Percy Takes the Plunge

"Well, it wasn't anything, really. Water's nothing to an engine with determination!"

- Percy

Percy Takes the Plunge, sometimes known as Percy Takes a Plunge in the US is the eleventh episode of the second season. It aired in the US on the Shining Time Station episodes, Mapping it Out and Schemer Goes Camping.

Plot
One day at the harbour, a tired Henry is looking to rest in the sheds after a hard day's work, but instead of peace he finds Percy telling Bill and Ben about the time he braved bad weather to help Thomas's passengers return home. However, Percy is embellishing the tale, as he speaks about how he braved through flood waters using the phrase "Water's nothing to an engine with determination". Bill and Ben shower Percy with praise and Henry angrily tells them to leave, as the sheds are only for engines belonging to the Fat Controller.

The engines leave and Percy is angry. He had been enjoying himself. However, Henry just tells Percy how silly his line about water and determination is. Percy leaves, but not without quickly reminding Henry of when he refused to leave a tunnel because of rain.

Later, Percy and Thomas come across a board reading "DANGER Engines must not pass this board". Thomas tells Percy that they must not go past it and tells him about the time he passed a board and fell down a mine. Percy cannot see a mine, not realising that the foundations of the rails have sunk and the line now leads into the sea. As a result, Percy, who is now feeling very cocky, decides that the board is stupid and makes a plan to pass it.

As he brings some trucks to the harbour, Percy asks them to bump him when they arrive at the quay. The trucks happily agree, having never been asked to bump an engine before. Percy's plan is to pretend to stop at the quay and then have the trucks bump him past the board after which he can make them stop. However, Percy, in his foolishness, has forgotten that trucks cannot be trusted.

At the quay, the trucks bump Percy hard enough that both his driver and fireman fall off the footplate and push him past the board. Percy quickly realises his mistake and tells the trucks to stop, but there is no chance of that and they happily push Percy into the sea.

Later, as Percy sits in the water, the Fat Controller scolds the tank engine for his deliberate disobedience. Percy begs to get out, but the Fat Controller explains that they must wait until high tide and hopes that this will teach Percy a lesson. By the time the cranes can be brought to rescue Percy, it is night. Working hard, the cranes pull a cold, weak, and filthy Percy from the sea.

The next morning, Percy is taken to the works to be cleaned and mended by Henry, who finds the incident very amusing after Percy's earlier boasts. When Percy states he did not like the water, Henry replies he needs more determination and that perhaps he will like it better next time. Percy, however, hopes there is no "next time".

Characters

 * Thomas