The Green Controller

"You have to pull... very slow trucks." "Oh, the indignity!"

- Percy and Gordon

The Green Controller is the fifth episode of the tenth season.

Plot
Percy is alone at Tidmouth Sheds when Lady Hatt arrives in the Fat Controller's car. The Fat Controller has lost his voice, so he is off sick today. Lady Hatt tells Percy to give some of the engines their instructions; Gordon is to pull trucks of China clay to Brendam Docks and must go slowly and carefully, James is to shunt coal trucks at the coaling plant and must be as busy as a bee, and Toby must collect holidaymakers from Maithwaite, take them to the Scottish Castle and be as fast as Gordon's express. Once Lady Hatt leaves, Thomas arrives and Percy tells him that he is controller for the day, so he neglects Thomas' assistance.

Percy finds Gordon at Knapford and tells him to pull slow goods. He finds James at the washdown and tells him to be repainted yellow and black to be a "busy bee". Finally, he finds Toby at Arlesdale End and tells him to pull Gordon's express. Percy then goes to check up on the other engines. At a bridge, Percy says hello to some children, but the children are laughing at Gordon being slow and James the stripy-bee engine. Once Toby arrives with the express, Gordon tells Percy that he is meant to be fast, not slow, James is meant to be red, not yellow and black, and Toby, being a tram engine, is not suitable to take the express. Percy realises that he is in a muddle and when Thomas arrives, Percy asks for his help.

Thomas helps Percy by going to Knapford to find see Gordon's cargo of China clay. At the coaling plant they see trucks waiting for James to shunt them. Finally, at Maithwaite, they see holidaymakers waiting for Toby. At last, Gordon, James, and Toby are doing the right jobs and that evening, the Fat Controller congratulates Percy for being really useful. Percy is just happy that the Fat Controller has found his voice and hopes that he will never lose it again as being controller for the day was harder than he thought.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Gordon
 * James
 * Percy
 * Toby
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Lady Hatt
 * Emily (cameo)
 * The Refreshment Lady (cameo)
 * The Storyteller (cameo)
 * Edward (cameo)
 * Henrietta (cameo)
 * Henry (deleted scene cameo)

Locations

 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Maithwaite
 * Knapford
 * Kellsthorpe
 * Arlesdale End
 * The Coaling Plant
 * The Scottish Castle
 * Brendam (mentioned)

Trivia

 * One of the trucks is wearing Bulstrode's surpised face.
 * The image of James (painted in his "buzzy bee" livery) and Gordon (you can just see one of his bogie wheels and part of his cylinder to the right) derailed, suggests that, originally, Percy's muddle would cause an accident.
 * In Norway, this episode is called "Boss for a Day".

Goofs

 * A lady wearing a yellow hat and a blue dress is seen with Lady Hatt when she meets Percy. This lady is later seen amongst the passengers waiting at Maithwaite.
 * It would take more than a day to paint James from red to yellow and black and then back to red.
 * In the British narration, throughout this episode trucks are referred to as coaches.
 * It seems odd that James and Gordon would actually believe that Percy was controller, given that he played tricks on them in Percy and the Signal.
 * Percy's driver should have been able to remember what Lady Hatt said.
 * Surely the shunters at the yards would not have coupled Toby to the express and Gordon to a goods train without confirmation, and the fitters would not have painted James without checking first.

Quotes

 * Lady Hatt: Sir Topham is sick. He has lost his voice.
 * Percy: I hope he finds it soon!


 * Percy: James, you must be a busy bee!
 * James: Do you mean I have to be painted yellow and black?
 * Percy: Yes!
 * James: But why?
 * Percy: Because I'm Controller!

Merchandise

 * TOMY/TrackMaster
 * Wooden Railway
 * Wind-up Trains