Percy and the Signal

"We had spoken of backing signals. They need extra special care, you know. Would you want me to explain?" "No, thank you, James. I know all about signals!"

- James and Percy

Percy and the Signal is the seventh episode of the second season. It aired in the US on the Shining Time Station episode, "Stop the Press!".

Plot
Percy works in the yard at the big station, collecting coaches and trucks that the bigger engines need for their trains. Although he works hard, he can also be very cheeky. First, he wakes Gordon up by telling him is train is ready. Gordon jumps, thinking he is running late, only for Percy to reveal a line of dirty trucks. Gordon is angry and tries to think of a way to pay Percy back.

Percy then goes to James and tells him that the Fat Controller has sent a message for James to not leave the shed. James is delighted, thinking the Fat Controller wants him to pull a special. As a result, he refuses to leave the shed when his driver and fireman try to take him out. The other engines are angry over having to do James' work as well as their own. Finally an engine inspector arrives and tells James to move. James refuses and tells him about the message the Fat Controller sent. The inspector points out the Fat Controller could not send a message as he is away. James is horrified and quickly leaves to find Percy, but Percy had decided to make himself scarce. When the Fat Controller gets back, he does speak to James as well as Percy, telling them both off for causing trouble.

A few days later, Percy is showing off to Gordon and James as the Fat Controller has asked him to take trucks to Thomas' junction. He is boasting that he was chosen as he is a really useful engine. James remarks that the Fat Controller probably wants Percy out of the way. Gordon and James then put form a plan and put it into action. They claim they were talking about being careful with the signals at the junction, especially "backing signals". Percy, keen to show off, claims that he knows all about signals and leaves, but worries as he has never seen or heard of a backing signal before. However, he decides not to dwell on it and collects his trucks before traveling to the junction.

Soon Percy arrives at a signal set to danger. However, when it moves to show the line is clear, the arm moves up instead of down. Percy, having never seen this kind of signal before, guesses that it is a backing signal and begins reversing. Percy's driver is shocked and quickly stops him, but Percy protests that it is a backing signal and tells his driver about what Gordon and James had said. The driver is amused and tells Percy the truth. Percy is eager to leave before he is seen, but it is too late. Gordon sails past having seen the whole incident. Embarrassed, Percy quickly and quietly finishes his work.

That night in the sheds, Gordon and James talk about nothing but signals. While they think it is funny, Percy is less than impressed.

Characters

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

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Knapford
 * Knapford Yards
 * Ffarquhar Sheds
 * Elsbridge
 * Rolf's Castle
 * The Coaling Plant

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Percy the Small Engine.
 * Stock footage from Coal is used.
 * In the restored version of this episode, when Sir Topham Hatt is cross with James and Percy, instead of showing both Percy and James, only James is shown.
 * There are some differences between the UK version and the US versions:
 * In the UK version, Starr says "When The Fat Controller came back, He did see James and Percy too. Both engines wished he hadn't". But in the US version, Carlin says "When Sir Topham Hatt came back he was cross with James and Percy for causing so much trouble".
 * In the UK narration, after Gordon gets teased, Starr says "Gordon thought how to pay Percy out". But in the US version, Carlin says "Gordon thought how to get back at Percy for teasing him".
 * In the UK version, as Gordon and James make their plan, Starr says "They were making a plan", whereas Carlin says "They were going to play a trick on Percy".
 * In the UK version, Starr says "One morning, Percy was careless". But in the US version, Carlin says "But the very next day, Percy was still being cheeky".
 * In the US version, when James says "Where's Percy?", a little music ditty is used. This is absent in the UK version.
 * In a deleted scene, Thomas also had to do James' work when Percy told him to stay in the shed.
 * In Japan this episode is called "Percy's Backing Signal".

Goofs

 * Percy's left cylinder is hanging off throughout most of the episode.
 * When Gordon says "James and I had just been speaking about signals at the junction", part of James' face is coming away from his smokebox.
 * In the close-up of Percy's wheels when he reverses from the signal, a wire is visible.
 * When Percy goes under the pedestrian bridge at Elsbridge, the reflection of a studio member or camera is visible in the shiny part.
 * The signal which Percy stops at is not the sort that is meant to point upwards.
 * Gordon's eyes are wonky throughout the episode.