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"Little green/red piggy in the middle!"
― 'Arry and Bert teasing Percy and James

Middle Engine is the fourteenth episode of the sixth series.

Plot

One day, Percy is collecting coal trucks from the Smelter's Yard to take to the Coaling Plant, but 'Arry and Bert make him a “middle engine” and place another line of trucks in front of him. Both Percy and his driver are angry at this, but he still has to go slowly since he is stuck between the two lines of trucks. On the way, he gets annoyed when James teases him. Upon arriving at the Coaling Plant, he shunts the trucks in front of him onto the coal tipper so that the coal can be dumped.

Percy knows that it is against the rules for an engine to cross the coal tipper until it has been turned off. But when his crew leave, Henry arrives to collect the coal trucks behind Percy. However, he mistakenly bumps Percy onto the tipper, resulting in Percy being lifted and then brought back down. The yard manager is cross with Percy for this and reports the incident to the Fat Controller.

At Tidmouth Sheds that night, the Fat Controller speaks severely to Percy for the loading ramp incident. Percy explains that it was a result of 'Arry and Bert's trick, so the Fat Controller restricts him to shunting in the yard while he investigates the situation. James quietly boasts that he can handle 'Arry and Bert, but the controller overhears this and sends him to do Percy's work at the Smelter's Yard the next day, much to James' dismay.

The next day, James initially does not let 'Arry and Bert get in his way and thinks that he has put them in their place. However, when he prepares to leave with his train, 'Arry again places another one in front of him. Not wanting to be seen like this, James refuses to move and the Fat Controller sends Percy to bring him and the trucks to the docks. Upon arrival, Percy jokes to the manager that James is "learning to be a middle engine", leaving the red engine infuriated and embarrassed as he tries to cover himself in a cloud of steam.

Characters

Locations

Trivia

  • In the US dub, the same singular recording of Alec Baldwin reading the line "coal cars" is used throughout the episode. This is most noticeable when Percy is approaching the tipper.
  • Scrap models of Thomas, Gordon, James, Toad, City of Truro, Lorry 2 and one of the Scottish Twins are seen.
  • This episode marks several things for 'Arry and Bert:
    • The first time 'Arry is referred to by name.
    • Bert's first speaking role.
    • The first time where both of them are referred to by name and have speaking roles.
    • Their only speaking roles in the sixth series.
  • This episode marks the last appearance of Duck's angry face.
  • This is the second episode where a character says "confusion and delay" after the fifth series episode Oliver's Find but the fourth episode where the phrase is used overall. In the fifth series episode Cranky Bugs and the sixth series episode The World's Strongest Engine, it was said by the narrator.
  • CITV repeated this episode on 28 February 2003 alongside the final episode of Ripley and Scuff.

Goofs

  • In the first close-ups of 'Arry and Bert in widescreen, James is standing in between them; this is because footage from later into the episode is used. James cannot be seen next to Bert on 4:3 centre-cut prints of this scene.
  • In a close up of 'Arry after Percy gets stuck in the middle, his eyes are misaligned.
  • Henry pushes Percy onto the loading ramp twice. Also when Percy is on the ramp, he is not tethered to it but he is in the next scene.
  • Percy's side rods continue to change position at random when he is on the loading ramp. They also change positions when he collects James and the trucks.
  • In a close-up of Percy being tipped over, the rails underneath him disappear.
  • In some of the scenes of Percy being lifted, his wheels do not have counterweights.
  • When Percy is lowered back onto the ground:
    • His eyes briefly jitter.
    • His lamp is tilted downward a bit.
    • His driver has some fingerprint stains on his body.
  • When 'Arry and Bert roll alongside James, James and Bert's eyes are misaligned.
  • James said he would not move but, in the shots when Percy is pulling him and the trucks, steam is coming out of James' funnel as if he was moving.
  • When Percy buffers up to James, the sound effect come in about a second late.
  • Percy's steam platform is visible when he takes James and all the trucks to Brendam.
  • In the close up of the manager, he has a hole on his right (viewers' left) arm.

Quotes

[Bert shunts trucks in front of Percy]
Percy: Oh bother!
'Arry: Little green piggy in the middle!

[after the loading ramp incident]
The Fat Controller: I'm very disappointed in you, Percy. You know it's against the rules to go on the tipper's loading ramp.
Percy: Sorry, sir, but wasn't my fault, it's because those diesels made me a middle engine.
The Fat Controller: Nevertheless, you will shunt trucks in the yard until I can get to the bottom of this.
James: Pah! I could handle those diesels with bent buffers and a busted boiler.
The Fat Controller: Then you will do Percy's run to the smelters.
James: Yes, Sir.

'Arry: Hello, James. Come to learn a thing or two from those who know?
James: Just get my trucks ready and stay out of my way!
Bert: Yes, sir!

'Arry: [shunts trucks in front of James] Little red piggy in the middle!
Bert: Just like Percy!
James: I am not like Percy. I am not a middle engine and I'm not moving!
Narrator: And he didn't.

Dock Manager: [sees James in the middle of the train] Right on time! But what is that big red engine doing in the middle?
Percy: Learning.
Manager: Learning what?
Percy: Learning to be a middle engine!
[angry and embarrassed, James attempts to cover himself with steam]

In Other Languages

View content
Language Title
Albanian Lokomotiva në mes
Chinese Mandarin 中型火车头
Czech Uprostřed
Danish Midterlokomotivet
Dutch De middelste locomotief
Finnish Keskimmäinen veturi
Hungarian A középső mozdony
Italian La locomotiva intermedia
Japanese まんなかのきかんしゃ
Korean 중간에 끼면?
Norwegian Midt i mellom
Polish Środkowa lokomotywa
Romanian Locomotivă de mijloc
Russian Паровоз посередине
Serbian Srednja lokomotiva
Slovenian Lokomotiva na sredi
Swedish Mellanloket
Welsh Yr Injan Ganol

Merchandise

Home Video Releases

UK

UK DVD Packs

WAL

US

CAN

  • Percy's Chocolate Crunch and Other Thomas Adventures

US/CAN DVD Boxset

AUS

AUS DVD Packs

MYS

PHL

ITA

NOR

DK

DK DVD Boxset

SWE

SVN

THA

JPN

KOR

HK

TWN

Episode


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