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 work in 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 Docks
 * Knapford
 * Maron
 * The Viaduct
 * The Smelters Yard

Trivia

 * The Coaling Plant manager has a Bronx accent in the American narration.
 * Scrap models of Thomas, Gordon, James, Toad, and Donald or Douglas are seen.
 * This episode marks the first time 'Arry is referred to by name and Bert's first speaking role.
 * In the US narration, the same singular recording of the line "coal cars" is used throughout the episode. This is most noticeable when Percy is approaching the tipper.

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. James cannot be seen on 4:3 centre cut prints of this scene.
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * In some of the scenes of Percy being lifted, his wheels do not have counterweights.
 * 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.
 * At the start of the episode, the narrator states that "Thomas likes his branch line" though Thomas is shown at Maron, which is not on his branch line.

Quotes

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


 * 'Arry: Little red piggy in the middle!
 * Bert: Just like Percy!
 * James: I am not like Percy, I am 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!