Percy Runs Away

"I want to stop, I want to stop... I have stopped!"

- Percy

Percy Runs Away is the seventeenth episode of the first season. In the US, this episode aired on the Shining Time Station episodes Two Old Hands in 1989 and Dance Crazy in 1993.

Plot
After several days of being shut up in the shed, Sir Topham Hatt visits Gordon, James, and Henry. He tells the three that he hopes they are sorry and have learned they are not as important as they thought. He informs them that there is a new tank engine named Percy and that Edward and Thomas ran the main line well by themselves. However, he is willing to let them out and return to work on the condition that they be good and do not complain about shunting anymore. All three agree and they quickly resume their duties.

Sir Topham Hatt then speaks to Thomas, Edward, and Percy and, as a reward for their hard work, allows them to play on the branch line for a few days. Thomas happily collects Annie and Clarabel while Edward and Percy go and play with trucks in the yard. Edward and Thomas leave and Percy is left alone where he enjoys watching the larger engines go by. He also enjoys being cheeky to them, which makes them very cross.

Later, after doing some more shunting, Percy heads back to the yard, but the points are against him. Percy is so eager to work, he carelessly forgets that Edward had told him to whistle when he got to the signalbox so that the signalman would know he was there. Suddenly he sees something that does make him whistle, in panic; Gordon, on the same line, heading towards him full speed with the express. Percy is horrified, but cannot do anything and closes his eyes as Gordon gets closer. Luckily Gordon applies his brakes and stops just in time. However, by now a frightened Percy has begun to move and, intending to run away, begins running backwards.

Percy runs straight through Edward's station and is so frightened he runs straight up Gordon's Hill without stopping. After he descends the hill, Percy quickly becomes tired, but, as his crew had jumped out when they saw Gordon, could not stop. Finally a signalman sees that Percy is in trouble and sets the points into a siding, where Percy lands in a big bank of earth. By now, Percy is so tired he does not care where he stopped.

Gordon arrives and congratulates Percy on starting quickly and stopping a potential accident. Percy apologises for his previous cheekiness and Gordon pulls Percy out from the bank.

Now friends with Gordon, Percy quickly settles into his new role as station pilot. Although he never loses his penchant for cheekiness, he now knows to always be careful when he goes on the main line.

Characters

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

Locations

 * Knapford
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Lower Suddery
 * Wellsworth
 * Gordon's Hill
 * Anopha Quarry (mentioned)

Trivia

 * This episode is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Troublesome Engines.
 * Stock footage from Trouble in the Shed is used.

Goofs

 * Henry has the external steampipes of his new shape in the Tidmouth Sheds scenes.
 * Annie and Clarabel's names are missing when Thomas takes them away.
 * In the close-ups of Wellsworth, greenery appears behind Percy.
 * The narrator says that Edward took some empty trucks to the quarry, but the last three are full.
 * In one close-up of Percy at the points, the camera jumps a bit.
 * In some shots while Percy runs away, his crew is in his cab.
 * Percy goes further back from the signalbox without moving.
 * Gordon said to Percy that he started so quickly that he stopped an accident, but Percy started long after Gordon stopped.
 * When Gordon is rescuing Percy, one of the workmen has blu-tak around his neck.
 * According to maps of Sodor, the branch line to Suddery is between Wellsworth and Gordon's Hill. Percy should have passed the line before he went up Gordon's Hill.
 * In the last shot, a track in front of the camera dead ends.
 * When Percy crashes into the bank of soil, his rear stripe sticker is partially unattached from his boiler.
 * When the narrator says "But Percy had begun to move," some specs of red can be seen on his wheels.
 * In the George Carlin narration, Gordon told Percy he was clever to stop at Wellsworth, when it was Gordon who stopped just before Percy started reversing.
 * In the close-up of Percy's face when he is beginning to reverse, a piece of track is visible next to him. However there is no track next to him by the signal box. This also applies to the close-up where he is about to back into the bank of earth.
 * Before Gordon stops in front of Percy, he does not have any coaches, but in the next shot he gains some.
 * Percy passes through Wellsworth long before the narrator says he does.

Merchandise

 * Buzz Books - Percy Runs Away
 * Magazine Stories - Percy Runs Away
 * Ladybird Books - Percy Runs Away and Thomas and the Breakdown Train

Home Media Releases
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UK

 * Further Adventures of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends
 * Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * Troublesome Trucks, Coal and other stories
 * Thomas and Gordon, Troublesome Trucks and other stories
 * Thomas and Bertie (DVD)
 * Your Favourite Story Collection
 * Chases, Races and Runaways
 * Fun Time Favourites
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * The Best of Percy
 * The Complete First Series

DVD Boxsets

 * Classic Collection
 * The Best of Friends
 * The Fogman and The Very Best of Thomas and Friends Double Pack

WAL

 * Troublesome Trucks and 8 Other Stories (Welsh VHS)

US

 * Tenders and Turntables and Other Stories
 * A Big Day for Thomas (DVD)
 * Best of Percy
 * Thomas' Fan Favorite Adventures
 * The Early Years
 * Season 1 (Digital Download)

DVD Boxsets

 * Best Tales on the Tracks
 * Trust Thomas and Other Stories/A Big Day for Thomas Double Feature
 * Totally Thomas Volume 4
 * Best of Collection
 * Platinum Edition

AUS

 * Troublesome Trucks and Other Stories
 * The Very Best of Thomas and Friends
 * The Complete First Series
 * My First Thomas with Percy

DVD Boxsets

 * 60th Anniversary - Limited Edition Boxset
 * My First Thomas
 * Complete Series 1-10 (Boxset)
 * Classic Collection
 * Series One and Series Two Double Pack

FRA

 * The Magic of Sodor

JPN

 * Thomas the Tank Engine Volume 4
 * The Complete Works of Thomas the Tank Engine 1 Vol.6
 * The Complete DVD Box 1
 * Anytime With Percy!

PHL

 * Thomas, Terence and the Snow (DVD)
 * Thomas and Friends Collection

NOR

 * Anniversary (Norwegian VHS/DVD)
 * Thomas the Tank Engine 2 (Scandinavian VHS/DVD)

SE

 * Thomas in Trouble (Swedish VHS/DVD)

FIN/ISL

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 2

DNK

 * Thomas in Trouble and Other Stories (Danish DVD)

NZ

 * Bumper Video Collection Volume 1
 * Percy Runs Away and Other Stories
 * Thomas Train Set Compilation Video Volume 4

GER

 * On the Buses and 4 Other Adventures
 * Thomas and His Friends Vol. 2

MYS

 * Thomas, Terence and the Snow and Other Adventures

NL

 * The Great Race! (Dutch DVD)
 * The Greatest Stories: The Adventures of Thomas, Percy and Gordon

ITA

 * Trouble in Store

ROM

 * Thomas and Percy (Romanian DVD)

DVD Packs

 * Triple Pack 1

IND

 * Thomas and Bertie Adventures

HRV

 * Thomas and Brakesman

SER

 * Thomas the Tank Engine 2 (Serbian DVD)

CHN

 * Thomas and Friends Season 1-4 (DVD)

TWN

 * Thomas and Friends Volume 2 (Taiwanese DVD)

THA

 * Thomas and Friends - Volume 3 (Thai DVD)
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