james is a fictional anthropomorphic tender locomotive from "the railway series" children's books by the reverend awdry and its tv adaptation "thomas and friends" and its reboot "". he is a mixed-traffic engine, which means he is just as capable of pulling coaches as trucks. he has a 2-6-0 ("mogul") wheel arrangement and is engine number 5 on the north western railway, the fat controller's railway on the island of sodor.