James the Tender Engine Number 5 comes to life as a die cast 4 wheel drive train! This bright red engine is compatible with all Thomas Wooden Railway train track, sets, destinations and accessories. This engine features a light, easy start button and auto shut down feature. This engine includes a bright #5 tender. This train requires 1 AA battery that is not included.

Die-cast metal chassis and body

Chunky rubber-lined tires grip track to prevent derailing

Easy-to-operate start button

Special magnet helps keep rolling stock on the track

Recommended Age Range 3 to 5 Years

Average Customer Review: ( 38 customer reviews )
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This is a great product. Very well-constructed. Very durable. It can be switched on, go forward or backward, and it can be pushed manually--another reviewer complained that it could not be pushed, but it can be pushed.

Purchasing recommendation:
* Wait until appropriate age: Our son started with Thomas when he was 18 months old, but we did not buy any battery engines until he was 3. We wanted for him to use his imagination in pushing and pulling for a while. Now he sometimes sits back and just watches the battery engines, while at other times he pushes them.

* The metal engines are more durable: The metal engines cost more than the larger plastic battery-operated engines, but they are far more durable. They feel solid in the hand. They go both forward and backwards, while the plastic engines only go forward. They pull the wooden cars that your child may already have. They're just a better fit!

13 of 13 found the following review helpful:

James is amazingMay 22, 2005
By Timothy Marks
James is amazing... he chugs around corners and up and down hills without a hitch (although he sometimes gets confused with y-splits and de-rails).

Adds an amazing element to your Thomas train set. My 3 year old loves him, and runs all around the track helping him out. Definitely a must buy.

James is the best battery operated train. The four wheeled trains (like Lady) have problem with the tight radiused corners (3" curves), and constantly derail on a track that James with his 6 wheels has no problems with. If Lady had been the first battery operated train I bought, I would not have bought anymore based upon the difficulty she has with the track. Fortunately, I bought James first.

10 of 10 found the following review helpful:

Great concept, poor executionFeb 10, 2006
By Jeffrey Jotz "You'll know him when you find him"
The battery-power James is mostly metal rather than wood (his tender is still made of wood) and is perhaps more rugged than the wooden Thomas & Friends engines. He is heavy, well-detailed and durable and is a very fine-looking engine. Toddlers will have no problem starting and stopping him, as the on/off switch is a large button that blends into the top of the driver's cab. And the working headlight is really cool.

However, once James gets rolling, he frequently derails off of our wooden railway or gets stuck. His pulling power is also pretty weak. Quite often, the magnet is unable to hold more than 3 cars (especially when heading uphill), and poor James speeds off while his freight cars or coaches are left behind.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

Well made, but only goes forward, not backDec 28, 2004
By Stephen J
As are all the Thomas & Friends wooden train toys, this is a very solid toy, built-to-last, although the battery powered Engines aren't actually wood - James is made of die-cast metal and has a bit more heft than the wooden engine. Unlike the Brio powered trains, the Thomas & Friends battery powered trains only go forward, but so far our 3 1/2 and 2 year old kids don't seem to mind too much, and the large start/stop button is easier for young kids to use. They love the working headlamp and like to watch him come through tunnels. James has plenty of strength on flat sections of track to pull pretty much any length train, but does struggle a bit on hills, though will make it up and over without too many cars. James doesn't work well with the Thomas & Friends switching track (the kind that has a working red switch to make the train go straight or turn) - when set to turn, James always ends up going off the track. However, I think that is mostly a problem with the switching track design, and not the train.

5 of 5 found the following review helpful:

A great little train!Jan 22, 2005
By c2
We bought this train along with the video, James and the Red Balloon and our little one just loves it. He particularly likes the battery operated ones the best and just has a blast playing with James. It works beautifully, and is quite durable. He gets drug all over the place and keeps coming back for more. Plus, he doesn't chew up batteries the way our Brio trains do. Great toy!

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