Help Identifying This James

[Super]

Need help identifying this James that came in a bulk purchase. At first I thought it may be a remote controlled but I am not sure since I don't see a receiver bulb. Uses 3 AAA batteries and look to be run in series for 4.5 volts. Also he has a strange cab roof where the red borders around the black whereas all the other James seems to be a solid black roof. I don't have a remote to try it with as it doesn't run with batteries in it now. Before I tear it apart, is it remote controlled or something else?

[ripley802]

Super I believe this is an RC James. I had one like this and could never figure it out as I had the remote and the model said it was an RC version. There are two years this was release I believe. This is the newer one. I did win a large lot of RC engines and remotes a while back for repairs and think there was a remote for this version but can't remember if there were a train. Muddy may have the years on these, mine are all packed away..

This either the 2009 rc james or the 2013 3 speed james. I think it is the 3 speed james james as there is no other track master model of James that has the on switch on the cap and the 3 speed james has that red line around the top of the cab. One problem with this is that your james Dorsett have the puffs of smoke on the boiler and tender. Maybe yours can be an ultra rare factory error without the puffs of smoke?

[ripley802]

Super, is there a model number on this one? Like xxxxWC or something, I remember searching and finding that mine was RC that way.

Edit..
just saw the last pic with T0885:

https://service.mattel.com/us/productDet...&siteid=27

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Actually this one has a better imag. See how the remote looks sort of matte not glossy, those are the later RC controllers.

http://thomastrackmaster.wikia.com/wiki/R/C_James

so this could be the older rc james but without the white running board

[Super]

Thanks for the help fellas.

@Tharazero1
As far as it being the 3 Speed James, all the videos I see on YouTube including Ucwepns show the tender having two AA battery's so I would assume since this uses 3 AAA's it most likely isn't the 3 Speeder. Although, in your picture, the cab roof is the most similar as far as the inner black square but the the border is also black. Also, that may be a pre-release picture as the videos I looked at all show the on/off switch on the cab roof which is curious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OCQoK_v8NE

@Ripley802
In 2 of the pictures from the Wikia page it shows James with a white boiler plate and a yellow dome on his boiler. The yellow dome can be seen in the window of the box picture too however in the 3rd picture of a slightly different box that James looks to have a gold dome on the boiler like this one, but there isn't a good picture of the roof and boiler plate.

Like Ucwepn stated in his 3 Speed James unboxing, this one is not free wheeling in any on/off position. Maybe I should pop this open and take a picture, maybe Ripley will recognize the setup.

[ripley802]

If you take off the engine cover I believe the sensor is under the black square.. if you hold the shell up to the light the square is sort of translucent.

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Also the 3 speeds take 3 x AA, one is hidden in the engine area..

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This is the one from the wikia,

[Super]

Thanks Ripley

I will pop it open and snap a picture. What does this look like? Funny thing about the roof, its black on the inside and outside but when you put it up to the light its translucent in red, weird.

[ripley802]

Yep.. that's the same one I had (or may still have). The little black dome is the RC piece. The must have decided the exposed RC sensor on the earlier version was something they needed to change in the later version so added it inside the cab with the translucent panel.

Hi I just saw this thread...
I went to take a look at our RC James to confirm everything, only to be amazed and suprised once again by the incredible vastness of this hobby!!
....We don't have it:/
It is a 2009 Fisher Price RC James, the same as the 2007 HitToys RC James, except it's missing the white running boards, and with the red bordered black infrared panel.
It's remote would be red handled, and made of dull colored plastic, whereas the Hit version is painted red and shiny.
Once again, I am amazed that it seems like this journey will never end and there will always be something for us to find.