Percy and the Signal

Percy and the Signal is the seventh episode of the second series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book Percy the Small Engine.

Plot
Percy works in the yard and although he works hard, he can also be very cheeky and often plays jokes. One day, Percy is feeling particularly cheeky; he startles Gordon by telling him his train is ready, which makes Gordon think he is running late. Percy then pulls out to reveal a line of dirty trucks, which makes Gordon very cross. Gordon begins to think of a way to get back at Percy.

Next, Percy goes to James, and tells him that the Fat Controller had sent a message for him to stay in the shed until he comes to see him. James is delighted, thinking the Fat Controller wants him to pull a special and refuses to leave when his driver and fireman try to take him out. As a result, the other engines have to do James' work as well as their own, which makes them very angry. Finally, an engine inspector arrives to find out why James will not leave his shed; James tells him about the message the Fat Controller supposedly sent. The inspector points out the Fat Controller could not have sent a message as he is away for a week. James is furious realizing he was fooled and quickly leaves to find Percy, but Percy has disappeared. When the Fat Controller returns, he tells both engines off for causing trouble.

Sometime later the next morning, Percy is boasting to Gordon and James that he is taking trucks to Thomas' junction. He believes that the Fat Controller chose him because he is a Really Useful Engine, though James thinks it is simply to keep him out of the way. Gordon, realizing what route Percy is taking, indicates to James that they have a chance to give Percy a taste of his own medicine. They claim they were talking about being careful with the signals at the junction, especially "backing signals". Percy, keen to show off, claims that he knows all about signals, but worries as he has never heard of backing signals before.

Percy soon arrives at a signal set to "Danger", but then sees its arm move to "Line Clear". Percy is surprised when it moves up instead of down, having never seen anything like it before, and guesses that it is one of the "backing signals" Gordon and James were discussing. Percy begins reversing, and his driver quickly stops him. Percy insists that it is a "backing signal" and tells him what Gordon and James had said. The driver tells Percy the truth, which makes him eager to leave before he is seen, but Gordon goes past and sees that Percy fell for the trick. Humiliated, Percy quickly and quietly finishes his work.

That night in the sheds, Gordon and James talk about nothing but signals; while they think it is funny, Percy thinks they are being very silly.

Characters

 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Engine Inspector
 * Thomas
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * One Little Boy
 * One Naughty Boy
 * Annie and Clarabel

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * The Works
 * Tidmouth Goods Station
 * Knapford
 * Yards
 * Tidmouth Yards
 * Ffarquhar Sheds
 * The Ffarquhar Stationmaster's House
 * Elsbridge
 * The Carriage Shed
 * Suddery Castle

Trivia

 * In the restored version, in the scene when the Fat Controller was cross with James and Percy, the close-up of Percy looking sad is cut out.
 * Stock footage from Coal is used.
 * In a deleted scene, it is shown that Thomas also had to do James' work as well as his own branch line when Percy told him to stay in the shed.
 * This episode marks the first appearance for the full exterior of Ffarquhar Sheds in the television series, as the interior was first shown in the second season premiere while only the right (viewers' left) berth's exterior was shown when Percy laughed at Thomas and commented on his appearance. A deleted shot from this episode shows Percy in the same berth before pulling up besides Gordon.
 * Thomas' Special Coach was seen in the scene where the Fat Controller was telling off James and Percy, indicating that The Missing Coach was concurrently filmed with this episode.
 * The Korean title of this episode is same as Percy Runs Away.
 * Neither this episode nor The Runaway aired in the 1991 on CITV. Duck Takes Charge aired soon after Thomas and Trevor.
 * When this episode aired on Cartoon Network, the music and sound effects overlapped the original audio.
 * This episode marks the first on-screen appearance of James' original smug face, which would appear throughout the Britt Allcroft Entertainment era, and the last appearance of his laughing face without his teeth. It was also the first appearance of Percy's sad face seen on-screen.
 * Percy's model fell off the set of Elsbridge during filming of this episode, which resulted in his middle lamp iron being glued and his left cylinder wobbling. This remained that way until the damage was repaired in the third series, although the left cylinder began wobbling again in the fifth series episodes, Toby and the Flood and A Surprise for Percy.
 * The JEI TV version of the Korean dub added subtitles to inform viewers what a shunting yard is.
 * This episode was never released on VHS and DVD in South Korea.

Goofs

 * When Percy creeps up on Gordon, the red coach's windows and roof are crooked.
 * When Gordon says, "James and I were just speaking about signals at the junction," to Percy, James' face is loose.
 * In the close-up of Percy's wheels when he reverses from the signal, a wire is visible.
 * As Percy approaches the pedestrian bridge at Elsbridge, the shadow of a studio worker is seen moving around off-set from the metal beams on the bridge.
 * The "lower" quadrant semaphore signal in which Percy stops at is not the sort that is meant to point upwards. The correct signal would have been an "upper" quadrant semaphore signal.
 * The signal Percy stops at is the wrong way around. The red side on the signal is supposed to face Percy, while the white side is supposed to face away from Percy.
 * The wire used to make the signal point up higher than it should is visible.
 * The signal shown in its close-up is different from the signal in the shot where Percy stops at.
 * Because stock footage is used, Percy's driver is in Henry's cab.
 * Gordon's eyes are misaligned throughout the episode.
 * When Percy pulls away from Gordon at the beginning, the coal in his second truck is lifted, as is the roof on his brake van.
 * In the Japanese dub, as Gordon, Henry, and Edward passed James, Ringo Starr's dub can faintly be heard in the background.
 * In the original Swedish dub, James is referred to as Gordon when he says, "More likely, he wants you out of the way."
 * When Percy tells James to stay in the shed, steam can be heard, but no steam shoots out, but in the next shot, there is a lot of steam.
 * When James leaves the sheds, the track rocks back and forth. The same mistake also occurs when Gordon puffs past Percy at the signal.
 * When Percy is backing up to the sheds, no workmen are seen operating the turntable.
 * When Percy tells his driver to start moving quickly, he suddenly shifts forward a bit.

Quotes

 * Inspector: Show a wheel, James. You can't stay here all day.
 * James: The Fat Controller/Sir Topham Hatt told me to stay here. He sent a message this morning.
 * Inspector: He did not. How could he? He's away for a week.
 * James: Oh. Oh! Where's Percy?!
 * Narrator: Percy had wisely disappeared.




 * Percy: I say, you engines, I'm to take some trucks/cars to Thomas' junction. The Fat Controller chose me especially. He must know I'm a really useful engine.
 * James: More likely, he wants you out of the way.
 * [Gordon looks across to him]
 * Gordon: James and I were just speaking about signals at the junction. We can't be too careful about signals, but then, I needn't say that to a really useful engine like you, Percy.
 * James: We had spoken of backing signals. They need extra special care, you know. Would you like me to explain?
 * Percy: No, thank you, James. I know all about signals.

Merchandise

 * Magazine stories - Percy and the Signal
 * My Thomas Story Library - Percy
 * Engine Adventures - Percy

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Thomas, Percy and the Coal and Other Stories
 * The Best of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
 * Biggest Party Video Ever!
 * The Complete Series 2
 * The Best of Percy
 * Percy Takes the Plunge

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * The Best of Friends

US

 * Thomas Gets Bumped and Other Stories
 * Thomas and His Friends Get Along
 * Best of Percy
 * Thomas' Fan Favorite Adventures
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 2

CAN

 * Thomas Gets Bumped and Other Stories
 * Thomas and His Friends Get Along
 * Best of Percy

DVD Boxsets

 * Best Tales on the Tracks
 * Totally Thomas Volume 2
 * Totally Thomas Volume 8
 * Best of Collection
 * Best of Thomas, Percy and James Platinum Edition
 * 3 DVD Lunchbox Set

AUS

 * Thomas, Percy and the Coal and Other Stories
 * The Complete Second Series
 * The Best of Thomas and Friends - Volume 1
 * My First Thomas with Percy

DVD Boxsets

 * My First Thomas
 * My First Thomas
 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series One and Series Two Double Pack

NZ

 * Thomas, Percy and the Coal and Other Stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 2
 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 3

HRV

 * Duck Takes Over

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.8
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.3
 * Thomas the Tank Engine in Two Languages Vol.8
 * Anytime with Percy!
 * I Love Thomas DVD Collection
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

FRA

 * Saved from Scrap
 * The Magic of Sodor

GER

 * Old Iron and 4 Other Adventures
 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 4

DNK

 * The Runaway Train and Other Stories

NL

 * A Nasty Case
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon

NOR/FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 3

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 3

IN

 * Down the Mine and Other Stories

ITA

 * A Daring Rescue

PHL

 * Old Iron

MYS

 * Percy and Harold and Other Thomas Adventures
 * Bertie’s Chase and Other Adventures

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

ROM

 * Thomas and the Great Runaway

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 1

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 5

HK
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 4
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 7

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