Percy, James and the Fruitful Day

"You know, there's more than one way to get jammed. We all learned that today. What's more, we also learned that sometimes when engines help each other out of a... 'jam,' things can still go wrong." "So...?" "So, that means we learned a lot today. And therefore..." "We're Really Useful Engines after all!"

- Thomas cheering up the other engines.

Percy, James and the Fruitful Day is the twenty-fifth episode of the third series. It is based on the magazine story Percy Gets Jammed.

Plot
It is market day on Sodor, and James is on his way to the harbour when he sees Percy at Lower Suddery. Percy is late with his line of trucks, as he should already be at the next station by that point. James tells Percy that engines should always be on time and puffs importantly away. Feeling resentful, Percy mutters "bossy buffers" under his breath and continues on his way.

James arrives at the harbour to see all the wonderful fresh exotic fruits being unloaded from the cargo ships. James waits as his trucks are loaded, then he sets off for the main line. During his journey, he meets Thomas and cannot resist boasting. Thomas tells Annie and Clarabel that he knows that there will be trouble ahead for boastful James.

Back at Lower Suddery, Percy is busy shunting in the yard when the stationmaster informs his driver that James' brakes are jammed and that Percy has to go and help him at once. Percy quickly sets off and soon finds James stranded on the main line, which gives Percy an opportunity to tease him. Percy's driver soon intervenes and asks Percy if he can push the trucks of fruit, to which Percy happily obliges. Soon, Percy is coupled to the trucks and sets off, leaving James fuming. Percy is in a hurry and is not paying full attention to the line. With the trucks in front of him, he has not seen that the points have failed and that he has been diverted onto a siding. Percy's driver sees the danger and applies the brakes, but it is too late. The trucks run straight into the buffers and Percy crashes into the back of the van in front of him. His driver and fireman have jumped clear, but Percy gets squirted and covered in squashed fruit. The Fat Controller arrives and sternly reminds Percy that while the points failure was not his fault, the railway is not a jam factory. After that, Percy sadly chuffs back home.

That night in the sheds, all the engines are silent, with James and Percy feeling very sorry for themselves as they are now both in disgrace. Thomas breaks the silence by reminding everyone that there is more than one way to get into a jam and that even when engines help each other out, things can still go wrong. One of the engines asks what the point is and Thomas points out that it means they learned a lot that day and therefore they are all Really Useful Engines after all, to which all the engines happily agree.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Henry
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Duck
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Troublesome Trucks
 * Jeremiah Jobling
 * Farmer Trotter
 * The New Signalman
 * Big Mickey
 * Jem Cole

Locations

 * The Three Way Road
 * The Runby Bridge
 * Lower Suddery
 * Yard
 * Brendam Docks
 * Sodor Trading Co.
 * Brendam Drawbridge
 * Logging Halt
 * Tidmouth Sheds

Trivia

 * The truck in front of Percy has "NE" written on it.
 * Stock footage from Thomas, Percy and the Post Train as well as a deleted scene from the previous episode are used.
 * Izzy Gomez, Big Mickey, the Fuel Depot Manager's office, a station and a warehouse from TUGS appear.
 * This episode marks:
 * Annie and Clarabel's only speaking roles in the third series.
 * The first time a character angrily says "Be quiet!" instead of "Shut up!"
 * The only appearances of the Logging Halt and Suddery, yet the latter location's only physical appearance in the television series.
 * The last appearances of Brendam Drawbridge and The Three Way Road.
 * This episode aired alongside the second series episode, Percy and Harold on Storytime with Thomas.
 * This episode was broadcast in the UK on Ringo Starr's 52nd birthday.
 * Dishwasher soap was used for the projectile green liquid squirted on Percy. Additionally, the horn sound uses a slowed down version of Bertie's horn.
 * For the 1993 repeat of the third series on Children's ITV, this was the last episode before the terrestrial broadcast ended until the sixth series ten years later.

Goofs

 * When James was meeting Percy at Lower Suddery, his tender body is not properly assembled to its chassis.
 * When James is watching his trucks being loaded, there are four open-topped trucks, but when he leaves the harbour, one of them has been replaced with a goods van.
 * When James leaves the harbour, the first truck is missing a face.
 * As Percy sets off with James' trucks, the latter' pony truck is derailed and the former jerks back before starting.
 * After Percy got covered in fruit, his cab roof is lifted.
 * There are eleven berths in Tidmouth Sheds instead of the usual six.
 * At the end of the episode, black tack is wrapped around James' funnel.
 * When James passes Thomas and the coaches, Annie is missing her name.
 * Because stock footage is used, one close-up of Percy's driver is at night.
 * When Percy crashes:
 * The van jolts up, but in the next shot it remains on the track.
 * He slightly shifts forward when he smashes into the van.
 * Percy is on the track when he crashes, but later he shown to be derailed.
 * His cylinder is dangling.
 * At the sheds some of the engines had misaligned eyes.
 * Thomas has a couple problems with his eyes at the sheds:
 * They do not move the same time when the narrator says, "Still there was silence."
 * They slightly jolt up when he says that things can still go wrong when helping each other out of a jam.
 * His left eye (viewers' right) moves up when he says, "So that means we've learned a lot today."

Quotes

 * James: Really reliable. That's me! Pity the same can't be said for Percy! Peep peep! Good-bye! [leaves]
 * Annie and Clarabel: What was all that about?
 * Thomas: That was trouble. Trouble for James. Just wait and see.




 * Percy: Got yourself into a bit of a jam, eh, James? (What you might call) A sticky situation?
 * James: Be quiet! It's not funny having jammed brakes!
 * Percy: And not very reliable, either. I'm surprised you let it happen, James. Nothing should stop us engines.
 * Percy's Driver: That's enough, Percy. Can you pick these trucks/cars?
 * Percy: Of course I can. There's no time to lose. James has done too much of that already.
 * Narrator: (James becomes angry) James angrily hissed steam as Percy was coupled to the trucks/cars. (Percy reverses)
 * Percy: Off we go. I'll have to go fast to get there on time. (Sets off with the fruit trucks) These/Those big engines are so unreliable.




 * [after Percy's unexpected misadventure with the trucks and the jammed points]
 * Sir Topham Hatt: Percy, you are not to blame for the points failure, but I do not run a jam factory.
 * Percy: Yes, sir-- No, sir!
 * Narrator: And Percy squelched sadly away. (Reverses out of the siding)

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Escape and other stories
 * Thomas Gets Bumped and 17 Other Stories
 * Biggest Party Video Ever!
 * The Complete Series 3
 * My Little Thomas and Percy Adventures
 * The Best of James

DVD Packs

 * Classic Collection
 * The Best of Friends

WAL

 * Help and 15 other stories

US

 * Shining Time Station Vol. 2: Schemer Alone
 * James Goes Buzz Buzz and Other Thomas Stories
 * Best of James
 * Thomas' Fan Favorite Adventures
 * Two Thomas Adventures
 * Thomas & Friends Classic Volume 3

CAN

 * James Goes Buzz Buzz and Other Thomas Stories
 * Best of James

DVD/VHS Packs

 * Totally Thomas Volume 7
 * Thomas' Fan Favorite Adventures
 * Best Tales on the Tracks
 * James Goes Buzz Buzz and Other Thomas Stories/Thomas and the Special Letter and Other Stories Double Feature
 * Best of James/Best of Thomas Double Feature
 * Ultimate Thomas Collection
 * Best of Collection
 * Best of Thomas, Percy and James Platinum Edition

AUS

 * Escape and other Stories
 * The Complete Series 3

DVD Boxsets

 * Complete Series 1-10
 * Classic Collection
 * Series Three and Series Four Double Pack

NZ

 * Escape and other stories
 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 5

ZA

 * Buzz, Buzz

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Volume 17
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.6
 * To Transport a Lot Today
 * The Complete DVD Box 1

GRC

 * The Twin Engines Were Confused!

DVD Boxsets

 * 3 DVD Boxset 2

IN

 * Oliver Owns Up and Other Stories

NOR/FIN

 * Edward, Trevor and the Useful Party

GER

 * Heroes and 4 Other Adventures

DK

 * The Great Escape and Other Stories

UKR

 * A Train Thomas and Friends

NL

 * Merry Christmas!
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, James and Henry

ITA

 * Locomotive in Trouble

SVN

 * Percy, James and the Fruitful Day

MYS

 * Percy, James and the Fruitful Day and Other Thomas Adventures
 * One Good Turn and Other Adventures

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 7

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4

KOR

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 2

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 11

HK
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 * Thomas and Friends Volume 8
 * Thomas and Friends Volume 6

Heute ist Obsttag Percy, James y un Día Fructífero פרסי, ג'יימס והיום הפורה くだものれっしゃ Piotruś, Kuba i Owocny Dzień Перси, Джеймс и плодотворный день