- “Percy is a little green tank engine who works in the Yard at the Big Station. He is a funny little engine, and loves playing jokes. These jokes sometimes get him into trouble.”
- ―The introduction to Percy
Percy the Small Engine is the eleventh book of the Railway Series.
Foreword[]
Dear Christopher, and Giles, and Peter, and Clive,
Thank you for writing to ask for a book about Percy. He is still cheeky, and we were afraid (the Fat Controller and I) that if he had a book to himself, it might make him cheekier than ever, and that would never do!
But Percy has been such a Really Useful Engine that we both think he deserves a book. Here it is.
The Author
Stories[]
Percy and the Signal[]
After playing jokes on Gordon and James, Percy decides to stay out of their way for a while, but when he is asked to take a train to Knapford he gets careless and goes over to tell them. Seizing their chance, they tell him about "backing signals", and as he stops for the signal outside Knapford, he is convinced that he is waiting for a "backing signal". He ends up making a fool of himself, and Gordon sees the whole episode.
Duck Takes Charge[]
The Fat Controller is getting a new engine to help Percy, but Gordon and James tell Percy that if he worked harder they would not need one. Percy, cross, works all day and is exhausted, but is happy when the new engine, Montague, known as Duck for his "waddle", arrives. They have a happy day together, but then Henry, Gordon and James order them about. Percy and Duck, in retaliation, block the entrance to the sheds. The Fat Controller comes and tells all five engines off. Percy is sent to work at Knapford, and Duck manages the workload alone.
Percy and Harold[]
One day at the airfield, Percy meets a noisy helicopter, Harold, who says railways are slow and out-of-date. Percy, furious, is later taking some trucks to Knapford Harbour when he sees Harold in the air and decides to race him. At the harbour, Percy thinks he has lost, but his fireman sees Harold looking for a place to land. In congratulation, his crew and the workmen sing a song about the race.
Percy's Promise[]
Thomas is busy and asks Percy to take the Vicar and his Sunday School's children home from the Beach. Percy agrees, but it starts to rain heavily as it is time to leave. Percy stops in front of a flooded paddock, but cannot go back, as a bridge has collapsed. As he crosses the paddock, water sloshes into his fire and he stops. Percy struggles on, fuelled by floorboards from Clarabel. After Harold drops some supplies for them, unfortunately landing on Percy's boiler, they make it to safety, and the Fat Controller congratulates the two.
Characters[]
Percy and the Signal[]
- Gordon
- James
- Percy
- Troublesome Trucks
- Henry (cameo)
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt II (mentioned)
Duck Takes Charge[]
Percy and Harold[]
- Percy
- Harold
- Troublesome Trucks
- Toby (does not speak)
Percy's Promise[]
- Thomas
- Percy
- Sir Charles Topham Hatt II
- The Vicar of Knapford
- Annie and Clarabel (do not speak)
- Harold (does not speak)
Locations[]
Percy and the Signal[]
Duck Takes Charge[]
- Tidmouth
- Tidmouth Sheds
- Tidmouth Harbour
- Knapford Harbour (mentioned)
Percy and Harold[]
- Knapford Harbour
- Crosby Tunnel
- Knapford Airfield
- Ffarquhar
Percy's Promise[]
- Knapford Harbour
- Knapford Harbour Bridges
- The Flooded Track
- Elsbridge
Trivia[]
- This was the final book of a few things:
- The final book to be illustrated by C. Reginald Dalby, as the Rev. W. Awdry remarked that Percy looked like "a green caterpillar with red stripes" in the illustrations. Offended, Dalby refused to illustrate any further entries in the series. The comment on Percy's appearance would be later referenced in Tramway Engines.
- The final book narrated by Johnny Morris.
- Percy's Promise is based on a real event where a train was stranded in five feet of water near Hunstanton, Norfolk, and the crew got the train into Hunstanton by using the floorboards of the guard's van.
- Illustrations from Percy and Harold and Percy's Promise were recreated for 1986 single cover of Oh L'amour, a song by English synthpop duo Erasure.
- Eric Marriott's (the editor of the Railway Series) name appears on a building at Tidmouth Harbour in the second illustration of Duck Takes Charge.
- The events of this book took place in 1955.
Goofs[]
- The electric pole by the single track shed in Percy and the Signal disappears.
- The workmen in the first illustration are dramatically out of perspective.
- In Duck Takes Charge:
- In the sixth illustration, Duck appears to be taller than Henry.
- In the seventh illustration, Duck is a much lighter shade of green.
- Duck is depicted as a GWR 64xx class rather than a GWR 57xx class as his basis.
- In Percy and Harold:
- In the third illustration, Toby is missing his front coupling and is painted in his old livery.
- In the final illustration, Percy's fireman is dramatically out of perspective.
- Thomas and Percy's headcodes are incorrect in all of the illustrations, except the second, in Percy's Promise.