This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the vinyl record, the Japanese VHS, the book, the Buzz Book, the 1997 magazine story or the 2000 magazine story. |
- "I'll have some of your floorboards, please."
"I only swept the floor this morning!" - ― Percy's fireman and the guard
Percy's Promise is the second episode of the third series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book, Percy the Small Engine.
Plot
Every summer, Sodor is busy with holidaymakers visiting the Island to see the sights. One morning, Thomas is running along the coastal branch line taking children to the beach. When he reaches the station at the port, he meets Percy who is bringing stone trucks to the harbour. Percy greets Thomas and remarks he wishes that he could take children, to which Thomas states that the children he is taking are the Vicar's Sunday School. He will also be busy in the evening but offers to let Percy take the children back home, which he gladly promises to do.
At Dryaw, Percy meets Harold who warns him of inclement weather coming and says to take care. He is also warned by Edward at the junction station to be careful of an upcoming storm but Percy knows he must keep his promise. The children enjoy a fun day at the beach until teatime, at which the weather turns bad and begins raining hard. Percy returns to the port station, where Annie and Clarabel are waiting for him to take the children home. Percy is most uncomfortable with the rain but, despite his longing to be at the sheds, he manages to get on with it.
As Percy begins his return journey, he leaves the coastal village and enters the countryside. The torrential rain makes the river rise very quickly. Percy struggles to see through the beating rain but worse is to come; the tracks ahead have been flooded and Percy winds up in the middle of the floodwaters, his fire becoming dampened as water floods into his cab. His crew, then, tries to find some dry firewood and his fireman asks the guard for some floorboards from his van. The guard grumbles since he had only swept the floor earlier that morning but still agrees to help. Percy's fire is soon burning well and he feels more comfortable again, until he sees Harold approaching and worries that he wants to laugh at him. A crate attached to a parachute is dropped out and thuds on top of Percy's boiler, to his annoyance. His driver explains Harold brought hot drinks for the crew and passengers. Percy then thanks Harold before the helicopter flies away.
Percy bravely continues on with his journey and, though he begins losing steam again, he keeps going. He finally reaches tracks clear of the flood and triumphantly brings the train to Elsbridge. Thomas is waiting for him and congratulates him for keeping his promise. The Fat Controller arrives aboard Harold and thanks Percy and his crew. The Fat Controller is greatly impressed with Percy's efforts and praises him for being a Really Useful Engine.
Characters
- Thomas
- Edward
- Percy
- Harold
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
- The Vicar of Wellsworth (does not speak, full role cut)
- James (cameo)
- Bertie (cameo)
- A Troublesome Truck (cameo)
- Stephen Hatt (cameo)
- Bridget Hatt (cameo)
- Mrs. Kyndley (cameo)
- Jeremiah Jobling (cameo)
- The Boy (cameo)
- Harold's Pilots (cameos)
Locations
- The Watermill
- Suddery Coastal Village
- Tidmouth Beach
- Dryaw
- Elsbridge
- The Country Line
- Low Lands
- Black Loch (stock footage)
- Cliff Side Track (stock footage)
- Arlesdale Castle (stock footage)
- Dilly's Pond (deleted scene)
- New Harbour (mentioned)
- Tidmouth Yard Sheds (mentioned)
Trivia
- This episode was originally planned to be the tenth episode of the second series but was pushed to the third series instead. The dialogue and visual script for the original version of the episode was leaked in 2022. In the original script, Percy's journey was to begin at the New Harbour rather than Tidmouth Hault. Despite being cut from the episode, the harbour still receives a mention in the final narration. The visual script also mentions the plan of simulating the flooded track with moulded pieces of plexiglass rather than running Percy's model through actual water as was ultimately done.
- This is Harold's last episode with a leading role until the fifth series episode, Toby and the Flood.
- In the original story and first script, the floorboards were actually extracted from Clarabel. However, a non-sentient brake van was added in the final adaptation to avoid the implication the guard was using an axe on a sentient coach.
- The episode can be seen in a Japanese game, Magical Adventure.
- In the restored version:
- There is a different scene of the coastal village with the sky being blue and no people being close to the house.
- An extended shot of Percy meeting Edward at Elsbridge is shown, with the last few seconds cut off.
- The beginning of Percy getting disgusted by the rain is extended with more steam flowing.
- The fade effect and scene of Percy arriving at Elsbridge with Annie and Clarabel are removed and replaced with a cut and an extended shot of Thomas waiting for Percy.
- The very last shot of Percy does not freeze.
- This episode marks the first of two things:
- The first appearance of Tidmouth Hault.
- The first to feature Annie's raised front buffer beam.
- In a promotional image, Edward is wearing his exhausted/anxious face instead of his neutral face when he talks to Percy at Elsbridge, thus marking the only appearance in the third series.
- Although being adapted for the third series, the events of this episode were mentioned in the second series episode, Percy Takes the Plunge. Thus, this episode most likely takes place before the aforementioned episode as it did in The Railway Series.
- Some of the B-roll from the first series of Thomas on Toby's Old Tramway is used at the beginning of this episode.
- This episode shown alongside the episode Henry's Forest in an airing of Storytime with Thomas.
- Modified models of the Coast Guard, a shrimper and some fishing boats from Tugs appear at Suddery Coastal Village, making this the first episode to use models from Tugs.
- In the original UK dub, the US dub and the Ukrainian voice-over, when Harold and Edward warn Percy about the storm and when Percy returns to Tidmouth Hault to take the children home, the music is omitted.
- This episode was never released on home video or aired on television on Finland; it was only released on a website in 2015.
- The Vicar of Wellsworth takes the role of the Vicar of Knapford.
- The first scene of the episode was used in the sixth series' intro.
Goofs
- When Thomas is on Toby's Old Tramway, Clarabel is facing the wrong way. Then in the next shot, Annie is facing the wrong way.
- When Thomas talks to Percy at Tidmouth Hault, a red mark can be seen next to his left eye.
- In the Polish dub, Edward's English name is mistakenly used.
- When Percy puffs out of Tidmouth Hault after the rain starts, the points are set where he goes into the yard with the passengers.
- When Percy says, "I wish I could see", his roof is lifted.
- When Percy plunges into the flooded tracks:
- Annie and Clarabel have swapped positions.
- The water appears to come above his firebox.
- The water is below his buffers.
- The ground sinks severely.
- A bush also moves on its own.
- When Percy says, "Oh the water is sloshing my fire!", his boiler has a large chip on it.
- In the shot of Percy's driver and fireman during the scene where Percy is in the flooded water, the fence behind them is submerged; but in the close-up of the fireman, the fence is completely above the water. This changes again in the shot of the driver, fireman and guard carrying the wooden planks through the water.
- When Percy rounds the last bend, the puddle near the tracks contains black plastic.
- Percy arrives at Elsbridge after going through the Low Lands, even though the branch line the Low Lands are located on goes past Elsbridge.
- Despite the fact that the water only reached Percy's footplate, he has a water line across his boiler when he meets Thomas at the end of the episode.
Quotes
- Harold: Sorry, Percy. Can't talk. I'm on high alert.
- Percy: Why?
- Harold: Bad weather's due. My help's always needed. Mind how you go, Percy.
- Percy: Pah! As long as I've got rails to run on, I can go anywhere, in any weather, anyhow. [leaves] Goodbye!
- Narrator: It was a beautiful day but Edward was worried.
- Edward: Be careful, there's a storm coming.
- Percy: [to himself] A promise is a promise, no matter what the weather.
- The Fat Controller: Harold told me you were a wizard. He says he can beat you at some things but not at being a submarine. I don't know what you two get up to sometimes but I do know that you're a really useful engine.
- Percy: Oh, sir!
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
- Book - Percy's Promise (book)
- Board book - Percy Gets Stuck
- Buzz Book - Percy's Promise
- My First Thomas book - Percy and Harold
- My Thomas Story Library book - Percy
- Engine Adventures - Percy
- Magazine stories - Percy's Promise (1997), Percy's Promise (2000), Going for a Swim! and Percy Gets Wet!
Home Video Releases
PC Game
Episode
References
#01 A Scarf for Percy | #10 The Trouble with Mud | #19 One Good Turn |
#02 Percy's Promise | #11 No Joke for James | #20 Tender Engines |
#03 Time for Trouble | #12 Thomas, Percy and the Post Train | #21 Escape |
#04 Gordon and the Famous Visitor | #13 Trust Thomas | #22 Oliver Owns Up |
#05 Donald's Duck | #14 Mavis | #23 Bulgy |
#06 Thomas Gets Bumped | #15 Toby's Tightrope | #24 Heroes |
#07 Thomas, Percy and the Dragon | #16 Edward, Trevor and the Really Useful Party | #25 Percy, James and the Fruitful Day |
#08 Diesel Does It Again | #17 Buzz, Buzz | #26 Thomas and Percy's Christmas Adventure |
#09 Henry's Forest | #18 All at Sea | |