- “You're heavier than a bulldozer and a steamroller put together!”
- ― Nelson to Thomas
Percy Helps Out, originally titled Nelson Gets Carried Away, is the twenty-first episode of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company. It was released on Thomas' Trusty Friends.
Plot
In summer, Nelson gets tired of his job of always having to carry the other machines to and from work and back home and he wishes that he could be carried for once. That night, Nelson has a dream that he is being carried, until Miss Jenny wakes him up the next morning and informs him that Thomas has had an accident at Maithwaite Crossing and the Fat Controller needs Nelson to take him to the repair yard.
Nelson arrives to see that Thomas had derailed and broken a wheel. Nelson is careful to load Thomas, but complains that he is "heavier than a bulldozer and a steamroller put together," much to Thomas' surprise as he is only a tank engine. While on their way to the repair yard, Thomas is impressed with Nelson and how nice it is to be carried for a change. Nelson tells Thomas he wants to be carried too, but does not think anyone is big enough to carry him.
Nelson arrives on time where the Fat Controller is waiting and he praises him for being a really useful lorry. Miss Jenny needs Nelson back at the yards, so Nelson says he would drive as fast as he can, but the Fat Controller says that would not be necessary when Percy arrives to carry Nelson back to the yards, much to Nelson's delight. Nelson is loaded onto Percy's well wagon and is having a really splendid ride, which is as magical as he had dreamed.
Characters
- Thomas
- Percy
- Nelson
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Jenny Packard
- Oliver the Excavator (cameo)
- Byron (cameo)
- Buster (cameo)
- Flying Scotsman (poster cameo)
- The Fat Policeman (original concept; cameo)
Locations
- Rail Under Road Bridge and Stone Wall
- Sodor Construction Company Yard
- The Brickworks
- The Repair Yard
- Maithwaite (mentioned)
Trivia
- This episode's number was confirmed by a document confirming that all 13 completed episodes of Jack and the Sodor Construction Company had been filmed by 27 January 2003[1] and by the storyboard.
- This episode was originally titled Nelson Gets Carried Away, although that title is listed on Virgin TV Anytime's website.
- According to Dave Axford, the bridge that Nelson carries Oliver underneath may have been part of the Big Dipper, which was first and only seen in Thomas and the Magic Railroad.
- A behind the scenes picture shows that Thomas was the one carrying Nelson in his dream.
- Despite being the title character, Percy only has two lines in this episode, similarly to A Happy Day for Percy.
- This episode marks the last things:
- The final episode to be written by Brian Trueman not counting to the cancelled episode, No Dozer is an Island, 18 years later before his death in 2024.
- Nelson's last appearance.
- The last appearance of Rail Under Road Bridge and Stone Wall.
- This is the second time Thomas has been shown traveling on a lorry, with the first being the Railway Series story Not the Ticket from Thomas and the Great Railway Show.
- When Nelson brings Buster back to the yard, a poster for the LNER depicting Flying Scotsman is visible.
Goofs
- When Nelson says, "We'll get you back in no time", his eyes are wonky.
- When Nelson arrives to collect Thomas at the crossing, the edge of the set can be seen behind Nelson’s trailer.
- Thomas is winched onto Nelson's trailer without any rails to guide his wheels.
- In the second shot of Nelson carrying Byron, his trailer is missing its winch.
In Other Languages
| Language | Title |
|---|---|
| Dutch | Percy Helpt Een Handje |
| German | Percy hilft aus |
Home Media Releases
UK/US/AUS/NL/GER
UK DVD Boxsets
US DVD Boxsets
- Thomas' Trusty Friends and On Site with Thomas Double Feature
- Ultimate Thomas Collection
- Totally Thomas Volume 9
AUS DVD Boxsets
References
| #02 Alfie Has Kittens | #21 Percy Helps Out | n/a Bossy Byron |
| #03 Jack Owns Up | #22 A Happy Day for Percy | n/a The Importance of Being Patrick |
| #06 On Site with Thomas | #23 Thomas' Trusty Friends | n/a Pop Goes the Diesel |
| #07 A Visit from Thomas | #24 A Tale for Thomas | n/a Jack and the Quack |
| #10 Mud Glorious Mud | n/a No Dozer Is an Island | n/a Alfie Has a Secret |
| #13 Thomas and the Moles | n/a All Work, No Play | n/a Isobella Gets Steamed |
| #14 The Tortoise and the Hare | n/a Safety First | n/a The Grass Is Greener |
| #15 Percy's Scary Tale | n/a Treasure Hunt | n/a Kelly's Heroes |
| #20 Kelly's Windy Day | n/a Jack's Snow Rescue | |