane does not have the ability to drive, due having no engine or the like. When Harvey is later unable to clear some pipes off the line in time that Edward spilled, Gordon ends up running right over them, thus, resulting in a terrible crash. Harvey may be a strong crane engine, but not quite strong enough to lift a big engine such as Gordon. It will now be up to Edward to inform Rocky he is needed.

Edward Strikes Out

Upon challenging Spencer the Streamliner to a bit of a race, Thomas ends up whizzing through Kellsthorpe station so fast he causes a strong gust that blows the Fat Controller’s hat clean away. Thomas takes it in his stride to try and get the top hat back, but on each occasion he nears it, the hat decides to blow away! Thomas will have to try another method of attack.

Topped Off Thomas

Poor Skarloey. He absolutely hates the Wharf as it’s so loud and he doesn’t know a soul there. James teases Skarloey even, calling him a ‘scaredy engine’ upon the Troublesome Trucks giving the little chap a start. Skarloey wonders if he really is a ‘scaredy engine’. But after three brave acts throughout the day involving Rusty, Duncan and Rheneas, he soon realizes that perhaps what James said was quite unfair.

Wharf and Peace

High winds cause a giant balloon of a snowman to attach itself to one of Thomas's buffers. A great deal of folk attempt to tell Thomas how it has managed to get itself stuck on him, but to no avail. Thomas simply won't listen, as he is much too concerned about getting his job done of bringing timber to Farmer McColl.

Thomas's Frosty Friend

Gordon has finally beaten the Express record, and will be given a special set of coaches at a big ceremony to be held for him. Diesel, though, isn’t exactly overjoyed about Gordon’s achievement, upon hearing from Emily, who is most rude to him indeed. So Diesel decides to go and hide Gordon’s special set of coaches…

Emily and the Special Coaches

James is all decked up in flags and bunting in the colours of the Sodor School football team, as he will be pulling the team train. Jealous Thomas wanted to be given such a job, and so tricks James into puffing down an old, disused line, causing James’ splendid decorations to be torn to pieces! Thomas will have to put in a big effort to put things right once more.

Thomas and the Colours

On the way to delivering some birthday mail to Alice, who lives at High Farm, Thomas meets Rosie, a young tank engine, who absolutely idolizes him. Thomas becomes very angry when Rosie tries to follow him down the line to High Farm, and so attempts to lose her. But when Thomas ends up in a tremendous landslide, Rosie of course soon catches up with him. Will Thomas accept the young lass’ help?

Thomas and the Birthday Mail

Villagers, high up in the hills, need plenty of coal as Sodor is in the deep of winter. Duncan is taking coal there from the Wharf, which James delivers. For a lark, Duncan says he will race James. If Duncan delivers the coal first, he wins. If James arrives with more coal first, he wins. So, just who will win? Well, it certainly wouldn’t seem to be James when Duncan resorts to a spot of cheating…

Duncan's Bluff

In an act of kindness to his brother, Rheneas decides to pull Skarloey’s trucks for him as he is most busy. But Rheneas also has his own load to take, and finds that it’s simply all too much on him, upon attempting to climb a difficult hill. So Rheneas parks Skarloey’s trucks in a siding, and simply delivers his own load first. When he returns for Skarloey’s lot, it has disappeared!

Missing Trucks

A Maritime Museum is to be opened on Sodor, by an Admiral. When Thomas picks him up from Brendam Docks, Salty tells Thomas the story about long lost treasure belonging to pirates, and also gives the clues as to where it has been buried somewhere on the Island. Unfortunately for the Admiral, this means he will be late for the opening, as Thomas becomes simply enraptured by the idea and can’t stop thinking about it for the whole journey! Most annoyed by distracted little Thomas terribly delaying the Admiral, the Fat Controller arranges for him to be transported by Harold the Helicopter instead. Despite this, Thomas decides he will find that treasure.

Skarloey is in dire need of repairs, but the workshop is all the way over on the other side of Sodor. Thomas kindly comes forward, in that he will transport Skarloey there. Once Skarloey is on a flatbed truck, the Thin Controller warns Thomas about its coupling, as it could easily come loose.  Skarloey is feeling very miserable, so Thomas tries as hard as he can to make the little chap feel better, by showing him sights around the island. When none of his efforts seem to work, Thomas comes up with the idea of showing Skarloey the view from the peak of Gordon’s Hill, but he has forgotten about that flatbed’s coupling…

Thomas & Friends is a British children's television series, which had its first broadcast on the ITV network on 4 September 1984. It is based on The Railway Series of books by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher Awdry. These books deal with the adventures of a group of anthropomorphised locomotives and road vehicles who live on the fictional Island of Sodor. The books were based on stories Wilbert told to entertain his son, Christopher during his recovery from measles. From Series one to four, many of the stories are based on events from Awdry's personal experience.

James the Second Best

Seasons24

Season 10 Episodes28

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