Middle Engine

"Help! I'm not a truck!"

- Percy on the coal tipper

Middle Engine is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season.

Plot
'Arry and Bert play a trick on Percy by shunting trucks in front and behind him, which leads to Percy being pushed onto the coal tipper by Henry by mistake. Percy is sent to the yard until the incident is sorted out, and the Fat Controller nominates James to do Percy's work after he makes a snide comment. When 'Arry and Bert play the same trick on James, he refuses to move and so Percy has to pull James to the Docks. Percy then jokes that James is learning to be a middle engine, and James gets heavily embarrassed.

Characters

 * James
 * Percy
 * 'Arry and Bert
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Thomas (does not speak)
 * Henry (does not speak)
 * Gordon (does not speak)
 * Duck (cameo)
 * Annie and Clarabel (cameo)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Callan
 * The Coaling Plant
 * Brendam
 * Knapford
 * Maron
 * The Viaduct
 * The Smelters Yard

Trivia

 * The Coaling Plant manager had a Bronx accent in the American narration.
 * Scrap models of Thomas, Gordon, James, Toad, and Donald or Douglas are seen.
 * In Norway, this episode is called "In the Middle". In Japan, this episode is called "The Middle or Off The Middle!'.
 * This episode marks the first time 'Arry is referred to by name and Bert's first speaking role.

Goofs

 * In the first close-ups of 'Arry and Bert, James is meaninglessly standing alongside them: stock footage from later into the episode is used.
 * Percy takes full coal trucks to the coaling yard from the steelworks, but Percy should be collecting full trucks from the coaling yard and taking them to the steelworks to fuel the furnaces.
 * When Percy gets pushed onto the ramp he isn't tethered to it, but he is in the next scene.
 * Percy's siderods immediately change position when he's on the loading ramp.
 * When 'Arry and Bert roll alongside James, James and Bert's eyes are wonky.
 * Percy's steam platform is visible when he leaves with James and the trucks.
 * Percy should have fallen into the hopper when tipped at such an angle.
 * The Fat Controller blames Percy for going on the tipper, when he should have blamed Henry, 'Arry, and Bert.
 * The trucks should have been derailed when Percy was lifted up the ramp because they were coupled up to him, but they seem to be uncoupled when Percy goes up.
 * It is said that engines hate being "stuck in the middle", but engines such as Salty, Mavis, Peter Sam, and Rusty have been seen as middle engines before and seemed to be enjoying themselves.
 * In a close-up of Percy being tipped over, the rails underneath him disappear.
 * Percy's cab windows are blacked out when he is on the tipper.
 * James said he would not move, but in the shots when Percy is pulling him and the trucks, steam is coming out of James' funnel, as if he was moving.

Quotes

 * Percy: Oh bother!
 * 'Arry: Little green piggy in the middle!


 * 'Arry: Little red piggy in the middle!
 * Bert: Just like Percy!
 * James: I'm not like Percy, I'm not a middle engine, and I'm not moving!
 * Narrator: And he didn't!


 * Manager: Right on time! But what is that big red engine doing in the middle?
 * Percy: Learning.
 * Manager: Learning what?
 * Percy: Learning to be a middle engine!