Percy's Predicament

Percy's Predicament is the twentieth episode of the second series. It is based on the story of the same name from the Railway Series book Branch Line Engines.

Plot
Daisy's time on the Island of Sodor is going well for her, but badly for everyone else. Not only is she frightened of bulls and cows, she remains lazy, bad-tempered and stubborn, refusing to do jobs she does not want to do.

Percy grumpily shunts trucks one day, as Toby pulls in noticing that Daisy has once again refused to take the milk tanker. This ends up forcing Percy to make a special trip with it after his usual work is done. Wanting to help, Toby offers to take the milk if Percy fetches his trucks from the quarry in return. Their crews agree to this and Percy sets off.

Percy goes to the quarry to fetch the trucks and starts enjoying himself by ordering the trucks about. The trucks do not take kindly to another engine entering the quarry and giving them orders, so they decide to pay Percy out. Once the trucks are arranged and coupled behind Percy, they lure him into a false sense of security by following him so quietly that he thinks they are under control. When Percy sees a sign ordering trains to pin down their brakes, he whistles to the guard to apply the brakes, only for the trucks to make their move and push him along down the line, leaving Percy whistling frantically for help. The signalman at the level crossing rushes out to warn traffic with his red flag, but is too late to switch Percy to the runaway siding. This leads to Percy swerving into the goods yard and crashing into a brake van, destroying it and perching himself on top of the remains of a truck. His driver and fireman have managed to jump clear, but Percy is left stranded.

The next day, Toby and Daisy arrive to help clear up the mess. The Fat Controller arrives too and is cross as he speaks to Percy; the branch line will now have to be run with just Toby and a diesel, putting them in an awkward predicament. Percy, very much stuck in his own predicament, understands fully what he means and feels sorry. The Fat Controller then tells Percy that he is going to be left where he is until everything else is cleared up, hoping that the wait will teach him to be more careful with trucks in the future. The Fat Controller then turns to Daisy and tells her off for her laziness, declaring that his engines work hard, while he sends lazy ones like her away. Daisy is left feeling ashamed of herself, but the Fat Controller decides to give her another chance, given how hard she worked after Percy's accident. Daisy is grateful and promises to work hard with Toby's help. Knowing Toby has a lot of experience with running a branch line, the Fat Controller is satisfied.

The next day, Thomas returns from the works fully mended and feeling much better. Being happily reunited with Annie and Clarabel, he takes them for a run, while Percy is sent to the works to be repaired. All the engines are now friends and Daisy learns a lot from Toby, leading her to become a Really Useful Engine. She even manages to shoo a stray cow off the line unassisted.

Characters

 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Daisy
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Henrietta
 * The Ffarquhar Policeman

Locations

 * The Cow Field
 * New Harbour Bridges
 * Elsbridge
 * Elsbridge Crossing
 * Elsbridge Yard
 * The Carriage Shed
 * Elsbridge Engine Sheds
 * Crocks Scrap Yard
 * Ffarquhar Quarry
 * The Quarry Tramroad

Trivia

 * Stock footage from Percy Runs Away and Percy and Harold is used as well as a deleted scene from Woolly Bear.
 * The small truck wears the Spiteful Brake Van's angry face.
 * A deleted photo shows that Thomas came back just before Toby was coupled up to Percy's flatbed.
 * The All Trains Stop To Pin Down Brakes hill is actually the elevated road area at Elsbridge Station but with track laid over it.
 * For the US, this episode, along with Daisy, were the only episodes that were never shown on Shining Time Station. The reason for this was due to Rick Siggelkow's disapproval of her design being sexist . As a result, both episodes featuring Daisy first appeared on Daisy and Other Thomas Stories on 6th October 1993.
 * However, they did air on TV shown on Mister Moose's Fun Time in 1998.
 * This was one of few Thomas episodes to be featured on the Captain Kangaroo spin-off series Mister Moose's Fun Time on Fox Family Channel. This was also one of the few episodes from the second series to air on said programme.
 * This is the first episode to feature short wheelbase trucks with faces.
 * This episode marks the last of two things for Daisy:
 * Her last appearance until the fourth series episode, Rusty to the Rescue.
 * Her last speaking role until the said series episode, Bulls Eyes.

Goofs

 * Due to portions of the script being taken verbatim from the original book, the narrator says "Percy had never been to the quarry before," even though he met Toby and collected a goods train from there in Percy and Harold.
 * When Daisy passes the cows, she hits a bush close to the tracks.
 * Percy's trucks' faces continuously disappear and reappear.
 * When the narrator says "Percy had never been to the quarry before," he shunts four trucks together and there is a gap between the last two trucks and the brake van, but in the very next scene, a fifth truck appears and the brake van is now behind the last one.
 * When the first truck says "Pay Percy out!", its face is on the back end.
 * When Percy passes by the signalbox, the signalman moves slightly, since Percy's weight moves the ground where he is standing.
 * Just before Percy crashes into the brake van, a stone used to lift Percy on top of the trucks is seen on the track that the brake van is on.
 * Percy's cab reveals part of the motor casting after the accident, during the panning shot from Toby to Daisy to Percy.
 * After the accident, the van behind Toby has a face, but in a deleted scene, it does not have a face.
 * When Thomas couples up to Annie and Clarabel, his driver is facing the back. However, when Thomas puffs away, his driver is still looking back.
 * When Percy leaves the Quarry and passes the scrap yard, his Brake Van is a BR 20 Ton, but when he passes the notice, is pushed by the crossing and Signal Box and runs into the yard, it is replaced with an SR 25. The stock footage in-between the notice and the crossing has a BR 20.
 * Because stock footage is used, Percy's load of gravel changes into stone slabs and Percy is smiling when he cries "Help! Help!"
 * When the narrator says "'Come along,' puffed Percy," the truck on the right of the screen does not have a chain on his hook.
 * Percy only has half of his screw-link coupling.
 * When Percy crashes, his whistle is crooked.
 * Percy's left (viewers' right) cylinder is loose.
 * When Percy runs into the yard, his eyes are wonky.
 * Percy's face moves a bit when he talks to the Fat Controller after his accident.

Quotes

 * (after the accident)


 * Sir Topham Hatt: We must now try to run the branch line with Toby and a diesel. You have put us in an awkward predicament(, Percy).
 * Percy: I am sorry, sir.
 * Sir Topham Hatt: You can/must stay there till we are ready.
 * UK: Perhaps it will teach you to be careful with trucks.
 * US: ... and you really must be more careful with freight cars.
 * Sir Topham Hatt: (Turns to Daisy) My engines work hard. I send lazy engines away. However, Toby says you worked hard after Percy's accident. So, you shall have another chance.
 * Daisy: Thank you, sir. I will work hard(, sir). Toby says he'll help me.
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Excellent. What Toby doesn't know about Branch Line problems isn't worth knowing. Our Toby's an experienced engine.

Merchandise

 * Buzz Books - Percy's Predicament
 * Magazine Stories - Percy's Predicament
 * Ladybird Books - Daisy &amp; Percy's Predicament & Woolly Bear
 * My Thomas Story Library - Daisy

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * The Deputation and Other Stories
 * The Best of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
 * Edward's Exploit
 * Ghost Train and other stories/Time for Trouble and other stories
 * Chases, Races and Runaways
 * The Best of Percy
 * The Complete Series 2

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * The Best of Friends

US

 * Daisy and Other Thomas Stories
 * Best of Percy
 * Thomas' Fan Favorite Adventures
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 2

CAN

 * Daisy and Other Thomas Stories
 * Best of Percy

VHS/DVD Packs

 * Thomas' Fan Favorite Adventures
 * Best Tales on the Tracks
 * Best of Collection
 * Best of Thomas, Percy and James Platinum Edition
 * 3 DVD Lunchbox Set

AUS

 * The Complete Series 2
 * The Deputation and other Stories

DVD Boxsets

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

FRE

 * The Talkative Trains

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Vol.10
 * The Complete DVD Box 1
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.4
 * Will Not Stop

PHL

 * The Deputation

KOR

 * Stories to Raise Cooperation

NZ

 * The Deputation and Other Stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 3

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

GER

 * Percy's Predicament and 4 Other Adventures
 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 5

NOR

 * Ghost Train

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 4

HRV

 * Better Late Than Never

ZA

 * Volume 4

GRC

 * A Lively Companionship

ITA

 * The Brave Locomotive

IND

 * Pop Goes the Diesel and Other Stories

MYS

 * Thomas Comes to Breakfast and Other Thomas Adventures
 * The Deputation and Other Adventures

ROM

 * Thomas Comes to Breakfast

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 2

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

HK

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 5
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 3

THA
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 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 7

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