Percy, James and the Fruitful Day

"Percy, you are not to blame for the points failure, but I do not run a jam factory!"

- Sir Topham Hatt

Percy, James and the Fruitful Day is the twenty-fifth episode of the third season. In the US, it first aired in 1993 on the Shining Time Station episode Schemer Alone.

Plot
One day, James is waiting at the junction when Percy arrives with some troublesome trucks. James tells Percy that engines should always be on time and he puffs away. Percy thinks James is being bossy and ignores him. It was market day and James arrives at the harbour to see all the wonderful fruits from far away lands. James' trucks are filled and he sets off along the main line. On the way, he meets Thomas, Annie, and Clarabel and can't resist boasting. Thomas knows that there'll be trouble ahead for boastful James.

Back at the yard, Percy is busy shunting when the stationmaster tells his driver that James' brakes are jammed and that Percy has to go and help him at once. Percy quickly sets off and soon finds James stranded on the main line. Percy can't resist laughing and teasing James. Percy's driver soon intervenes and asks Percy if he can push the trucks of fruit. Soon, Percy is coupled to the trucks and sets off. Percy is in a hurry and isn't paying full attention to the line. He hadn't seen that the points had failed and that he had been diverted into a siding - until it's too late. Percy crashes into the buffers and gets covered in sticky fruit! The Fat Controller scolds Percy and reminds him that he's not running a jam factory!

That night in the sheds, all the engines are silent until Thomas reminds everyone that they are all Really Useful Engines!

Characters

 * Thomas
 * James
 * Percy
 * Annie and Clarabel
 * Sir Topham Hatt
 * Edward (cameo)
 * Henry (cameo)
 * Gordon (cameo)
 * Duck (cameo)

Locations

 * Brendam Docks
 * Tidmouth Sheds
 * Lower Suddery
 * Sodor River Bridge
 * Shunting Yards
 * Sodor Trading Co.
 * The Castle Tunnel

Trivia

 * This episode was adapted from the magazine story Percy Gets Jammed by Andrew Brenner.
 * The truck in front of Percy has NE written on it.
 * Stock footage from Thomas, Percy and the Post Train is used.
 * A deleted shot from Heroes is used.
 * When Percy crashes, a hand was used to make him derail from the tracks.
 * In the Netherlands, this episode's title is "Percy, James and the Soup". The Italian title is "Locomotives in Trouble". In Japan, this episode is called "Fruit Train". In Germany, this episode is called "Today is Fruit Day".
 * Izzy Gomez and Big Mickey from TUGS appear.

Goofs

 * James stops to speak to Percy at the beginning, but there were no signals to tell him to stop.
 * When James is watching his trucks being loaded, there are four open-topped trucks, but when he leaves the harbour, one of them is replaced with a box car.
 * When James leaves the harbour, the first truck is missing a face.
 * As Percy sets off with James' trucks, James' front wheels are derailed and Percy jerks back before starting.
 * The fruit juice is clearly squirted onto Percy's face with a hose several seconds after the crash.
 * During the crash scene, Percy's cab roof is raised.
 * There are more than the usual six berths in Tidmouth Sheds.
 * At the end of the episode, a wire of some sort is wrapped around James' funnel.
 * A brakevan should have been added to James' train.
 * When James puffs by Thomas, Annie and Clarabel, Annie is missing her name.

Quotes

 * Percy: "Got yourself into a bit of a jam, eh, James? What you might call a 'sticky situation'?"
 * James: "Be quiet! It's not funny having jammed brakes!"