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- "I won't stay here, I'll run away!"
- ― Percy while starting to run backwards
Percy Runs Away is the seventeenth episode of the first series. It is based on the story of the same name from The Railway Series book Troublesome Engines.
Plot
After several days of being shut up in the shed as punishment for their mutiny, the Fat Controller visits the big engines. He tells Gordon, James and Henry that he hopes they are sorry and have learned they are not as important as they thought. He informs them about his new tank engine Percy and Edward and Thomas have been running the main line well by themselves. However, he is willing to let them out and return to work on the condition that they behave and stop complaining about shunting. All three agree and they quickly resume their duties.
The Fat Controller then speaks to Thomas, Edward and Percy and lets them play on the branch line for a few days as a reward for their hard work. Thomas happily collects Annie and Clarabel, while Edward and Percy 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 is ready to start 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 at the signal box to let the signalman know he is 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 shuts his eyes as Gordon gets closer. Luckily, Gordon applies his brakes and stops just in time. When Percy opens his eye, he sees that Gordon, furious that Percy got in his way stopped with both engines' front buffers only a few inches away from each other. However, by now a frightened Percy has begun to move and begins running backwards.
"I won't stay here, I'll run away!"
Percy goes right through Edward's station and straight up Gordon's Hill without stopping. After coming down, Percy quickly becomes tired but is unable to stop because his crew had jumped out earlier when they saw Gordon. Luckily, a signalman at the next station sees that Percy is in trouble and sets the points into a siding, where Percy finally stops in a big bank of soil. By now, Percy is so tired he does not care where he ends up and is relieved when he realises that he has stopped. He is dug out of the soil by some workmen, who offer him some coal and a drink of water to make him feel better.
Moments later, Gordon arrives with a winch and congratulates Percy on starting quickly and preventing a potential accident as a rescue cable is connected to his coupling hook. Percy apologises for his cheekiness and Gordon pulls him out.
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 whenever he goes on the main line.
Characters
- Edward
- Henry
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Troublesome Trucks
- Sir Topham Hatt
- Thomas (does not speak)
- Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
- Green Express Coaches (do not speak)
- Orange Stroudley Coaches (cameos)
Locations
Trivia
- Stock footage from the previous episode is used.
- In the restored version, when Gordon is approaching Percy, Percy's eye movement is different compared to the original version.
- Percy's mishap is based on four real events; the first one occurred in Thirsk in 1892, the second one occurred on Christmas Eve 1910 at Hawes Junction, the third occurred in Quintinshill on 22 May 1915 and the fourth one occurred at Newton Abbot in August 1939 shortly before the beginning of WWII.
- This episode and Coal were the last episodes introduced by Bonnie Langford on her last day of Children's ITV, before Matthew Kelly took over the following week.
- A workman digging the soil behind Percy resembles Ringo Starr.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Henry's depressed face and Percy's shocked, tired and original wincing faces, as well as their only appearances in the first series.
- This episode and Coal were the third in four pairings to air on 13 August 1990.
- Some UK and NZ VHS releases featuring this episode use the credits from Coal.
- This is the only episode of the first series in which Percy is seen wearing faces other than his happy face.
Goofs
- When Percy leaves the turntable, the turntable sags.
- When Thomas leaves Knapford:
- Annie and Clarabel's name plates are missing.
- Thomas' face is also loose, judging by the gap between his face and eyes.
- When Percy shunts the trucks into a siding and leaves, no smoke is venting from his funnel.
- In a close-up of Percy, greenery appears behind him instead of Wellsworth.
- 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 the shot of Percy's wheels spinning as he reverses, there are red specks on his back ones.
- In the back shots of Percy as he runs up Gordon's hill and when he reaches the top, his crew is in his cab.
- Percy goes further back from the signal box without moving.
- Just before Gordon arrives to rescue Percy, one of the workmen has blu tack around his neck.
- In the last shot, a track in front of the camera has a dead end.
- When Percy crashes into the bank of soil, his rear stripe sticker is partially unattached from his boiler.
- In George Carlin's dub and some foreign dubs, Gordon told Percy he was clever to stop so quickly at Wellsworth, when it was Gordon who stopped just before Percy started reversing.
- In the close-up of Percy 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.
- Percy passes through Wellsworth long before the narrator says he does. This is because, in the original book, the near-collision happened at Knapford rather than Wellsworth.
- Edward's eyes jolt a little at the beginning when the Fat Controller talks to him.
- The inside of Thomas' funnel is white instead of black.
- In the close-up shot of Percy in the dirt pile, some blu tack can be seen around the top of his face.
- In one close up shot of Percy as he is running away, the side of his smoke box is scratched.
In Other Languages
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Merchandise
Percy Runs Away and Thomas and the Breakdown Train (1984 Ladybird book)- Percy Runs Away (1990 Buzz Book)
Magazine Story
- Percy Runs Away (1988 magazine story)
Home Video Releases
Episode
UK narration
US narration (George Carlin)References
| #01 Thomas and Gordon | #10 James and the Express | #19 The Flying Kipper |
| #02 Edward and Gordon | #11 Thomas and the Guard | #20 Whistles and Sneezes |
| #03 The Sad Story of Henry | #12 Thomas Goes Fishing | #21 Toby and the Stout Gentleman |
| #04 Edward, Gordon and Henry | #13 Thomas, Terence and the Snow | #22 Thomas in Trouble |
| #05 Thomas' Train | #14 Thomas and Bertie | #23 Dirty Objects |
| #06 Thomas and the Trucks | #15 Tenders and Turntables | #24 Thomas' Christmas Party |
| #07 Thomas and the Breakdown Train | #16 Trouble in the Shed | #25 Off the Rails |
| #08 James and the Coaches | #17 Percy Runs Away | #26 Down the Mine |
| #09 Troublesome Trucks | #18 Coal | |