Middle Engine

"Help! I'm not a truck!"

- Percy on the coal tipper

"Middle Engine" is a sixth season episode. It first aired on September the 10th, 2002.

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.

Featured characters

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

Goofs

 * The narrator says that none of the engines liked being a middle engine, but in "Salty's Secret", Salty was a middle engine and seemed to be enjoying himself.
 * 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 out of place.
 * Percy's steam platform is visible when he leaves with James and the trucks.
 * Percy should've fallen into the hopper when tipped at such an angle.
 * When this episode was broadcasted on CITV, Arry is called "Harry" in the subtitles.

Quotes

 * '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!