James The Red Engine

James is very proud of his splendid red paintwork. He dislikes pulling trucks (though not to the extent that Gordon does) and is quite narcissistic, vain and occasionally boastful, particularly towards those who appear old-fashioned, weak, slow or dirty. This has caused him to have somewhat of a rivalry with several engines and in some cases act out. In most cases, it takes scolding from others to make his penny drop, and even then it is too late to prevent trouble. He has acted like this even before he was repainted red. However, on a number of occasions, he has found himself in need of help from those whom he has insulted and is, in the end, apologetic.

James can also be somewhat and has been portrayed as a prankster at times, often tricking or scaring the other engines for fun or to get out of jobs he dislikes doing. However, following a particularly mean-spirited prank he played on Percy by scaring him with a monster made of scrap, this trait seems to have died down. He has been labelled as the "Joker" of the Steam Team by Thomas.

Despite all of that, James has shown a caring side to him. He has a heart of gold and wants to help anyone in a time of need. He is normally hard-working and, like everyone else, wants to be responsible, reliable and really useful on the Fat Controller's railway. Although his vanity usually hides it, James is capable of realizing when he crosses the line, and quietly mourns for himself and others once it occurs after an accident of his causing.