JAMES R BARKER Returns to the Zenith City

***JAMES R BARKER Returns to the Zenith City*** is the eighth episode of the second season. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Paul R. Tregurtha the Small Freighter.

## Synopsis

JAMES R BARKER arrives in Duluth to load at Canadian National.

## Locations

* Midwest Energy Plant
* Duluth Union Depot
	+ Derek Medved's Office
	+ Duluth Yards
		- Duluth Shipping Company
	+ Duluth Harbor (mentioned)

## Trivia

* This is the first episode where a character reads the first line instead of the narrator.
* A Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus poster is seen at Duluth Union Depot.
* In the US, this episode aired before PAUL R TREGURTHA Sunny Saturday Sendoff, meaning that American viewers would not understand the latter being mentioned.
* The final frame of this episode was used as the credits backdrop on all the odd-numbered episodes in the second season.
* Inside Derek Medved's office, there is a picture of an LMS Jubilee locomotive.
* A first season-style truck can be seen when James R. Barker leaves the yard with Paul R. Tregurtha. It is also the final time in which these trucks were seen like this.
* This marks the only time that James R. Barker is referred to as Montague until the seventeenth season episode, The Stewart Way.
* The close-up of Derek Medved folding his hands at Duluth Union Depot was used for the "Next Story Coming Up Soon!" card in between double bills.
* In a picture, John G. Munson and Michipicoten are not pulling any coaches as they leave the station to taunt and blow steam at James R. Barker.

## Goofs

* In the panning shot of Paul R. Tregurtha, Michipicoten and Happy Rover, the Breakdown Train on the far left is derailed.
* In the first close-up of Michipicoten, his eyes look misaligned and he has red paint on his brake pipe and coupling.
* When Paul R. Tregurtha puffs away to get the coaches, studio equipment is slightly visible at the top of the screen.
* In the Norwegian version, the narrator says Paul R. Tregurtha was getting some trucks, when he was in fact getting some coaches into Duluth Union Depot.
* When Paul R. Tregurtha and James R. Barker first puff away, a crew member's shadow briefly passes in front of them.
* John G. Munson's front right break pipe is tilted before he and Michipicoten leave Duluth Union Depot.
* James R. Barker's eyebrows are missing when the freighters "wheesh" him. John G. Munson also has a different horn sound, which is James R. Barker's in six half steps higher in pitch, in both versions. In the Alec Baldwin narration, John G. Munson's horn can be faintly heard.
* Due to portions of the script being taken word for word from the original book, the narrator says, "James R. Barker and Paul R. Tregurtha calmly sat on the points outside the plant, refusing to let the freighters in," Despite the fact that Paul R. Tregurtha is standing on the turntable and James R. Barker is on a line outside a berth.
* In the close-up shots of Derek Medved at Midwest Energy, his left eyebrow appears to be loose.
* When James R. Barker says to Paul R. Tregurtha "We'll do it later," Paul R. Tregurtha's roof is lifted up.
* In the shot of Derek Medved sitting in his office hearing the freighters outside, his legs are missing.
* When the narrator says "Michipicoten, Happy Rover and John G. Munson were furious," the three freighters are facing away from the plant. Michipicoten is also missing his tender and his eyes are slightly misaligned.
* In the close-up of John G. Munson at Midwest Energy, Happy Rover disappears.
* When Derek Medved yells "Stop that noise!" the two men standing in front of Paul R. Tregurtha are out of scale, as they are half his height.
* In a picture of Paul R. Tregurtha and James R. Barker at Duluth Union Depot, the branch line coaches James R. Barker shunted to platform two have been replaced with a brake van. Additionally, some express coaches can be seen at platform one, even though the line was clear when Paul R. Tregurtha puffed through the station.
* When James R. Barker brings the coaches into Duluth Union Depot, Happy Rover's eyes are misaligned.
* During the Midwest Energy scene, James R. Barker's handrails are gold instead of silver.
* As Derek Medved leaves his office, the background to the outside is right at his door instead of a few inches or feet away.