Air date: October 20th, 2003
James is very proud of his bright red paint and thinks his work is very important. One day, he is at the washdown when Percy arrives. His whistle is clogged with quarry dust, so he blows hard to clean it. But he accidentally blows mud all over Gordon, leaving the blue express engine very cross. James brags that he is collecting the mayor today, which Gordon thinks should be his job. But James laughs and tells him that he needs a wash first. James collects the mayor and puffs on his way.
Later at Tidmouth Sheds, the Fat Controller asks for a volunteer to collect the Queen of Sodor, an old barge which needs to go to the workshop. James pulls into the sheds, which gives Gordon an idea. He loudly asks the Fat Controller if collecting the Queen of Sodor is important, which it is. James loudly announces that he will collect her and sets off happily. Gordon's plan is working.
James arrives at the canal and is furious to see that the Queen of Sodor is a dirty old boat. He realises that Gordon conned him, and James is determined to prove that a shiny engine never gets dirty. So, he sets off with the Queen of Sodor.
It is a very long way to the workshop. But James is still trying not to get dirty. He does not notice a pipe stretched across in front of the boat. The Queen of Sodor crashes through the pipe, sending sludge all over the boat and the tracks. However, James stops in time and manages to stay clean. Soon the mess is cleared up and James puffs on his way, finally reaching the workshop clean and shiny.
When James returns to the sheds, Gordon is surprised to see him still clean. Then Percy arrives and moans that his whistle is clogged with dust again. He warns James to watch out and blows hard. Dust goes everywhere and covers James, to his displeasure.
Tropes featured in the episode:
- Bookends: The episode begins and ends with Percy's clogged whistle dirtying a tender engine.
- Chekhov's Gun: Percy's clogged whistle, causing him to blow mud all over Gordon at the start of the episode, then at the end he pulls up right next to James...
- Collective Groan: The other engines do this after James' pun.
- The Dandy: James is very concerned about not soiling his paint job.
- Karmic Trickster: Gordon tricks a prideful James into collecting a leaky old barge. James actually manages to get through the job unscathed (mostly through sheer luck), though karma still catches him afterward.
- Lame Pun Reaction: James pulls such a bad pun at the end, the other engines can be heard groaning at it.Thomas: You'll need a wash down now.James: Good. It will make me redier than ever. I'm such a splendid engine.
- Madness Mantra: "Shiny and clean...shiny and clean..."
- Neat Freak: James, who is obsessed with keeping his lovely red paint clean.
- Stock Footage: The beginning of this episode uses footage of Duck and Oliver travelling through Tidmouth Tunnel from "Oliver Owns Up" and footage of Skarloey arriving at Crovan's Gate from "Four Little Engines".
