Trouble in the Shed

"I'll call you Percy."

- Sir Topham Hatt

Trouble in the Shed is the sixteenth episode of the first season. In the US, this episode first aired on the Shining Time Station episode Whistle While you Work.

Plot
When no trains arrive at Knapford, the Fat Controller goes to the sheds to see what is going on and learns that the big engines have gone on strike and refuse to shunt in dirty sidings. The Fat Controller goes to Wellsworth to enlist Edward as a station pilot in hope this will put everything to a rest. After Edward does all of the shunting, the trains ran as usual.

Next day, the Fat Controller visits the yard to see how Edward is getting along. To his dismay, he sees Gordon puff by and wheesh loudly at Edward. Edward tells the Fat Controller that the big engines have been insulting and wheeshing steam at him. The Fat Controller decides that he must bring a new tank engine to the yard to permanently fix the problem. So he visits the works and picks out a nice green saddletank and names him Percy.

The Fat Controller asks Edward to get Percy acquainted with the yard and the pair set off for work. Edward is very impressed by his hard work and wheeshing - something he learned in the workshop so as to be heard. The Fat Controller calls Thomas, Percy, and Edward to the yard for an announcement. He tells them that he has shut-up the big engines in the shed until they learn to behave and that, in Gordon, Henry, and James' absence, the two tank engines and Edward will run the railway.

Edward and Thomas ran the mainline while Percy took care of the branch. There were fewer trains, but the passengers knew that the big engines were learning a lesson and the others were doing their best to keep the railway running.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Edward
 * Gordon
 * Percy
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Henry (does not speak)
 * James (does not speak)
 * Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Knapford
 * Wellsworth
 * The Workshop

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Troublesome Engines.
 * The second engine from the left in the workshop is Marklin.
 * Stock footage from Thomas' Train is used - you can tell because the background behind Sir Topham Hatt is Knapford, not Tidmouth.
 * In the UK version, Edward complains that "...last night they said I had black wheels", but in the US the line was changed to "...last night they said I had grey wheels".
 * In the UK version, Gordon says "We won't shunt like common tank engines". But in the US versions Gordon says, "We won't shunt like little tank engines".
 * The scene of Sir Topham Hatt putting his hat on is cut in the restored version.

Goofs

 * Just before Gordon hisses he is passing Edward; but when he stops hissing he's passing Edward again.
 * In the close-up of the Fat Controller talking to Edward at Tidmouth, he has some small holes underneath his chin.
 * In the shot of Edward being "weeshed" by Gordon, the Fat Controller isn't seen on the platform.
 * In the UK version, it is said that the big engines insulted Edward by saying that he had black wheels. But wouldn't this be insulting to James as he has black wheels?
 * It is obvious the sheet covering Percy is lifted off by a crew member.
 * It appears that Percy moves from his position in the stores almost instantly. This is confusing for two reasons: his condition may have worsened after spending time unused under a tarpaulin, and steam engines take three hours on average to get ready.
 * When Edward and Percy shunt, Edward's trucks push the buffers out of place.
 * When Henry comes out of and reverses into the shed he is in his new shape. To add to that, he moves without a driver.
 * When Edward says "I can't wheesh like that!" his tender is missing, he has Thomas' whistle sound, and James, Gordon, and Henry are not in the shed.
 * In one scene Annie and Clarabel are facing the wrong way.
 * Henry, Gordon and James keep changing positions in the shed throughout the episode.
 * When Thomas and Edward pass each other, Thomas' brake coach is backwards.
 * Percy already has his 6 before he came to the Fat Controller's railway.