Percy and Harold

"Stupid thing! Why can't it go and buzz somewhere else?"

- Percy

Percy and Harold, retitled Percy Proves a Point in American releases, is the ninth episode of the second season. In the US, it aired on the Shining Time Station episodes Just Wild about Harry's Workshop in 1989 and Field Day in 1991.

Plot
Percy has been enjoying working at the new harbour on Thomas' Branch Line. He likes the branch line work rather than shunting for the mainline engines at the big station. Along the branch line is an airfield and Percy would hear the planes flying overhead. The loudest though is a helicopter. Percy complains about the noise it would make.

One day Percy stops with his train at the airfield. The helicopter is there and they begin by introducing each other. The helicopter's name is Harold and it is not long before the two start trading insults. When they finish, Harold flies away and Percy sets off for the quarry. Percy finds Toby and vented off his feelings about Harold.

On Percy's trip back to the harbour, they hear Harold's unmistakable buzzing. Percy's crew encourage the two to race each other. Percy has never been allowed to go that fast before. The trucks wailed and beg Percy to stop, but it is no use. They have to slow down when they reach the wharf and Percy is sure that they had lost the race. But when the fireman climbs onto the roof of the cab, he can see Harold still looking for a place to land.

In celebration of Percy's victory, the fireman sing a little song about the race, which Percy loves.

Characters

 * Thomas
 * Percy
 * Harold
 * Toby (does not speak)
 * Henry (stock footage cameo)
 * Sir Topham Hatt (mentioned)

Locations

 * Anopha Quarry
 * Knapford Harbour
 * The Watermill
 * Suddery Castle
 * Dryaw

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 - it's easy to tell from the shot of Percy's driver leaning out of the cab during the race that it is Henry's cab.
 * CITV host, Tommy Boyd, recalls this as his first Thomas episode.
 * In the Japanese version, the music is omitted during Percy's Victory Song.

Goofs

 * In the first shot, Percy pushes a box close to the rails and his eyes are wonky.
 * After Thomas says "Well done, Percy! The Fat Controller is very pleased with us!", the camera then cuts to Percy. This is the same shot as the one of the fireman singing; look up at Percy's cab and you can see the fireman's legs.
 * When the narrator says, "An airfield was close by", Thomas' face moves slightly. The same thing happens with Percy's face, when he says "Stupid thing! Why can't it go and buzz somewhere else?".
 * It is odd that Percy was still smiling after Harold said that he thinks railways are slow, not much use, and out of date.
 * The wind sock beside Harold should have been blown by his rotors when he took off.
 * In the close-up of Percy complaining to Toby about Harold, Percy's eyes look wonky.
 * When Percy says "Yes! Let's" you can see through his left eye.
 * When Percy gains speed, his back wheel derails.
 * Percy's trucks gained faces when they say "We don't want to, We don't want to".
 * In the aerial shot of Harold flying alongside Percy, a truck vanishes from Percy's train.
 * When Harold flies over the valley, he clips a tree.
 * When Percy says "Oh, dear! I'm sure we've lost!", his eyes are wonky.
 * Throughout the episode, Percy's left (viewer's right) cylinder is loose.
 * Percy only has half of his screw-link coupling.
 * Since stock footage is used, Percy's fireman changes appearance at the Wharf.