Most people picture James the Red Engine as, well, red. He’s the "splendid" one. The engine with the bright scarlet paint and the brass dome who spends half his time bragging about his looks to Edward and Gordon. But if you actually go back to the source material—the very beginning of the Rev. W. Awdry’s The Railway Series—you’ll find a version of the character that looks nothing like the toy sitting on your shelf. Long before he was the Red Engine, he was James the black engine.
It wasn’t just a stylistic choice. It was a plot point.
Why was James a black engine anyway?
In the original 1948 book James the Red Engine, the very first page introduces him in a plain, unlined black livery. This wasn't some special edition or a "goth phase." It was standard procedure. In the mid-20th century, specifically during the transition from private railway companies to British Railways (BR), black was the workhorse color. It was cheap. It hid soot. If you were a mixed-traffic engine—designed to pull both passengers and freight—you didn't always get the fancy green or blue paint reserved for the high-speed express locomotives.
James arrived on Sodor as a "new" engine, but he was actually a bit of a problem child from the start. He had wooden brake blocks. Think about that for a second. An enormous steam locomotive trying to stop tons of rolling metal using wood. It was a disaster waiting to happen, and it did.
The crash that changed his color
We have to talk about the "Bumper Cars" incident, which is what most kids remember from the Thomas & Friends TV show. On his very first day, James’s wooden brakes caught fire. He couldn't stop. He went careening through a fence and ended up nose-deep in a cow pasture.
Honestly, it’s a miracle he wasn't scrapped right then and there.
Instead of getting the boot, Sir Topham Hatt (the Fat Controller) sent him to the Works for a complete overhaul. This is where the transition from James the black engine to the iconic Red Engine happens. As a reward for his improved behavior and to cheer him up after the accident, he was given that famous red coat. In the world of Sodor, red is a big deal. It’s a prestige color. By giving James red paint, Awdry was signaling that James had "made it" into the inner circle of the main engines.
The weird physics of the Hughes Class 28
If you want to get nerdy about it—and we should—James is based on a real-life locomotive: the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR) Class 28. These were designed by George Hughes.
They were "mogul" engines, meaning they had a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement. Most of them were painted black in real life. They were sturdy, somewhat clunky, and definitely not the "splendid" divas James thinks he is. When you look at the technical specs of a Class 28, you see why Awdry chose it. They had a tendency to be a bit "shaky" at high speeds. That instability perfectly matches James's personality—cocky but prone to rattling himself into a mess.
- Real Class 28s were strictly freight engines.
- They were almost never painted red.
- The front "pony truck" (the extra wheels at the front) made them better at curves than the 0-6-0 engines.
Why the black livery keeps coming back
Even though James hasn't been black in the main "canon" since the 1940s, the image of James the black engine is a holy grail for collectors. Why? Because it represents the origin story.
Every few years, Bachmann or Hornby or Mattel will release a "First Day James" or "Origin James" model. It’s always black with red lining. It sells out instantly. Fans love it because it’s a reminder that James wasn't born special. He had to fail—spectacularly—before he earned his stripes. Or his paint.
There's also a bit of a Mandela Effect here. Some people swear they remember him being black in the early seasons of the TV show. He wasn't. The TV show, produced by Britt Allcroft, skipped the "black paint" era entirely to save money on models and to keep the branding consistent. They did eventually feature the black livery in the 2015 special The Adventure Begins, which was a massive nod to the long-time fans who knew the books.
The psychology of the paint
Think about James's ego for a second. He is obsessed with being clean. He hates dirty trucks. He hates rain. He once used a passenger's leather bootlace to tie up a leak in his plumbing just so he wouldn't have to stop working.
This vanity makes way more sense when you realize he started as James the black engine.
He remembers being plain. He remembers being just another face in the crowd of black engines in the yards. The red paint isn't just a color; it’s his identity. It’s his shield against being ordinary. When he gets dirty, he’s terrified he’ll lose that status and go back to being the "black engine" who crashed in a field because his brakes were made of sticks.
Differences between the book and the screen
In the original illustrations by C. Reginald Dalby, the black James looks almost sinister. The black paint makes the red wheels pop in a way that feels very industrial and gritty. When the TV show finally brought the black version to life in The Adventure Begins, they softened it up. They gave him a slightly more "newborn" vibe.
But the books? The books treat the black paint like a uniform. It's the "rookie" gear.
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- James arrives in black.
- He crashes because of the wooden brakes.
- He gets repaired and painted red.
- He proves he can be a "Really Useful Engine" by helping Gordon.
It's a classic redemption arc, but we usually ignore the first step.
Is there a "Real" James out there?
If you go to the National Railway Museum in York, you won't find a red engine named James. But you will find the spirit of the Class 28. These engines were the backbone of Northern England’s industrial routes. They spent their lives covered in coal dust, grime, and grease. They were black because it was practical.
The idea that one of these grimy, hardworking machines could be "splendid" is entirely a product of Awdry's imagination—and James's own massive ego.
Honestly, James is the most "human" of the engines. He’s insecure, he’s vain, and he’s desperate to be liked. Most of us feel like a black engine on the inside while we’re trying to project a "red engine" vibe to the world. We’re all just one bad set of brakes away from ending up in a field, hoping someone will give us a fresh coat of paint and a second chance.
What to do if you're a collector or fan
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific niche of Thomas lore, don't just watch the show. You’ve got to find the original books.
- Look for "The Three Railway Engines" and "James the Red Engine" in their original 1940s/50s printings. The artwork is vastly different from the modern stuff.
- Check out the "ERTL" or "Wooden Railway" retired models of Black James. They are often listed as "Origin James" on eBay and can fetch a decent price if they're in the box.
- Visit a heritage railway. Seeing a real 2-6-0 mogul engine in person gives you a scale for how terrifying James's "black engine" crash actually would have been. These things weigh over 50 tons.
The story of James isn't really about a color. It’s about the fact that your mistakes don't have to define you. You can start out as a "black engine" with faulty parts and still end up as the most famous red locomotive in the world. Just... maybe check your brakes before you leave the station.
Next Steps for Enthusiasts
To truly appreciate the history of the Sodor engines, start by tracking down a copy of The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways by Rev. W. Awdry and his son Christopher. It provides the "in-universe" historical documents that explain exactly why certain engines were painted certain colors based on the fictional history of the North Western Railway. From there, compare the L&YR Class 28 blueprints to James’s character model to see just how much "artistic license" was taken to make him look more heroic.