James the Red Engine usually spends his time bragging about his "splendid" red paint. Honestly, if you grew up watching Thomas & Friends in the early 90s, you probably remember James as the vainest engine on Sodor. He was always worried about a speck of dust or a scratch. But nothing humbled him quite like a hive of cold bees looking for a warm place to nap.
The episode "James Goes Buzz Buzz" is basically legendary in the fandom. It’s the 17th episode of the third season, first hitting UK screens in early 1992. If you were a kid in the US, you likely saw it on Shining Time Station with George Carlin’s iconic narration. This wasn't just another day of shunting trucks. It was a weird, slightly chaotic moment that gave us one of the most recognizable "variant" looks for James: the one with the swollen, red nose.
What Actually Happens in James Goes Buzz Buzz?
The whole thing starts because James can't keep his mouth shut. While talking to Trevor the Traction Engine at the Vicarage Orchard, James hears a humming noise. Trevor explains it’s just the bees making honey, and that the Vicar is actually giving some hives to his friends.
Then BoCo shows up.
BoCo warns James and Trevor not to make the bees cross, but James—being James—scoffs at the idea. Later at the docks, Duck and BoCo are joking around about Bill and Ben, the mischievous twin engines. Duck calls the twins "the bees" because they buzz around everywhere.
James, missing the joke entirely, thinks they’re talking about actual insects. He starts boasting that he isn't afraid of bees and that he’d just blow smoke at them to make them "buzz off." You know how it goes. Pride always comes before the fall (or in this case, the sting).
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The real trouble begins the next morning at Tidmouth Station. A porter is rushing around and accidentally knocks a beehive off a trolley. It smashes open. Suddenly, a swarm of "cold" bees is looking for somewhere to warm up. They find James’s boiler.
James is horrified. His crew is terrified. Then, the moment everyone remembers happens: a bee burns its feet on James’s hot boiler. Thinking James did it on purpose, the bee stings him right on the tip of his nose.
The Great Bee Chase
What follows is basically a slapstick montage of James trying to shake the swarm. The crew tries everything:
- They spin around on a turntable to dizzy them.
- They try to wash them off with a hose.
- They fly through a long tunnel hoping the smoke will clear them out.
Nothing works. The bees are stuck. Eventually, the driver realizes they just need to get the bees back to the orchard. They fetch another hive, the bees fly home, and the Vicar saves the day. He even cracks a joke that if it were Christmas, they could call him "James the Red-Nosed Engine." James didn't think it was that funny at the time, but the crew dubbed him "The Bee's Knees," and the name stuck.
Behind the Scenes: The Animation Secret
If you re-watch the episode today, look closely at the bee that stings James. It looks a little... different, right? That’s because it’s not a physical model.
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"James Goes Buzz Buzz" actually marked the very first time cel-animation was used in the series. The bee was hand-drawn and layered over the live-action model footage. Before this, everything—even the steam and smoke—was mostly practical effects.
There are also some hilarious "goofs" if you’re a hawk-eyed viewer. In the scene where the passengers are running away from the bees, you can actually see black sticky tack under the feet of the miniature people. In another shot, James’s cab roof is accidentally painted white instead of its usual color.
Why This Story Matters to Collectors
This isn't just a random episode from Season 3. It's one of the most influential for merchandising. Because James gets a "special" look (the red nose and the bees on his boiler), it became a must-have for toy lines.
If you look for the "James Goes Buzz Buzz" variant in the Thomas Wooden Railway or the Take-Along series, it’s often a prized piece. It’s one of the earliest examples of the brand realizing that "Battle Damaged" or "Theme Specific" engines sold like crazy.
The story itself wasn't invented for the TV show, either. It’s based on the story "Buzz, Buzz" from The Railway Series book Main Line Engines, written by the Rev. W. Awdry and published way back in 1966. The TV adaptation stayed surprisingly faithful to the original text, right down to the "James the Red-Nosed Engine" joke.
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Managing the "Bee" Episode Legacy
For parents or fans looking to revisit this, it’s worth noting how the tone shifted. The original Awdry stories were often a bit "grumpier" than the modern CGI era. James wasn't just a hero; he was a flawed character who learned a painful lesson about arrogance.
If you want to experience the "definitive" version, track down the George Carlin narration from 1992. His delivery of James’s boasting makes the eventual sting feel much more earned.
To see the episode or read the story today:
- Check official Thomas & Friends YouTube channels, which often rotate classic "Model Series" episodes.
- Look for the Main Line Engines book in the "Railway Series" collection to see the original 1960s illustrations.
- Keep an eye out for the "Step into Reading" version if you’re trying to teach a kid to read; it’s a simplified version of the same hive-smashing chaos.
The next time you see a red engine, just remember: keep the smoke up and the boiler hot, but maybe stay away from the orchards during honey season. James learned it the hard way so we didn't have to.