Percy and Harold

"Said Harold (the) Helicopter to our Percy, 'You are slow.' Your railway is out of date, and not much use, you know.' But Percy with/and his stone trucks/cars did the trip in record time... ...annnd we beat the helicopter on our old branch line!"

- Percy's fireman singing a song after Percy won the race. Percy and Harold, retitled Percy Proves a Point in American releases, is the ninth 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 is now working at the new harbour on Thomas' Branch Line. He often has to fetch trucks, and although he works hard, he still likes his new job and prefers branch line work over shunting for the mainline engines at the big station. Along the branch line is an airfield and Percy hears the planes flying overhead. The loudest, though, is a helicopter, the noise of which Percy ends up complaining about.

One day, Percy stops with his train at the airfield to talk to the helicopter, whose name is Harold. Percy compliments Harold for his big, strong arms and Harold responds by saying that he thinks railways are slow and out of date. When they finish, Harold flies away and Percy sets off for the quarry. Percy finds Toby and expresses his feelings about Harold. Afterwards, he collects his trucks and heads back to the harbour.

On Percy's trip back to the harbour, they hear Harold's unmistakable buzzing overhead. Percy's crew encourage him to race with the helicopter, which Percy has never been allowed to do before and is excited. The trucks wail and beg Percy to stop, but it is no use. They have to slow down when they reach the wharf and Percy is sure that they have lost the race. But when the fireman climbs onto the roof of the cab, he realises they have won, as he can see Harold still hovering and looking for a place to land.

In celebration of Percy's victory, the fireman sings a song about the race which Percy loves, especially the last line.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Harold
 * Toby
 * Harold's Pilots
 * Henry
 * Sir Topham Hatt

Locations

 * New Harbour
 * New Harbour Bridges
 * Ffarquhar Quarry
 * The Watermill
 * Suddery Castle
 * The Branch Line Cutting
 * The Branch Line Bridge
 * The Dual Bends

Trivia

 * Stock footage from Coal is used.
 * In George Carlin's dub, during the exchange between Harold and Percy at the airfield, the same audio recording of the line, "...said Harold," is used twice.
 * In the Japanese dub, the music is omitted during Percy's Victory Song.
 * Events of this episode were mentioned and recreated in CGI (Railway Series style) for the twentieth series episode, Letters to Santa.
 * This is the only appearance of Knapford Airfield in the television series.
 * This episode marks Ffarquhar Quarry's first physical appearance in the television series.
 * This episode marks the final appearance of Knapford Beach until the twenty-fourth series episode, Thomas' Fuzzy Friend, as well its last appearance in the model era.
 * When the episode aired on 25th June 1991, Tommy Boyd referenced this episode during his time as a boy, telling his mother what a "ding-dong-dang" is.
 * When this episode aired on Cartoon Network, the music and sound effects overlapped the original audio.

Goofs

 * In the first shot, Percy pushes a box close to the rails, his eyes are wonky, and trucks throughout his train bounce slightly.
 * After Thomas says "Well done, Percy! The Fat Controller is very pleased with us," the camera cuts to Percy. This is the same shot as the fireman singing, as noted by the fact that his legs can be seen on Percy's cab. Also, blu-tack is seen on Percy's bunker.
 * When the narrator says "An airfield was close by," Thomas' face moves slightly. The same thing happens with Percy's face when he says "Stupid thing. Why can't it go and buzz somewhere else?"
 * In the close-up of Percy complaining to Toby about Harold, Percy's eyes are wonky.
 * Because stock footage is used, Percy's driver is seen in Henry's cab and the fireman changes appearance at the wharf.
 * When Percy says "Yes! Let's!", there is a gap between his left eye and his face mask.
 * When Percy gains speed, his back wheel derails.
 * Percy's trucks suddenly have faces when they say "We don't want to, we don't want to!"
 * When Harold prepares for take-off, right before the shot cuts to Percy, a crew member's shadow is seen on Harold for just a split second.
 * In the aerial shot of Harold flying alongside Percy, a truck vanishes from Percy's train.
 * When Harold flies through The Branch Line Cutting, he clips a tree.
 * In the bird's-eye view of Harold flying over Percy, the end of Harold's red stripe can be seen peeling off.
 * When Percy says "Oh, dear. I'm sure we've lost," his eyes are misaligned.
 * After Percy's fireman's song, his right eye (viewers' left) pops out of the face mask slightly.
 * Throughout the episode, Percy's left (viewers' right) cylinder is loose.
 * Percy only has half of his screw-link coupling.
 * In the restored version, after Percy's fireman finishes his song, the shot of Percy freezes mid-take.
 * Percy's brake van changes constantly throughout the episode.

Merchandise

 * Buzz Books - Percy and Harold
 * My Thomas Story Library - Harold
 * Magazine stories - Percy and Harold
 * Ladybird Books - Percy and Harold/Percy Takes the Plunge
 * Engine Adventures - Harold

Home Media Releases
{{Scroll box|

UK

 * Percy and Harold and Other Stories
 * The Best of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
 * Thomas Comes to Breakfast and Other Stories
 * Thomas' Christmas Party and 17 other stories
 * Chases, Races and Runaways
 * The Complete Series 2
 * The Best of Percy
 * Percy Takes the Plunge

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * The Best of Friends

US

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

CAN

 * Thomas Breaks the Rules and Other Stories
 * Thomas and His Friends Get Along
 * Best of Percy

VHS/DVD Boxsets

 * Special Video Collector's Set
 * Totally Thomas Volume 2
 * Best Tales on the Tracks
 * Best of Collection
 * Best of Thomas, Percy and James Platinum Edition
 * 3 DVD Lunchbox Set

AUS

 * Percy and Harold and Other Stories
 * The Complete Series 2
 * My First Thomas with Percy

DVD Boxsets

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

NZ

 * Percy and Harold and Other Stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 3
 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 5

FRA

 * Saved from Scrap
 * The Talkative Trains

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Volume 8
 * Best of Percy
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.8
 * Thomas the Tank Engine in Two Languages Vol.8
 * The Complete DVD Box 1
 * Anytime With Percy!
 * The Best Collection
 * Thomas and Harold
 * 75th Anniversary Edition: Thank You as Always! Thomas & Friends Masterpieces

KOR

 * For the Story of Determination

DNK

 * The Runaway Train and Other Stories

NL

 * Percy and Harold
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon

GER

 * Old Iron and 4 Other Adventures
 * Show What You Can!
 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 4

DVD Boxsets

 * Thomas and His Friends Box Set 2

HRV

 * Duck Takes Over

NOR

 * Thomas Celebrates Christmas
 * Thomas the Tank Engine 4

FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 4

MYS

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

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

IND

 * Down the Mine and Other Stories

ITA

 * The Locomotive and the Helicopter

PHL

 * Old Iron

ROM

 * Thomas and the Great Runaway

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 1

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 3

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 5
 * Superstar Children's Favourites Vol. 2

HK
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 4
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 5

Percy und Harold Percy Aclara las Cosas פרסי והרולד La locomotiva e l'elicottero パーシーとハロルド Piotruś i Harold Паровоз и вертолёт